Cypress, Marble, and Rippled Glass Transform Athens Apartment into Studio

Local Local converted a leased ground-floor apartment in Athens' Kolonaki into its first studio using cypress furniture, marble sculpture, and restored rippled-glass doors.

Author: By Marcus Bennett
Filed: October 3, 2026
Length: 2 min read

Key takeaways

Local Local converted a leased ground-floor apartment in Athens' Kolonaki neighborhood into its first permanent studio.
Non-structural changes included restoring rippled-glass doors, repairing wooden floors, and retaining the arched entrance.
Custom cypress and Formica furniture, Vitsoe shelving, Michael Anastassiades lighting, and marble sculptures by Theodore Psychoyos define the interior.

Greek practice Local Local has converted a ground-floor apartment in Athens' Kolonaki neighborhood into its first permanent studio, relying on non-structural interventions that preserve the flat's existing architectural character.

Because the space is leased, the practice could only make light-touch changes. Local Local repaired and lightened the original wooden floors, painted the walls white, restored the rippled-glass doors in a darker tone, and retained the arched entrance. The L-shaped plan now organizes itself around a main workspace and a meeting room, the latter occupying a former bedroom.

Furniture mixes existing pieces with custom designs. A solid-cypress table built by architect Sofia Xanthakou's cousin became the starting point for a large co-working table and two window-facing workstations, combining solid wood with Formica. The practice kept its existing office chairs alongside the new pieces.

Books form another central element of the studio. A Vitsoe shelving system displays Xanthakou's library, accumulated through her architecture studies and work in Boston and London. Michael Anastassiades ceiling lights illuminate the workspace. A custom perforated metal frame spanning one wall serves as a pistachio-colored pinboard for collaborative work away from screens.

At the entrance, two site-specific marble sculptures by artist Theodore Psychoyos form a console and seating area. The meeting room retains its original wardrobe, with the doors removed and replaced by roll-up blinds to create open storage for material samples and paperwork. A freestanding Michael Anastassiades light completes the room. Lorenzo Zandri photographed the project.

Local Local describes the result as a workplace shaped by existing architectural elements, reused furniture, custom pieces, and restrained material interventions — a model the practice could apply to future leased spaces where structural alteration is off the table.

Project information