2019-08-01_Homes_&_Antiques 2

Withits‘oldplaster,woodworkandoorswithwide

planksyoucan’tndtoday’,thehouseseemed to

have been sleeping through the centuries.

HOMES Greek Tradition

Tetyboughtandrenovatedherrst

houseinthevillageintheearly80s,

andit wasthisexperiencethat

promptedherdesiretosaveasmany

housesasshecouldfromwhatshe

describesas‘aggressive,ill-thought-out

renovation’.Tety’ssympathetic

approachledtoregularworkhelping

friendsinneedofherexpertiseand,as

herreputationgrew,newcomerswho

wantedthesameauthenticity.

Althougheagertondanother‘sad

building’overwhichtocasthermagic,

Tetyhadtowaitseveralyearsbefore

herpresenthomecameontothe

market.Ownedbya Greekfamilywho

hadmovedtotheUSmorethan 50

yearsearlier,thehousehadno

electricity,noplumbingandthemost

primitivekitchenandbathroom.In

Tety’seyes,it wasperfect:‘oldplaster,

woodworkandoorswiththewide

planksyoucan’tndtoday’.Ithad

beensleepingthroughthecenturies

shesays.‘I hadtosaveit!’

Hermodusoperandiistoinvolve

experienced local crasmen and

ABOVEThependant
lampin themaindining
roomoriginallycame
froma monastery
in Corfu.Thechest
benchcoveredwith
embroideredcushions
camefromanother
monasteryandis
typicalof Greek
monasticfurniture.
Thelittlewindowat
thebackof theroom
wasoriginallyan
exteriorwindowbefore
thehallwaywas
coveredover.BELOW
Attheotherendof the
diningrooma glass-
frontedcabinet,setinto
thewall,is filledwith
favouriteceramics.Tety
paintedtheinsidea
brightredto createa
vibrantbackdropfor
hertreasures.Thelittle
shelfabovethecabinet
is anotherfeaturethatis
typical of island houses.

August 2019 Homes & Antiques 103