Page 200 - MYCONIAN COLLECTION MAG 2019

mykonians at heart

the myconian Imperial, the goal was to exalt
VASILIS KARAFOTIAS the Greek summer, placing the focus on the
light of the sun and the elements of the sky
and the sea. the brief here asked for luxurious
Bespoke pieces of Life minimalism with references to nature. I’ll
also mention the work we did for the Villa
Collection because it was so fulfilling despite
Precision and creativity are not easy to combine its challenges. this project revolved around
in furniture design, yet Furniture Gallery CEO Vasilis the art of hospitality, and our made-to-measure
Karafotias seems to have found just the right balance. constructions included long plush couches,
comfortable beds and many more pieces. of
course, all of these designs had references to
At the helm of a tight-knit team of updating well-loved older pieces of furniture, the Cyclades landscape that we made sure were
creative craftspeople, Vasilis Karafotias does often antiques with a lot of sentimental value. free from clich�s. Instead, we chose to mirror
not hide his passion for the world of furniture that is what mykonos would be to me if it and pay tribute to the silhouettes of church
and interior design, taking on the challenges were a piece of furniture: A traditional piece domes and buildings, and the textures found
of designing and manufacturing custom-made – maybe an armchair or table – that has been inside traditional homes. our colours were
pieces for commercial and private spaces. given a new, very trendy and luxurious twist, both inspired by and complementary to the
furniture gallery was established in 2004 and, in the same way that the island combines the famous mykonos landscape and architecture.
in these 15 years, Vasilis has led it to a well- best of both worlds. What is Mykonos to you?
deserved prominence powered by out-of-the- You’ve already completed projects on the mykonos is iconic, but creating for it is a
box thinking, teamwork and dedication. he island. What can you tell us about them? challenge. there is such a high level of hospitality
spoke to us about his close ties to mykonos It was very exciting to work alongside the and services in general at properties such as
in a short but insightful interview. director, set designer and interior designer those of the myconian Collection, and since
Design-wise, what befits Mykonos? Antonis Kalogridis on several of the myconian it’s such a popular destination, the expectations
for us, every new project is a story waiting Collection hotels and resorts at elia Beach. are very high. We always give it our best – all
to be told. In the case of mykonos, of course, You wouldn’t believe the amount of thought, our energy, attention to detail and motivation.
the island is already full of interesting stories, inspiration and planning that went into each this is how we tackle challenges and bring new
so when we are invited to take on a project of these spaces. In the case of the myconian designs to life. this is how we shape stories.
based here, we will take into consideration not Avaton resort, we combined classic with fortunately, working on mykonos projects
just the typical Cyclades architecture, but the contemporary high-end aesthetics, adding also means getting to visit this breathtaking
functionality of the space we are designing for, country and indie accents to the interiors for island, which is a blessing.
as well as its personality and that of the owner. that extra effect. A challenge we faced was
one type of project more and more clients combining timber with fabric and leD in Furniture Gallery
+30 210 5776745 info@furnituregallery.gr
entrust to the furniture Gallery in recent years couches, armchairs, chairs, and other items, II Eleftherias & Parnithos, Ag. Ioannis Rentis,
involves upholstering, adapting and generally but everyone was elated with the result. At GR 18233, Athens, Greece.

196
196 MYCONIAN COLLECTIONMYCONIAN COLLECTION