TRADITIONAL HOUSE RENOVATIONS
Upon arriving in Rhodes permanently in 2003, my passion has been to renovate beautiful old stone houses around the island with environmental principles. After completeing 8 houses on Rhodes, and 2 in the UK, the below information and gallery of some of my work was the result of my dream as an Interior designer to branch out on my own, and do my own thing.
HELP IS AT HAND............
As well as being the project manager and Interior designer, on the below properties and those available for purchase and rent, I am also a Yoga teacher, just in case you find building houses or remodelling stressful !!
The below explains in what ways I can be of help to you with your renovation project big, or small, and for more services available please see the Interior deisgn page :
SERVICES AVAILABLE
Each job will be looked at individually to suit your needs. Please contact me directly for prices & see also the Interior design options on the next page.
The below explains in what ways I can be of help to you with your renovation project big, or small, and for more services available please see the Interior deisgn page :
SERVICES AVAILABLE
Each job will be looked at individually to suit your needs. Please contact me directly for prices & see also the Interior design options on the next page.
1/2 DAY CONSULTATION ON ANY ISSUES OF RENOVATION OF YOUR CHOICE- 1/2 DAY CONSULTATION WITH ON THE SPOT ROUGH SKETCHES & IDEAS
- PROJECT MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT : Visiting your build regularly to check on progress and report to you the realities and directions for you to push towards. Giving you alternative options and thoughts for your designs and materials used in the finish.
- FULL PROJECT MANAGEMENT : Responsible for the builders, getting in quotes and following through your desires for the house as instructed.
- PURCHASING ASSISTANCE : Visiting suppliers (floors, windows, furniture etc) assisting you in coming to the right decision for you.
TRIS : SUMMER PYRGOS (TOWER) HOUSE
This pretty summer tower house in Tris was in need of total reovation and had been left to ruin hidden away at the end of a pathway. This is a very particular style of house to the Trianda/Tris area of the island called Pyrgos houses. They were built for people to escape the city heat as breezes always pick up in the afternoon on this side of the island. These small summer houses are true indoor/outdoor houses, and I designed the kitchen space to be able to hand food in and out through the kitchen windows, added a compact toilet and shower space into the old chimney oven area of the house, and kept 2 bedrooms. After living in this house for a summer, I found it adorable, practical, and it felt like you were constantly on holiday. The summer holiday nature of this house is why I choose the pale blues inside. This house was featured on the UKs 'Place in the Sun' TV show, and was sold not long after.
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KOSKINOU : THE VICARS CAMARA HOUSE
This was a basic renovation and the 1st of my houses to be completed. It took 12 weeks to clear it out and bring it back to life after a full rewire, new plumbing, re-plastering, new windows, repainting and re-furnishing. This house was sold within some months after renovation. Whilst living in this house it gave me a wonderful opportunity to really live and feel the character and style of these fabulous old houses for the first time. The colours chosen for this house are actually the traditional colours of the Dodecanese islands, and much softer on the eye in the bright mid summer sun. The shower room you will see was the first of many that had a natural plaster with the blue mixed in for the sandstone walls. The movement of colour and the breathing nature of these plasters helps to keep the room dry rather than damp. This was a delightful house to begin my work with, and it will always be a hard house to replace.
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BEFORE & AFTER !!!
Each house takes on a life of its own during the renovation period. Here is a little insight into the building of 1 of the 8 houses I have built here on Rhodes, the Big Arch house in Malona.
The process of renovation is a bit like having a baby, the purchase, the realisation of what is ahead, the period of development, the waiting for it to be over, the decision making and final touches, and then finally a perfect blank canvas to nurture and bring to life.
This is a photographic story of what happens during the rebuild of a total ruin. I choose this house to view in this condition as the most environmental of my builds, and probably the most memorable for all involved as this was finished just in time to have my own child !!
These houses are available for purchase, and are also busy in the summer renting for holiday makers, you can see the finished results by following these links.
The process of renovation is a bit like having a baby, the purchase, the realisation of what is ahead, the period of development, the waiting for it to be over, the decision making and final touches, and then finally a perfect blank canvas to nurture and bring to life.
This is a photographic story of what happens during the rebuild of a total ruin. I choose this house to view in this condition as the most environmental of my builds, and probably the most memorable for all involved as this was finished just in time to have my own child !!
These houses are available for purchase, and are also busy in the summer renting for holiday makers, you can see the finished results by following these links.
NATURAL PLASTERS & POINTING
In 2006 we hosted a Natural plaster course with Kirsten Balksten from Sweden, the leading European specialist in this field. We invited her here to work with us and to use 2 of my properties as the base for our practical course work. It was a great success and enabled me to push through with these techniques and was a wonderful source of inspiration. We invited local architects and men from the historic buildings department to join us during one day, in the hope of encouraging these practices.
Malona houses : Fully re pointed and stones oiled naturally. Natural plaster bathrooms. Coarse grain sand and marble plaster finishes used.
Koskinou 'the ruin' : Walls pressed with earth to re-bed the stone gaps, fully natural plaster finish, lime and fine grade sand. Lime wash finish.
Malona houses : Fully re pointed and stones oiled naturally. Natural plaster bathrooms. Coarse grain sand and marble plaster finishes used.
Koskinou 'the ruin' : Walls pressed with earth to re-bed the stone gaps, fully natural plaster finish, lime and fine grade sand. Lime wash finish.
KOSKINOU : CAFE/STORE HOUSE
This was my 3rd build and was a run down building which had been a cafe on and off, and wa being used as a store room. Just a long rectangular house already split into 3 rooms we knocked a door through one wall to access all the house internally and blocked a double door in to make the bedroom window. With a spot of creative layout work this compact house had great practical spaces and was fitted with quality wooden windows with iron inserts, a mix of stone and solid wood floors, and access out onto the roof from the kitchen with sea views.The local man who bought this house had a great house that he could walk into ready to live in. He went on to build a new room on the roof of the house which I had prepared for in the original renovation.
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KOSKINOU : THE RUIN NEXT DOOR !
This lovely little house tucked away in a corner, was a total ruin when I bought it with a fig tree merrily growing in the lounge! With all stone walls treated in an eco concious way, the fine sand and lime plasters move playfully on these walls and prevent damp forming on the walls as they are allowing the sand stones to breath. The local stone and wood floors are practical, good looking and warm to the eye in this house. I knocked through a wall to join the house up from inside, and went up a floor too. This house was designed with access out on to the roof to enjoy the village and sea views, and was also set up for a natural central heating system for future installation. Whilst living in this house people often though it was central heated, yet it was not at that time. This was clearly from the natural plasters retaining the heat in the building.
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