About Us

Our building…

   The ATHENIAN YARD SUITES building, an old Athenian Home on the Trion Ierarchon street, is in one of the most central areas of the city of Athens. It’s just 8 minutes – by foot – from the train stations in Petralona and Thiseio, as well as the Kerameikos metro station. wikipedia

Its history…

   The history of the building that’s housing the guest house with the same name, ATHENIAN YARD SUITES, begins in the start of the century as the main home of the grandfather and grandmother of the current owner, and it’s a classic example of the “Popular Architecture.”

   The “Athenian Houses” are either buildings with a classical-leaning morphology, or samples of traditional popular architectures, and these houses have frontal displays that remind of the byzantine and the Pompeian traditions, dominated by the basic colours – red, yellow, blue.

Our space…

   The elements dominating the space are harmonised with the building’s atmosphere, respectful of its history. That doesn’t mean, though, that we excluded modern decorations and structural components. Our purpose was to mix and match, showing a journey through time. For example, all the floors are either wooden or covered with tiles, and their designs are based on floor patterns that were popular in old Athenian houses. The rooms are equipped with custom made furniture and restored antiques in intense colours, adapted to the new needs, so that the spaces can give off liveliness and youthfulness. Another example is the restored buffet and the grandma’s cupboard which – very cleverly – now function as small kitchens for the apartments. Some decorations and almost all the dinnerware and tea sets are also from our personal collections; they belonged to our ancestors and are perfectly maintained…

   Our dream is to connect the past with the present even in the decorations, always keeping the authenticity of the house and its surrounding urban area true and alive. That’s what we tried to do, and we think that we finally achieved it…

Epilogue…

   We believe that every one of us, in his own way, must find ways to highlight Athens, Greece, and the culture that… was created once… and if this can be combined with his work, then he’ll be the most happy person… and if he manage to create culture himself, then he’ll have managed to create a story…

                                                       The people of the ATHENIAN YARD SUITES

Our desires and expectations…

   The building was restored and renovated completely about 10 years ago. It was recently renovated again, in order to contain our guest house and cover its new needs.

   And… as soon as you look at it, you’re enchanted!!! The greater surprise, though, is caused when you cross the threshold and you enter the small but charming interior yard. That’s exactly what happened to us when we came to the area for the first time, and we felt so familiar, as if we’ve always lived here. 

   So, we decided that we had to highlight it in such a way that most people could have the chance to enjoy it and experience its magic. Through it, they can be transported to another time and get – even for just a moment – the feel that old Athens had, that of the neighbourhood, of companionship… when all the neighbourhood would gather in the yard to share their news, to laugh, to celebrate an important event, to share anxieties and sufferings… That’s exactly what we want to restore, with your help of course… Because, for us, the guest is not just a tourist, but a person with whom we share experiences, thoughts… And of course, we want him to feel “at home,” because we don’t simply want him to just live “in our guest house” but live “with us…”  

   And so, we decided that we had to show people who love this land and its history, like us, and our primary desire is to maintain it, and if possible, continue it… To write our own history!!! This is our other desire: each person that lives, even for a little while, in the ATHENIAN YARD SUITS, to have the ability to write his own story… by getting to know new people, to hear their own stories, to learn new things, to live new experiences to… say his own story… to  create his own story… inside time… If all these happen in one of the most historical cities of the world, and especially in our own space… then we’ve succeeded…