In Greece, there’s a myth to explain everything into being. In the case of Patmos, the Dodecanesean island favored by style arbiters for its discreet luxury, legend tells of an industrious pair of goddesses who, recognizing the submerged island’s beauty, rescued it from the depths of the Aegean. Once above sea level, the land was dried and nourished by Helios, the sun god, and life flourished. Today, the sun continues to shine on Patmos, where another pair of Grecian goddesses—the mother-daughter team of architect Katerina Tsigarida and interior designer Leda Athanasopoulou—channeled that mythical story, however inadvertently, as they coaxed an ancient seaside property back to life.
In the shade of 100-year-old olive and cypress trees, and following the blueprint of the existing pezoules, or stone walls, that forge their way around the property, Tsigarida worked with contractor Yiannis Stavropoulos to build a new main house, mirroring the restored 19th-century residence that sits just a few yards away. In keeping with age-old Patmian architectural practices, the two-story rectangular structure recedes into the hillside to maintain panoramic views over the historic 16th-century “chora,” a whitewashed town built into the cliffs, and the azure waters beyond. But inside, the rooms seem to expand into the landscape both in form and materiality.
“All of my life, I’ve been connected to this island,” says Athanasopoulou, who spent childhood summers on Patmos and, despite pursuing a business degree abroad, had been interested in the historic preservation she saw happening around the island from a young age. “Growing up in an environment that was more about authenticity than luxury was very inspiring.”
