Maisonette Renovation in Pefki

Project Description

A 130 m² maisonette with a garden in Pefki, on two levels. A full renovation and energy upgrade, completed in 5.5 months. A home with no particular problems, but with everything most homes of its era have. That makes it a good example of what changes when a renovation starts with proper design.

What we found

The ground floor had a brick corner fireplace, marble floors and a wooden kitchen with a breakfast bar that separated the kitchen from the living room. A glass shelf hung above the bar. Lighting was a single fixture in the middle of each ceiling. The electrical and plumbing installations had reached the end of their life. The windows and the building envelope did not hold heat, with all that this means for heating and cooling bills.

What we did

The renovation covered the whole house, ground floor and upper floor. After the demolition we renewed the electrical and plumbing installations from scratch. The floors were replaced everywhere: the old marble gave way to large-format tiles, with a consistent look in every room.

On the ground floor, the kitchen opened up to the living room. It has handleless cabinets up to the ceiling, a tall unit with built-in appliances and an island that doubles as a table. The old fireplace was replaced by an energy-efficient one, set in a clean plasterboard structure with a wooden bookcase niche. The staircase gained a stepped wooden bookcase that also serves as a balustrade. The unused space beneath it became a home office corner with hidden storage.

On the upper floor, the bathroom was rebuilt from scratch, with a floor-level shower and terrazzo-textured tiles. In the bedrooms we fitted custom floor-to-ceiling wardrobes. The landing, which was empty, became a laundry area inside a wardrobe from the same range, so the whole floor has the same look.

Energy upgrade

Together with the renovation, we upgraded the energy performance of the whole house:

• External thermal insulation (ETICS) on the whole building envelope.
• Energy-efficient windows and doors on every opening.
• A new gas boiler for heating and hot water.
• An energy-efficient fireplace in place of the open one, which gives heat to the room instead of losing it up the chimney.

The house now keeps warm in winter and cool in summer, with lower running costs from the first year.

Lighting and materials

Lighting was designed together with the floor plans, not at the end. Perimeter suspended ceilings with hidden LED strips give warm, indirect light. Recessed linear lights connect the kitchen, living room and dining area, and adjustable spotlights light what needs lighting. Each space has its own character without needing a wall to define it.

The materials are few and chosen to work together throughout the house: natural oak in the furniture, warm beige in the cabinets, white walls and black details in the lights, taps and handles. As a result, the kitchen, living room, staircase, bedrooms and bathroom read as one home.

The result

A brighter, more functional and more economical home, without changing its basic layout. Spaces that used to go unused, such as the area under the stairs and the landing, became some of the most useful parts of the house.