Greece - 5 Design Takeaways
Thank you, Wellington, for providing an easy transition back home with almost a full week of sunshine! Ok, so it’s turned nasty today (and likely for the next week), but I appreciated the vitamin D while it was here.
Since climatizing back into our local conditions, I have given thought to some of the aesthetic and design aspects of our trip away that I’d love to incorporate at home. Some of these had been on my radar before leaving, some we have already adopted and some are newcomers, but I thought I’d share five of my top design takeaways from our trip with you here.
01 - Crazy Paving
We have been big fans of this form of hard landscaping for a long time, and in fact have some crazy paving (completed by previous owners) at our own home, but seeing genuine crazy paving around the lanes and alleys of the Greek Islands cemented my love of these irregular and clever pavers. The organic shapes and casual laying pattern bring a relaxed vibe to any space both outdoors and indoors.
In Greece we found that the grout was often painted white to provide a strong contrast which really popped. I don’t think you could get away with that little embellishment here, but who was I to argue with centuries of crazy paving experience?
02 - Olives Trees (and oil)
In Greece they LOVE their olive oil and use it liberally on everything! The vast olive groves that we drove through and past on all three Greek Islands were impressive and the olive oil we sampled was delectable.
On Naxos we visited the Eggares Olive Oil Museum, an Olive Press dating back through five generations of the one family. The history of how they pressed olives back in the day, versus the technology available today was fascinating.
I know that it’s often grapevines that bring a romantic mood to the countryside, but the shimmering silvery leaves of a sturdy olive tree are just as enchanting to me. We are fortunate in Mt Vic to have many of these lovely trees dotted around the neighbourhood, and I think they make for a great addition to any outside space needing a hint of the Med.
03 - Arches
The organic curve of an archway is decidedly romantic when in Greece, how to create the same effect in good o’l NZ is a little more problematic. After being overused in the 1990s when Spanish looking (and often leaky) homes started popping up around the country, the arch was tarred by the leaky home brush, and I haven’t seen them reappear since.
However, I have returned with a new appreciation of the arch and how the graceful curves can frame a space, a view or an entrance, so I will continue to look for ways to incorporate this beautiful design feature without feeling like I’m bringing back the 90s.
04 - Thoughtful Niches
This can be a hard one to create in isolation without it looking a little contrived, but we appreciated the little plaster niches around homes, walls and lanes that gave a simple sense of history and character. One of the places we stayed had used niches cleverly curated on an outside wall to accommodate various herbs, so was both aesthetically pleasing and functional. A wonderful way to bring a subtle sense of the Mediterranean home.
05 - Natural Stone
This is not a new one for us, but I loved seeing natural stone used everywhere we went, from buildings, to restaurants, to homes and streets. On Naxos, there were small posts to stop cars driving up on the foot path – and they were made from marble!
Natural stone was also present in the landscape as we drove around, and sometimes even in large piles outside construction areas. Huge slabs of marble just lying around on the side of the road! My love of natural stone has only increased since seeing it being used in areas thousands of years old – talk about timeless!