Ioanna Vlachaki reconfigures a 60s apartment with sculptural built-ins and bold material contrasts

Athens-based architect Ioanna Vlachaki has transformed a compact 60-square-meter apartment in the city’s historic core, balancing spatial efficiency with a refined modernist sensibility. The renovation redefines the original layout—marked by a single bedroom, a lofted storage area, and a separate kitchen—into a highly functional, fluid living environment tailored to the evolving needs of a large family. Preserving the apartment’s architectural heritage was central to the redesign. Key period elements, including mosaic flooring and solid wood details, remain intact, while contemporary interventions enhance both functionality and aesthetic coherence. The reimagined space revolves around an open-plan kitchen, now the gravitational core of the home. A central island anchors the composition and facilitates movement, extending seamlessly into the living area. Bespoke wooden built-ins carve out distinct zones, fostering continuity without compromising adaptability. The removal of interior partitions exposes the original structural framework—columns and beams left in raw concrete—as a deliberate nod to the apartment’s past. In contrast, stainless steel kitchen surfaces introduce an industrial sharpness, creating a dialogue between warmth and coolness, tradition and modernity. Throughout the residence, sculptural volumes integrate storage, dissolve boundaries, and amplify depth perception. The bedroom and bathrooms are enveloped in a soft baby blue, a subtle homage to Greek modernism’s optimism. In the bathrooms, small-scale blue mosaics reinforce spatial cohesion, enhancing the interplay of light and texture. Overall, the architect transforms spatial constraints into design opportunities, creating a home that is both highly functional and architecturally refined.