Designed by emerging Greek designer Stamos Michael, Esperinos guest-house is a capture of Athen’s “golden age” of the ’60s. Originally a 1930’s home that witnessed the evolution of its surroundings, Esperinos came to life when the clients saw an opportunity to transform the neglected house into a bed and breakfast attraction. Typical of the beginning of 20th-century Athenian houses’ configuration, the building features an austere, hermetic facade that faces the street, while the house opens up towards a backyard.
The interior of the house is vested with humble materials and warm complimentary colors. The material selection is informed by the original materiality of the residence as much as from the living environments the designer has inhabited, to form an expressive language that speaks of a collective, idiosyncratic narrative. Concrete floors are contrasted by terracotta tiles and white shades reminiscent of Cycladic settlements. Custom-made window frames and doors are combined with found elements, like a traditional window sill retrieved from a monastery in Tinos island.
While the interior walls are finished in sleek shades of green and burgundy, the designer subtly introduces cutouts in the plaster to reveal the rough stone structure of the building and references 70’s residential building blocks in Athens through the circular cut-outs at the mezzanine guardrail. Esperinos house hosts an ever evolving collection of art and design works, as well as a program of in-house art events that run through the year and are curated by Grace.