Local Local 2026: Athens Apartment Studio Renovation
Greek practice Local Local converted an Athens ground-floor apartment into its permanent studio using light-touch interventions on October 3, 2026.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Local Local converted a ground-floor apartment in Kolonaki, Athens into a permanent studio.
- Applied a light-touch approach, retaining original architecture, wooden floors, and arched entry.
- Featured custom furniture, a solid-cypress table, and site-specific marble sculptures by Theodore Psychoyos.
- Divided the L-shaped layout into a main workspace and a meeting room using a former bedroom.
Greek architectural practice Local Local has converted a ground-floor apartment in Athens' Kolonaki neighborhood into its first permanent studio, employing light-touch interventions that preserve the space's original architectural character. The project details were released on October 3, 2026.
Because the leased space required non-structural changes, the studio repaired and brightened the original wooden floors, painted walls white, restored rippled-glass doors in a darker tone, and retained the arched entrance. The L-shaped layout is organized around a primary workspace and a meeting room occupying a former bedroom.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Furnishing combines existing items with custom designs. A solid-cypress table by architect Sofia Xanthakou's cousin served as the starting point for a large co-working table and two window workstations, pairing solid wood with Formica. Existing office chairs remain alongside the newly introduced pieces.
Books form another central element within the workspace. A Vitsoe shelving system displays Xanthakou's library, gathered through architecture studies and work in Boston and London. Michael Anastassiades ceiling lights illuminate the area, while a custom perforated metal frame on one wall serves as a pistachio-colored pinboard for collaborative work.
The light-touch renovation approach utilized in this project highlights a growing shift among modern design studios toward adaptive reuse. By preserving structural history and incorporating salvaged elements like rippled glass and local marble, designers can minimize waste while maintaining a strong connection to a building's heritage, offering a sustainable alternative to gut-renovations.
At the entrance, two site-specific marble sculptures by artist Theodore Psychoyos function as a console and seating area. The meeting room retains its original wardrobe with doors removed and replaced by roll-up blinds for open material storage, completed by a freestanding Michael Anastassiades light.
Source: designboom
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