Tiny Haven 公寓丨希腊雅典丨Point Supreme

Photo by Filip Dujardin.  

Photo by Filip Dujardin.  

Photo by Filip Dujardin.   Photo by Filip Dujardin.   Photo by Filip Dujardin.   Photo by Filip Dujardin.  

Conventional wisdom holds that a home for three people should fit all three. But when one French couple and their close Italian friend, all three Paris-based, visited Athens and fell in love with the city, they decided they’d do anything to keep coming back. Even if it meant investing in a pied-à-terre much too small. So when they chanced upon a 22-square-metre room in a building in the city centre, they quickly made an offer. The catch? The space could only sleep two at a time.

The room was threadbare, characterised by a mere four columns and a simple roof. But the verandah was nice, and the friends rationalised the buy by convincing themselves that they would use the space alternately, never all three at once. Soon, they reached out to Athens-based architecture studio Point Supreme to discuss a functional facelift. “As soon as we met them over Zoom, we loved them! So the first thing we did was try and squeeze them all into the home together,” laughs Marianna Rentzou, one-half of Point Supreme.

Photo by Filip Dujardin.   Photo by Filip Dujardin.   Photo by Filip Dujardin.   Photo by Filip Dujardin.   Photo by Filip Dujardin.  

Given the room’s tiny footprint, most architects would have taken the minimalist route. But Marianna and Point Supreme’s other half, Konstantinos Pantazis, aren’t most architects. They went full supernova, dividing the space into four smaller ‘rooms’ to be able to accommodate two separate sleeping spaces. “The trick was to use no walls but have kinetic and soft borders instead, so the space would create an illusion of size,” reveals Konstantinos.

Another trick was enclosing the verandah, through which the architects gained an additional 27 square metres. “That’s probably our favourite thing about the project,” muses Marianna. “The way the interior and exterior spaces work together. Sometimes, you forget there’s a sliding door.”

Photo by Filip Dujardin.   Photo by Filip Dujardin.   Photo by Filip Dujardin.   Photo by Filip Dujardin.   Photo by George Messaritakis.  

On the other hand, what leaves a lasting impression are the four realms, which retain their individual identity but still speak to the larger home through furniture and decor that simultaneously contrasts and complements. “It’s a little universe of spaces and finds. The clients couldn’t believe how big and rich their tiny property felt!” enthuses Konstantinos.

Because the kitchen was small, the architects opened it up to the verandah with a window that opens upward and a table that folds outward, “so you can be cooking while standing outside.” Most evenings, when they’re there, the friends like to cook al fresco, under the stars, all three together. It’s something they couldn’t have imagined a few years ago. But as they say, the best things come in threes. This friendship is no exception.