00:01The design idea was to open up the space with a great gesture.
00:07This is why we used a bold color blue in Greek, where also the name of the apartment stems from.
00:15My name is Elia Thanasiadou, I'm an architect based in Athens, Greece and I have founded spaces around us.
00:22The client wanted the apartment to be her small, calm and neat oasis in the dazzling city center.
00:37The apartment is located in Pagrati, it is one of the liveliest and most youthful areas close to downtown Athens.
00:46And about a 10 minute walk from Kalimarmoro Stadium, an ancient Olympic stadium which is considered a landmark of the
00:54area.
00:58The apartment is located on the top floor, it was abandoned for quite some time before the owners renovated it.
01:08When we first walked into the apartment we found it almost in the exact same condition as when it was
01:14originally built back in the 60s.
01:19It is surrounded by tons of history, so we wanted to bring some of that into the apartment.
01:26Like the white marbles in Kalimarmoro Stadium, the stainless steel details in the Acropolis Museum and the blue Athenian sky.
01:41It had a typical layout with all of the rooms divided.
01:45There were too many rooms for such a small space which made it dark and difficult to move around.
01:52We began by relocating the entrance to the old kitchen area.
01:56The kitchen, dining and living rooms are now in a large open-plan space in the middle of the apartment.
02:02We increased the size of the bathroom.
02:05The bedroom now has a large wall-to-wall closet along the back with plenty of storage.
02:10On the terrace, we added the jacuzzi in one of the blind sides of the balcony.
02:18The first thing you see is a fixed large full-height window which allows for more natural light to pour
02:25into the entrance.
02:28A custom storage unit that spans the entire wall of the entrance was added.
02:33We built a small blue niche in the storage unit and integrated a built-in seat so that you can
02:39put on your shoes before leaving.
02:42The bench cushion is custom made of genuine leather in a bold blue matching the cabinets.
02:51We also heat the control panel and the Wi-Fi modem here.
02:56The shelves inside the cabinet were specifically designed for a suitcase, an ironing board and a vacuum cleaner to be
03:04easily stored.
03:07The right cabinet door is a bit raised from the floor level, leaving space for the robot vacuum to dock.
03:15The small window by the front door is a part of the shaft of the building.
03:20We replaced it with a fluted glass window so it filters the view of all the plumbing passing through the
03:26shaft.
03:29The living room is no longer a separate room but rather an open-plan area that combines the kitchen, the
03:35dining and the living.
03:38An L-shaped sofa was chosen to create a soft boundary with the corridor guiding to the bathroom and the
03:44bedroom.
03:47It's also big enough to be used as a guest bed.
03:53The TV is a frame model which means it is attached to the wall and no wires are visible as
04:00we have built everything into the wall behind.
04:03The pendant light is a retro design from N tradition.
04:08It is reminiscent of the 60s era when the residence was originally built.
04:13We also chose 60s inspired light switches.
04:19The outer roller shutters needed a quite large box to be placed above the windows in the balcony, which we
04:25avoided by using internal blinds.
04:29I think cooking should be a social activity, so we left the space open so the client can interact with
04:36people in the living and dining room while she cooks.
04:39The countertop of the kitchen is made from white marble drawing inspiration from the ancient marble of Calimarmaro Stadium.
04:48We tried to incorporate as much storage as possible in the kitchen cabinets, even for storing things apart from kitchenware.
05:00We added a cooktop with both gas and induction hobes so that the client could choose between them when she
05:07is cooking.
05:09The hood is built in under the counter so that there are no visual obstacles to the terrace while cooking.
05:18We added a tap that can also make sparkling water.
05:23She also wanted to have a dining counter that would feel like the kitchen islands you find in larger homes.
05:30We added two pendant lights to define the dining area.
05:36We used a rare blue marble matching the main bold color chosen for the dining counter.
05:43The structural elements within the apartment, like the columns and the beams, were deliberately left in their original state.
05:52We replaced the original floors with white cement to make the space feel larger and create a canvas for the
06:00blue.
06:03The bathroom is in the blue and glass box that continues from the kitchen.
06:08The cabinet is custom made from stainless steel with a plywood and forged cement sink, which is water resistant.
06:16As the size of the bathroom is quite small, we wanted to free up space.
06:21That is why the sink and cabinet are fixed on the wall.
06:26The bathtub was removed and changed to a large walk-in shower.
06:31For the shower, we chose a small size tile in a bold blue, reminiscent of the small size tiles mainly
06:37used during the 60s and the 70s.
06:40We liked the look of the exposed beams in the bathroom, so we covered them with a water resistant varnish.
06:48One side of the shower wall is built out of glass brick to pour in sunlight from the large window
06:54of the living room while maintaining privacy.
06:59In the bedroom, we removed the door a bit after increasing the size of the bathroom.
07:05As for the materials, the owner wanted a super neat and relaxing palette to create a cocoon-like feeling.
07:14We used both pendant and reading lights above the bedside tables, so the client can use whichever light she likes.
07:24While the custom bedside tables are made out of stainless steel to match the rawness of the exposed concrete columns.
07:32A large wall-to-wall closet was added with lots of storage for clothes and other household items.
07:40On the upper part of the closet, we hid the air conditioning system behind some vents in order to reduce
07:46visual noise.
07:49The bed can lift up to reveal more storage underneath.
07:54It's great for extra pillows and sheets.
07:58The door leading to the balcony used to be a swinging door, but we replaced it with a pocket sliding
08:05door to save space.
08:10As the apartment is located on the last floor of the building, it has a really large terrace for its
08:15size.
08:17From the terrace, there are views of Lycabitus Hill and Hyamitus Mountain.
08:22Two of the main urban Athenian hills.
08:26We created a small dining table for two and a lounge outdoor sofa.
08:32There is a custom metallic perforated box where the external air conditioning unit is stored.
08:42On one side of the terrace, we added a large jacuzzi.
08:48We added an electric awning so that we can enjoy the terrace during the day.
08:59Repurposing and reusing existing spaces, I think, is a more sustainable design solution.
09:04My philosophy when I design a small space is to optimize the layout in ways that create a better flow,
09:11gives more light and makes the space more calm.
09:30I think, right-and-move a lot.
09:33I can't see you next time.
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