modern living room lamps

mixing styles unusual furnishings in a house on the greekisland crete it’s greece's largest island and known forits splendid beaches and beautiful landscapes. a greek architect lives where others spendtheir holidays. and he has turned a 19th century dwellinginto house with a quirky mix of styles. a small traditional house made of stone. but the simple facade belies the modern andspacious house inside. welcome! come inside!

architect michalis geiannakakis and his partnermaria verganelaki have restored an old 19th century house in the town of chania on theisland of crete. they also linked it with a modern building. right from the start, this room was like theheart of the house for us. it's the oldest part of the building. so we designed it as the place where familyand friends meet. the sofa is the focal point for all the otherfurnishings in the room. we wanted it to be harmonious, so we chosea neobaroque style and then adapted the rest of the furniture accordingly.“

old and new stand side by side. the couple have surrounded themselves withhappy memories. we feel that old objects radiate a lot ofenergy and that's exactly what we wanted here. so there are lots of family heirlooms andreminders of other times in our lives or trips that we've made. i grew up with this couch and associate itwith various family celebrations and happy times. that's why i wanted the sofa to have a centralplace but it needed a makeover. so we retained the basic structure and hadit reupholstered by a traditional furniture

maker here in chania. and we chose a colour and design that wouldfit with our lifestyle today." the shape of the chandeliers in the livingroom is repeated in the dining room, with a lamp made of empty glass bottles and wire. there's another playful addition to the kitchen- a lamp made of knives, forks and spoons. the olive tree in the adjoining inner courtyardwas planted by the man of the house. i chose all the plants in the house. the green leaves of the olive tree harmonizewith the natural wood and stone that we used to build the house.

then for inside we chose a carob tree andclimbing plants. the plants and trees provide natural shadeand make for a good microclimate. and you feel like you're living in the countryside a bit. the furniture we've chosen is suitable insideand out. so we can use it in both areas as we please,without worrying about things getting broken or dirty. that's why the chairs are made of plexiglas. they're neutral und transparent. the house is dominated by natural colourssuch as brown, white and green.

only the bathroom is an exception: blue is a very special colour. we use it to connect the interior with theoutside and to bring the blue sky into our home. on the top floor, the couple have plantedup a herb garden. it's provides a natural aroma that radiatesthroughout the entire house. it's very easy to plant up a small aromaticgarden. all you need is a little natural light andgood ventilation. then you choose a few plants that have a pleasantsmell and that you can also make use of, like

lavender for example which has a relaxingeffect. or basil. there are lots of ways of introducing fragranceand colours. a bridge links the original house with thenew annex, which has a bedroom and terrace. the entire complex offers 190 square metresof living space. but looking from the outside, you'd neverknow. the house has retained its traditional appearance.

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