Nestled in the traditional Pines settlement of Elounda on Crete, this restoration project centers on a stone house built in 1864. The village first saw Venetian settlers between 1400 and 1550, and inside the building a pointed arch still bears witness to that era. In 1864, shepherd‐farmer Mavrogiorgis Drakonakis—six generations before today’s owner—discovered that arch and erected his home around it. Originally it comprised a single room and courtyard, and for decades the structure served as an animal stable until gradual conversions in the 1920s transformed it into a proper residence.
The design concept is rooted in restoring and converting the building into a holiday home. Through a careful adaptation of its layout to contemporary living needs, the original narrative is allowed to continue uninterrupted. On the exterior, interventions were kept to a minimum—focused solely on repairing and reinforcing the stone masonry and rebuilding any collapsed sections. The primary façade upgrade draws light and fresh air into the heart of the house while carving out a cozy seating area on the terrace. New additions appear as lightweight metal structures, deliberately delineating contemporary insertions from the original fabric.
Principal Designer(s) | Nefeli Matsouki Doriza, Spyros Matsoukis Dorizas
Character of Space | Restoration, Hospitality
Gross Floor Area | 45 sqm
Materials | Stone, Metal, Wood
Location | Crete,Greece
At the heart of the interior stands the Venetian arch, preserved intact with its weathered patina and centered beneath a copper plaque. Two bedrooms now nestle around this focal point. Where needed, interior walls receive a coat of gypsum plaster to ensure breathability. Mirroring our exterior approach, these functional adjustments emerged naturally rather than by forced subtraction. The suspended metal staircase leading to the terrace embodies this ethos—its sculptural form and refined metal framework playing off the solid stone walls. Though the new interventions highlight contrast, they employ intentionally aged materials—oxidized metal and imperfect plaster—to achieve harmony. By weaving fresh elements into the old, the building awakens as a relaxed, modern holiday retreat.
