Welcome to Daedalus Stone Villa

 

Welcome 

  

   In my last post, I shared the transformation of our Stone exterior, but today I want to to invite you inside. This is the heart of our home, on the first floor-the space Teddy and I have built for our daily life, while the second -floor guest suite waits for the laughter of visiting family and friends.

   Your welcome begins at our front doors these were crafted by two Ikarian brothers, Petros & Vasiles, master woodworkers that followed in their father's footsteps. They created a beautiful sturdy entry that feels as though it has protected this mountain home for generations.

Exquisite details 

   Inside, you'll find our Rustic Kitchen,  the heart of the home. It's a space made for work and warmth. We installed a deep farmers sink, which is absolutely essential for all the canning we do from our garden harvest. The sink offers spectacular  views of the Vineyards below, and the Ikarian Sea .

Room with a View

 One day 's harvest
2025
Figs-Tomatoes-Zucchini-Cherry Tomatoes 

   The center of the room is the Island. I shared my vision with a local carpenter from Raches , Vaggelis. He custom-built this piece to fit our lives perfectly. Guest can sit comfortably right across from us while the food is being prepared, there is nothing better than sharing a glass of wine and some lively conversation with family & friends.

"Pull up a stool"

  Just opposite is our Italian Cook Stove. I am still learning to maneuver it-its quite different from the American versions!-but it makes every meal feel special.

The source of our Greek table
Where tradition meets Taste

"Stella" our neighbor giving cooking lessons
how to prepare Gemista
Ikarian way!
Recipe at end of the blog !

  On the other side of the room , we have our comfort nook, with two recliners we brought over from USA. They sit comfortably in front of our Italian wood burning stove. This stove is a marvel; it heats the stone wall to create radiant heat and uses the blower to circulate that warmth through the room. It's our favorite place to retreat during the winter months.

Swivel chairs allow us to turn towards 
Fire spin around  to join in conversation  a
At the Island

Fire is hypnotic
Walls are warm to the touch 

     Pass from kitchen into dining room. Here the stone walls provide a rugged, beautiful 

backdrop for  our hand-crafted dining room Table made by "Vagelis. It's a solid, honest piece of furniture that anchors the space and invites you  to sit  just a little longer.

A place for slow meals & long conversations

   But the real magic is in the stone walls. Mitsoe, and his two sons, Elvis & Andreas

chiseled out the stone to create Built-in Nooks. They aren't just for storage, they are tiny galleries carved directly into mountain edge. They hold our collection of pottery, and pewter wine goblets. One nook holds our religious Icon. No Greek home is truly complete without one; it is a tradition that connects our home to the  spirit of  Island.

"A Window into the Walls
Hand carved "Ikarian Alcoves"

  

Greek Icon "Mother Mary"

 

   As we move from the dining room and deeper into the house, through the hallway you're surrounded by the faces of our children, grandchildren, every morning my family greets me, it makes the house feel like a home. 

There's  a bench built by Vagelis to sit on to take off your shoes after working in the gardens. It rolls out and rolls back  in, the top lifts for more storage to hold the abundance of shoes that we seem to have collected since we have arrived. Then you pass by the Guest bathroom that is tucked away in the hallway.

Our Memory Gallery

   

Guest Bathroom 

   Finally  we arrive to our sanctuary, passing through a heavy hardwood door into our Master bedroom & Bath. 

Built-in s were custom made by Vagelis. The headboard and footboard where hand wrought, made to fit the style of the home. 

The mattress deserves honorable mention. In a world of "bed-in-box, mass production, we  bought a mattress from a small shop that does things the traditional  way. These mattresses are completely made to order. The shop came recommended by Teddy's brother '"Ari". He  purchased his over 20 years ago, still sleeps on it to this day. The best part? You choose what exactly goes inside.Wether you want the firm support of traditional materials, or a specific fabric for the casing. When we saw and experienced the quality we expected a staggering pricetag, but the cost was unbelievable -just 350 euro for custom handmade mattress.

 I am on a hunt for an antique chest to put at the foot of the bed, not only for its beauty but for functionality, to store bulky items like blankets and pillows.

Repurposed door 
Leads into our bathroom spa

Our Sanctuary 

   The Master Bath is a true labor of love and research. Stepping through  a beautifully repurposed  door  into a spa-like bathroom.The walls are finished in Patite, an ancient "pressed " lime technique with roots that stretch  back through Greek history and onto the ornate bathhouses of the Ottoman empire. It involves layering lime and marble dust  create luminous surface that feels like and looks like solid marble. Very few know how to apply this technique, however, we found Christos through our Stone mason who seems to know everyone and everything on the Island.

 The shower was designed for ultimate comfort, featuring a built-in sit down bench and beautiful  handmade tiles from Italy.  Christo carved out custom  stone cubbies into the wall to hold  our essential bath items keeping the space clutter free and serene. 

Thanks to my daughter Holly we added a Bidet-an addition that is absolutely priceless.

Serene Master bath

The End
Sorry I couldn't resist

   

  They say it takes a village to raise a child, but in our case, it took the finest craftsmen of the island to breath life back into these stones.. These are the heroes who turned our vision into the work of art we now call home: 

Acknowledgements 

Petro's & Vasiles: The two brothers  who followed in their father's footsteps to craft our massive wooden entry doors and windows.Their work is the first thing  our guest touch, and it sets the tone for everything inside.

 The Master Carpenter : Vaggelis. who took my rough sketches  and turned them into reality, The Island,  rustic, and solid, a  hand crafted dining room table,  the built-ins, in  our bedroom all created with artistic and mindful hands.

Roofers: Ari's & Panayotis:  who built the roof laid the tile ( keramides). I watched them day after day, two stories up on the steep pitch of  our roof. They worked with casual bravery that I will never quite understand-no harness, no safety lines. Watching them haul and lay those heavy  tiles while perched at ledge gave me a near heart attack.

Elias: Who worked tirelessly and precisely building  the stucco walls ( so-vas)

Elias: Dynamited the stone allowing us to build where stone stood- I vividly recall a day when I was showing my friend Peite around when we heard yelling, Peite said run, so I did , I asked what was that all about., She laughed in Greek he was saying take cover....

Tile: Legeris  laid the tile throughout entire house, interior & exterior, showing attention to detail resulting in a beautifully finished flooring and Terraces .

Electrician: Mike Lenderos a true professional  showed exceptional workmanship. When our house was struck by lightning we were in the dark, we called after hours,  he was there within 20 minutes restoring our power, he wouldn't accept money for the call.

Heavy equipment operator : Nico performed almost impossible maneuvering  and skills with his back-hoe in tight quarters, making our lot level and the  land usable.

Plumber: Socrates and his brother were knowledgeable and caring  professionals, who guided us through the maze and correct operation of our water system.

Concrete: Mouselas Managed  Yards & yards of concrete needed to construct the house.

Architect: Kosta Spanos  who took our vision and put it on paper.

Neighbors: Kiki & Dimetre and Stella&Periklis We are blessed to have wonderful neighbors who fed us almost daily, let us use their facilities and supported us through the building process. We couldn't have hand picked better neighbors.

Stone Masons: Mitsoe, Andreas, Elvis . While the wood and the finishes give the villa it's character, the stone is it's soul. The stone Masons were the heroes of this story. Over two years they showed up with their chisels and hammers. But they did so much more than stack rocks, they became an extension to our family every day they shared our table , our local wine and our food. Between bites and sips of wine, their expertise and quiet advice guided us through every challenge of restoration.

To see them standing by the walls they built with such pride is a reminder that this house wasn't just "constructed"- it was grown from 2 years of friendship, hard work, thousands of shared meals.

My heroes 
Andreas is missing in this photo

Foreman: This story isn't complete without acknowledging my husband Teddy.  

 The true foreman of this long journey. He poured his heart and soul into our home. He managed the site, coordinated the crews, kept the project going. When it was done he painted every square inch of this home. This house is a reflection of his strength and love for our family for generations to come.

Teddy a man with a vision 

What is your favorite part of the house or story?

                                                      Stella's recipe: GEMISTA

Gemista ready to pop in the Oven

Stella's recipe for Gemista

Coming Next: The View from above

The second floor: 

In my next post I will take you upstairs to guest suite-ready for family and friends. We will step out onto the expansive terrace with the most spectacular views 

Vineyard, Sea, Mountains.

 

A Story of Stone,Soul, and the Ikarian 🌞 Sun

 It has been a long time since I shared update here, but in Ikaria, time has a way  of stretching to accommodate the work of heart. We haven't just been renovating a house; we have been reclaiming a piece of the mountain one stone at a time. 

   Looking back at where we started, I am reminded of how much courage it took to begin. When we first stood before the one room structure,  all the stones on the house were covered with cement, they had to be cleaned one by one. I'll admit I had my trepidations. It was a  space that goats had taken up residence inside, and it would take everything we had to give to make it livable once again.

   But my Teddy had a vision.While I saw the dust and the insurmountable challenges, he saw potential. He saw how the light hit the mountain, along with the incredible views of azure Sea, and Vineyards below, he knew if we honored the land, it would honor us back.

Beginning of the Journey 

We made a promise early on to stay true to the Islands spirit. Every piece of stone and every slab of marble in this house was mined right here in Ikaria.

Marble from the mountains 

  The transformation you see isn't the results of heavy machinery or modern shortcuts. Teddy worked alongside local craftsmen who used only rustic tools-hammers and chisels wielded with a precision that only comes from generations of tradition. Watching them shape the stone was like watching art come to life. It's why the house has such a unique "heartbeat", every arch and corner bears the mark of human hands.

Elvis handcrafted outdoor sink from marble

Life in the Gardens. Renovations not only was occuring on our  stone house, but it has spilled out into the our gardens. We have planted tended,  and nurtured our, lemon, orange, fig, olive,peach, and apple, trees just to name a few.

🫒 Olive tree & 🍋 Lemon tree 🍋 

Fruits of our labor  has paid off, it's spring 🌼 🌱 on the Island, leaves have turned green and our trees are covered in pink buds, our Lemon tree 🍋 has already provided us with a basket of ripe juicy lemons that are used in abundance in Greek recipes.

Lemon tree so very pretty

  

   Our flower beds are waking up as well, it's a joy to hear the buzzing of the bee's, grateful for their hard work as  pollinators, as well as their World famous honey that island is known for!

Spring has sprung 

Finally here is  a video ,90%  of the Stone house is completed, just putting finishing touches, my step daughter Beba did the video last ⛱️  ⛱️ 🌞 

   We focused mostly on outside, our next blog I will be concentrating on inside.

Looking forward to your thoughts comments...

Sunrise 

Teddy and Kathleen 

MORROCON STYLE Bathroom

 

 White fluffy Turkish Towels
 Will fill 😍 Cubbies 

  Morrocon style  bathroom idea came to fruition over a concern we had. Ikaria has extremely high levels of humidity.

  We countered problem inside house by purchasing a dehumidifier. On certain days hygrometer measures 100% humidity. Using it, we are able to get it to a comfortable level of 62. 

 Bathrooms are of particular concern for mold, mildew. I searched on-line for ideas too curtail this problem. What I found, is a Moroccan technique, adopted by Greeks called Patiti.  It has been used  for centuries in hot humid climates in Mediterranean, to combat this worrisome issue.

Example: Patiti Bathroom 
Santorini 

 Now that I have a solution, question is, can we find a technician who has trained, mastered this ancient technique, on our Island?

Winters months only 8000 people 
Live on Island

 We took to our tried true method that has worked in past for us, it's how we located our property in first place. By  frequenting coffee shops, cafe's, word of mouth. 

Eureka, one our stone guys knew of Albanian named Christo who does this type of work.

 Raches coffee shop
Word of mouth here,
Better than a telephone/internet

  We located Christo working in Evdilos, he took us too view a job he had done at a local hotel. He explained to us, Patiti technique used frequently Santorini, Mykonos, other Islands to curtail mold, mildew.

  Question is, we now know he's been trained applying Patiti, can Christo also build, create a beautiful spa like design, from scratch, following my rough design?  I would be lying if I said my husband and I didn't have our doubts.  We had never seen, or known of anyone who worked with this particular product.

Original  sketch 

 Not only would he be applying Patiti, he would also be building bathroom from ground zero. So with a leap of faith, some coaxing, crossed fingers, holding our breath.We handed over a rough drawn sketch for Christo to build.

Ground Zero

 Job took over 6 weeks, requiring, building  layering, drying, sanding, applying product layer by layer, then more sanding. Finally using a polishing material to complete the process. Bathroom, shower, sink, walls are made from patiti. 

Italian tile

 We ordered  beautiful hand painted Morrocon style tile from 🇮🇹  Italy, for a finishing touch. Only portion of bathroom that's not patiti. 

 Second stage was scary 
Kept me up at night

Sigh of relief 😌  looks exactly as we
Envisioned it

  Bathroom is really taking on its shape. There's alot of work yet to be done, but it's evolving from ugly duckling into a swan.

  I would've felt solely responsible, if results were anything other than how it turned out. Not only that, it could've been a costly mistake, to say I am relieved is under statement.

   

  We both have a love for Mediterranean sea 🌊 with unique azure colors, so we added pops of this color throughout. 

  Bathroom  has really become a collaboration of European union, Baltics, other countries.

  Shell bisque wall lights that are on order, from Czech republic, 🇨🇿 hand painted  Morrocon style floor tiles from 🇮🇹 Italy, technician from 🇦🇱 Albania, technique originated in Morroco, Bidet from Korea, 100% cotton bath Towels from 🇹🇷 Turkey, decorative items from America,  

  I chose products from each country and it represented what they are best known for.

  What a find! Elvis, our stone mason found a well made, old styled Greek wooden door that was taken out of his house, that just happened to be built by grandfather of Petros & Vasilis, brothers who have made our doors windows. Teddy plans too sand it down, refinish it, will be entry door into our bathroom. 

Original glass
 milky "perfect" privacy

 

Korean Bidet

 Interesting fact: I noticed a long blonde horse 🐎 tail, laying on bathroom countertop. Shocked I asked what's that doing here? Socrates our plumber, explained horse hair is used in place of silicone, stating its more effective for sealing than silicone. 

  Footnote : I was assured no horse was hurt during this haircut, horsetail will grow back.

Bronze rain Shower
Model  from 🇬🇷 Greece 

HERMÈS

Winged sandals

w

Hermès 


Greek God Hermès adorns corners our of red tiled,  Mediterranean roof

Hermès Greek God protector of traveller's, thieves,merchants,
known to all for his winged sandals

 We  have a lot to be grateful for as we near end of 2022.  

Been a challenging, sometimes frustrating, yet rewarding year. 

Patience is a Virtue 

 

 Renovating a house, tests both patience, resiliency of even strongest of marriages. My husband & I are both passionate people, we have had to learn to yield, bend to each other. Testing ourselves, patience, more than any other time in our marriage. 

 After taking on this project, we can truly understand movie, Money Pit!

Learning to Yield

 Oddly enough Greeks aren't required to obtain an occupancy permit. Nor has any inspectors come to inspect our home at anytime. 

Our only guidance, has come from Architect Kosta, talented, skilled,workers, who have been building on Ikaria's Island since 7th century. We couldn't be happier with results.

  

 Hero of whole project is my husband Teddy. He has a working knowledge of construction after serving many years in trades. He has been there every step of way, working tirelessly to assure everything done correctly.

Foreman extraordinaire 

 Outside stonework is complete, awaiting a barbecue, railings to finish off terraces. 

 Inside, ceilings, plastered walls await Teddys finishing touch of fresh paint. Tiles, wood floors need to be installed.

Kitchen marble countertop will be mined, shipped, from  north of Greece. Island to be built by local well known for his amazing woodworking skills. Top is to be hand crafted from stunning olive wood. 

Stairway to Heaven 

 2023 looks to be epic year as we grow near to finish line. Plan is, to move in as soon as Moroccan  bathroom is done. I am anxiously waiting to see how finished project turns out.

 It's been a long, bumpy, arduous journey . In near future we'll  be setting up temporary  residence in restored portion of house, whilst work continues on rest of property.

  

It's  been  well over 2 1/2 years since we owned our own place, I can't wait for day to finally wake up

                        In Our Home Sweet Home

 

Our wish & prayers for all of you in 2023. God please protect our children, grandchildren, family, friends. 

Keep them safe from harm. Grant them gift of peace in their hearts & good health. For those struggling, reach out to each other to offer love &support. May our hearts minds heal, pray for a kinder, gentler world for all.

 

Huff Puff "Can't blow this house down"

We are obsessed 😍 Front Door 

  Trades have been hard at work, some working seven days a week.

    Time is of essence, feeling of urgency is palpable.  House must be buttoned up, before cold rainy season hits Ikaria with its full force.

 

  Winds on Island can be ferocious during the winter. Rainy season can start early as October, bringing with it torrential downpours, continuing through March. Making it extremely challenging to work outside. 

  Thanks to our Albanian stone mason's, who are here faithfully all week,  first floor fully enclosed, minus doors, windows. If the weather holds they plan to button up 2nd floor. We have our fingers crossed. If anyone can do it these guys can. 

A TEAM

  We had hoped our carpenter Petros  & brother Vasilis would have doors & windows installed by now, but that was wishful thinking on our part. After all this is Ikaria. Ikarians work at their own pace. So our plan is to cover them with plywood for winter to keep element's out. 

  In all fairness most Ikarians not only have their primary jobs, they also have their gardens, vineyards, olive trees to tend to. Fall is harvest time for them.

Teddy  helping harvest 🍇 

We have hired Ari &Panagiotis, two locals to raise roof. Teddy has been told, they are best on Island, from what we have seen so far, we tend agree.

Panagiotis & Ari
Roof Maestro 

  Teddy ordered a crane to lift heavy center beam onto 2nd floor. Joist is 13cmX30cm, is carefully guided, put in place by Ari & Panagiotis. 

  If I were to be honest, I couldn't watch, or take photos, as huge, heavy, center beam was hoisted up, swinging freely too and fro, with only two guys on staging high up in air to receive it.

 After that hair raising experience. Rafters are  carved out to fit perfectly.  Carefully positioned into notched openings, allowing them to nest securely in place. 

Nesting rafters into notches

  Rafters are 3 meters long, weigh approximately 100 kilo, 220 pounds.

 One by one rafters raised up, put in place by Ari & Panagiotis, whilst standing on staging high in air. A feat not for faint-hearted.  To our amazement, trepidation, at no time, harness or any other safety equipment were worn. Icing on roof will be beautiful red Terracota tiles.

Studio apartment 
1bedroom with balcony-sleeping loft, kitchen,bathroom
Large terrace  alfresco dining
Views Island Chios & Turkey 🇹🇷 

 Teddy and I continue to be awestruck, witnessing lost arts, trades. Jaw dropping accomplishments with simple, rustic techniques, tools,ingenuity.

Rustic ladder

  While Teddy continues to manage, mason's, electricians, plumbers, roofers.

 Master Bath well under way, beginning to take its form. We hired Albanian named Christo, his specialty Morrocon style bathrooms. We are impressed with his ingenius, unique methods, we hope end results will be beautiful. 

  I will take you  from my crude sketch too his finished work, in my next blog. 

The beginning of 💡 Idea
Morrocon  bathroom

  This weeks glitch, one of many, involved an ordinary white ceiling light for master bath. 

  We have a small electric store that carries light fixtures. We stop by, only to find store owner wife who runs it wasn't there. Please check back later, husband says.  Later that afternoon we swing by only to find shop closed.  It's customary shops to close for afternoon naps 😴but never with a set schedule.

  Following day, store is open. I'm sorry, wife still not here. He offers us a manual to take home, maybe as a consellation prize.

  We find a fixture to our liking in catalog. Following day we return to order light fixture, eureka I see wife outside shop. Pull in, pull in, I excitedly say, afraid Teddy might not see her drive by.

  Upon parking, existing car she yells, don't come any closer, our son has covid I must quarantine for 5 days. Come back next week. We let out a joint Sigh 😕 drive away. 🚗 

  We look at each other to say, now famous saying.

                                  "ONLY  in IKARIA "

Chestnuts Galore