Compact Athens house updated with minimal gestures by So Far Studio

Tucked into a quiet street in Palaio Faliro, this compact single-storey house has been carefully reworked by So Far Studio through a series of minimal, precise interventions. Originally built in 1950, the house retains its modest scale, with the architects choosing to preserve much of the existing layout. The design introduces subtle adjustments that refine functionality while maintaining continuity with the past. The most decisive move centers on the kitchen. Once enclosed, it has been opened up and extended towards the entrance, becoming the focal point of the home. Its connection to the living area is defined through the framing of an existing opening, creating a measured dialogue between the two spaces while retaining a sense of separation. Elsewhere, former window openings have been closed and repurposed as recessed shelving, quietly reorganizing the interior surfaces. Elements carrying the memory of the house remain in place: decorative ceiling moldings are preserved, while the original kitchen sink has been restored and reintroduced in the bathroom. Materiality follows a subtle, tactile approach. Wood introduces warmth and continuity, set against a palette of earthy tones and clean lines. A stainless-steel countertop in the kitchen offers a subtle contemporary counterpoint within the otherwise muted interior. In the bathroom, finishes balance refinement with rawness. Wall tiles recall exposed concrete through a fine linear pattern, while the slightly rough flooring enhances a sense of grounding. Named U-Co House, the project explores the notion of the urban cottage — a small domestic environment where clarity, material honesty and a sense of nostalgia coexist. Rather than reconstructing the past, the intervention allows its traces to persist, embedded within the evolving life of the house.