{"id":40638,"date":"2025-07-29T07:47:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T07:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/el-refugio-familiar-de-la-interiorista-cari-giannoulias-en-creta-un-autentico-homenaje-a-la-vida-al-aire-libre\/"},"modified":"2025-07-30T12:09:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T12:09:16","slug":"the-family-retreat-of-interior-designer-cari-giannoulias-in-crete-a-true-tribute-to-outdoor-living","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/the-family-retreat-of-interior-designer-cari-giannoulias-in-crete-a-true-tribute-to-outdoor-living\/","title":{"rendered":"The family retreat of interior designer Cari Giannoulias in Crete, a true tribute to outdoor living"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Located in Agios Mattheos, a rural area known for its natural beaut, with wooded hills and views over the Souda Bay, the city of Chania and the White Mountains, this stone house emerges as an intimate homage to outdoor living, to tradition and to the present. \u201cIt\u2019s my favorite place on Earth,\u201d the designer confesses. \u201cAnd also my most personal project to date.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n

Cari Giannoulias, who currently lives in the United States, explains: \u201cMy husband\u2019s parents are Greek\u2014his father from Mazeka, a small village, and his mother from Asfendiou, Sfakia, near Chania. Although he spent his summers traveling around Greece, Chania was always home for him. And I fell in love with this city. It\u2019s where we got married, where we baptized our children, and where we visited his grandmother every summer. After some years, we decided to spend more time in Chania and looked for a plot of land to build.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Main outdoor lounge<\/strong>.<\/em> Outdoor furniture: Cari Giannoulias Design \/ Manufactured by Furniture Gallery and Nino Tailor Made. Pendant lights: Honore. Floor lamps: Gloster Furniture. Table lamps: Plus. Poufs: Janus Et Cie. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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Pendant lights: Honore. Chairs: Enka Moisiadis.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A dialogue with the Cretan landscape<\/h2>\n\n

The project began with a clear goal: to blend into the site. Resting on a gentle slope, the house is organized around a central courtyard in the shape of the Greek letter \u201c\u03a0\u201d, evoking vernacular architecture. Transitions between indoors and outdoors are fluid, almost imperceptible, thanks to large openings with minimal frames that create seamless visual connections to the pool, the Mediterranean garden, the small olive grove, and the vegetable patches.<\/p>\n\n

Privacy is protected through a thoughtful combination of vegetation and strategic openings. There are areas for relaxation, shaded corners, and even a space to play tennis. Everything invites a slower pace, attuned to the rhythm of the climate and nature.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Tradition, emotion, material<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

La The house is steeped in references to traditional homes found in Cretan villages. \u201cI was inspired by their simplicity, by that warmth that makes you feel welcome,\u201d Cari recalls. \u201cThey were houses that told stories\u2014of generations passing, of objects left behind. I wanted to recreate that feeling by filling our home with pieces that hold meaning for our family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interior speaks a quiet language. A palette of neutral tones enhances the sense of calm and unhurried living. Floor-to-ceiling windows grant full protagonism to the landscape. Even the bathrooms are mirrorless: what is reflected is not the self, but nature. \u201cEven the pool was designed to resemble the sea,\u201d notes the designer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Main indoor lounge<\/strong>.<\/em> Sofas: Cari Giannoulias Design \/ Furniture Gallery. Coffee table: Cari Giannoulias Design \/ Nino Tailor Made. Pendant light: Karman. Chairs: Cari Giannoulias Design \/ Furniture Gallery. Table lamp: Georges Pelletier, 1960. Vase (top shelf): Leah Kaplan. Ceiling fixture: Vibia. Rattan chair: CB2.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The material approach was also an act of respect and authenticity. \u201cOn the island, you don\u2019t have access to endless options. It forces you to think differently, to find creative solutions with what\u2019s available,\u201d she explains. The stone was handpicked from the mountain. Each block was carved by hand\u2014no laser\u2014using nails and string, like in the old days. The walls were coated in\u00a0patiti<\/em>, a natural Greek material that gives them the patina of time lived. Beams and pergolas were cut by hand. Throughout the house, materials avoid the synthetic: ceramic, linen, cotton, marble, wood, plaster, rattan, leather, and metal.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Reading room<\/strong>.<\/em> Leather chairs: Cab Chairs, design by Mario Bellini. Round table: Furniture Gallery. Onyx bowl: Les Collection. Rug: Lemieux Et Cie for Momeni. Lamp: Marta Bonilla Moya<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Kitchen<\/strong>.<\/em> Lighting: Cosydar-Deco. Table: Cari Giannoulias Design \/ Nino Tailor Made. Chairs: Newest. Appliances: Miele. Refrigerator \/ Freezer: Hummel. Manousakis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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A house that breathes with time<\/h2>\n\n

Designing for oneself requires a sincere encounter with one\u2019s own desires and way of living. \u201cI always focus on how each person lives in order to design their home,\u201d says Cari. \u201cWith my own, I did the same. It was easy, yet deeply thought out. This house reflects how we live now\u2014though I know it will evolve with us. We\u2019ve left it space to breathe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

That reflective process extended throughout the entire project. Cari worked remotely with the architects, sending sketches, refining every line and every detail. \u201cIt was a tremendous learning experience. I was in a foreign country, with different laws, a different language, a different way of building. Everything was new,\u201d she recalls. And yet, from that immersion, something essential emerged. \u201cThis project has transformed me, has rooted me in unexpected ways, and has rekindled my appreciation for the simplicity of life and meaningful connections. It has brought to life a wonderful home that we will treasure for generations to come\u2014filled with memories and lasting friendships. Greece, Crete, Chania: I have no words to thank you enough!\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Bedrooms<\/strong>.<\/em>\u00a0Vintage \u201cShrimp Lamp\u201d: French Design. General lighting: Vibia. Bed: Cari Giannoulias Design \/ Furniture Gallery. Pendant lights: Gubi. Bedding: Parachute. Table lamp: Georges Pelletier, 1960. Mirror: Thibault Perrigne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Project<\/strong><\/strong>: Cari Giannoulias’s holiday home.
Location<\/strong><\/strong>: Agios Mattheos, Crete (Greece).
Interior design<\/strong><\/strong>: Cari Giannoulias Design<\/a>.
Architecture<\/strong><\/strong>: Scope Architects<\/a>.
Landscape design<\/strong><\/strong>: Fytron Landscape<\/a>.
Construction<\/strong><\/strong>: Schema Development<\/a> y Vavoulas Construction<\/a>.
Photography<\/strong><\/strong>: Helen Cathcart<\/a>.
Styling<\/strong><\/strong>: Sania Pell<\/a>.
Completed<\/strong><\/strong>: 2024.
Interior area<\/strong><\/strong>: 370 m2<\/sup>.
Layout<\/strong><\/strong>: 3 levels, 5 bedrooms, 4 and a half bathrooms, main living room, outdoor living room, cinema room and reading room.
Sources<\/strong><\/strong>: Cari Giannoulias Design y Karine Moni\u00e9 Studio<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Cari Giannoulias<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cari Giannoulias stands out as a serene yet passionate figure in the world of interior design\u2014a creator of spaces that tell stories, where everyday life unfolds with natural elegance. Educated at Boston University, she began her professional path in the marketing sector of the entertainment industry, working with companies such as Creative Artists Agency and Universal Pictures, where she collaborated closely with talents and creatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Cari moved to Chicago with her husband to build their first home, she decided to take on the interior design herself. That experience led her to establish her own studio, where she has developed an aesthetic language defined by understated sophistication and quiet glamour. Her distinctive style blends the precious with the everyday, antiques with contemporary pieces\u2014harmonized into compositions that feel deliberately layered, with narrative intent and emotional depth. See full biography<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Cari Giannoulias Design
<\/strong>910 W Van Buren Suite 603
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 455-8000
carigiannoulias.com<\/a>
@carigiannoulias<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Surrounded by a lush mediterranean garden, an olive grove, and abundant vegetable patches, the house draws inspiration from the simplicity and warmth of traditional village homes, expressing a deep connection with its splendid natural surroundings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40512,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","editor_plus_copied_stylings":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[578],"tags":[1921,1922,1185],"ppma_author":[296],"class_list":["post-40638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interior-design","tag-cari-giannoulias-en","tag-greece","tag-residential-interior-design-en"],"authors":[{"term_id":296,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"andres-moratinos","display_name":"Andr\u00e9s Moratinos","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_category":"","first_name":"","last_name":"","user_url":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40638","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40638"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40638\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40638"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=40638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}