Five of Greece’s Best Small Homes Under 60sqm/645sqft

Across Athens and the Greek islands, architects are transforming small, often overlooked spaces into homes that feel open, flexible, and connected to their surroundings.

In the capital, storage rooms and ageing apartments are being reworked through careful planning and bold design moves that prioritise light and easy living. Traditional walls give way to smart partitions, level changes, and internal openings that allow tight interiors to feel spacious yet still defined. Materials – marble, recycled ceramics, restored plaster – are paired with vivid tones: deep blues, warm reds, and playful pinks, adding atmosphere without clutter.

On the islands, whitewashed walls, local stone, and built-in furniture respond to climate and landscape, framing views with interiors that remain calm and minimal. Together, these homes reflect a distinctly Greek approach to small-space living – shaped by light, openness, and their past.

Basement Studio Transformed with Sliding Partitions and Colour Zoning, 55sqm/592sqft

In a quiet residential district south of Athens, Point Supreme Architects were tasked with converting a basement storage room into Ilioupoli Apartment – a studio on the bottom floor of a multigenerational building, intended as a future home for the family's children. Beginning with an open concrete room, the architects divided the space with a Japanese-style timber partition at the entrance, extending the existing toilet into a full bathroom and adding a curtained sliding glass door to enclose the bedroom. The rest of the home is divided by colour and recycled earthen materials, including the tiling underfoot. The kitchen leads with a deep maroon laminate and a custom island bench that opens on all four sides for storage. From the kitchen, the bold blue bathroom is visible through a high window – both a statement contrast and a natural flow of light. Through light-conscious partitions and smart colour-zoning, a basement storage room has become an expansive, light-filled home for the next generation.

Find out more details about Ilioupoli Apartment in this full article, including imagery from Yiannis Hadjiaslanis and Point Supreme, and the full video tour: https://www.nevertoosmall.com/episodes/ilioupoli-apartment-athens/

Compact Apartment with Raised Bed Platform and Glass Brick Walls, 42sqm/452sqft

In Athens' Exarcheia neighbourhood, a dark 1960s ground-floor apartment has been transformed by architect and illustrator Federica Scalise into Carmen Apartment – a contemporary home full of natural light. Removing most of the interior walls opened up space for a generous open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area, all brightened by a run of glass bricks along the main façade. A neutral white backdrop gives the bold details their moment: the red raised sleeping platform, green window and door frames, and a Portuguese pink marble benchtop in the kitchen. To prioritise living space, the bedroom became a compact elevated sleeping nook and study, concealable behind a blue blackout curtain when needed. Below, long-term tenant and designer Takis Dimitriadis used four cinderblocks and a large tile to form a DIY coffee table – sculptural, functional, and refreshingly unprecious. A mirrored entry closet and kitchen cabinet keep light bouncing deeper inside, while circular portals on the custom bathroom door allow daylight to flow into the darkest room. A simple plant-filled patio extends the living space outdoors – an extra zone for entertaining, working, or soaking up more Athenian light.

Find out more details about Carmen Apartment in this full article, including imagery from Lea Martin and the full video tour: https://www.nevertoosmall.com/post/compact-athenian-apartment-full-of-brilliant-design-moves

Minimal Greek Island Villas Built from Local Stone, 40sqm/430sqft

Asprolithos Villa was designed by Stella Papazoglou and Louisa Varelidi of Polisgram Architects to reflect the simplicity and aesthetic of traditional Greek design. With a breathtaking view across the Aegean Sea, each of the three villas has been whitewashed to maximise the reflection of light and heat. Constructed from locally sourced stone – with a surrounding raw stone wall to match – generous outdoor communal areas connect each of the villas. Inside, the 40sqm/430sqft spaces are divided into zones with a sleeping area raised above the compact living, kitchen, and dining – directing those moments outside to the generous outdoor dining areas overlooking the sea. A built-in sofa offers additional storage and doubles as a small desk, while the semi-open bathroom keeps air and light flowing. Always with an eye on the sea, the focus remains outward – creating a sense of calm whether resting or moving between zones.

Find out more details about Asprolithos Villas in this full article, including imagery from Ioanna Fotiadou and the full video tour: https://www.nevertoosmall.com/episodes/asprolithos-villas-kythnos/

Colourful Two-Bedroom Apartment with Pink Marble Details, 50sqm/538sqft

Located in Plaka, the oldest neighbourhood in Athens, is Pretty in Pink – a two-bedroom apartment inspired by its vibrant owner, and their love of colour and texture. Originally a one-bedroom apartment, Moy Studio completely reimagined the layout. Adding a new entrance, kitchen, dining, bathroom and even bedroom, the space became a striking home with plenty of room for life – the kitchen in particular. Using a cleverly selected palette of pink, the feature colour flows from floor to ceiling, including the cabinetry, backsplash and counter made of dark pink marble from one of the oldest quarries in Greece. The rich blush hues continue throughout to the bed’s headboard, to the interior of the wardrobes, and even the boudoir-like niche for a home that is a striking extension of the owner themself.

Find out more details about Pretty in Pink in this full article, including imagery from Nikos Alexopoulo and the full video tour: https://www.nevertoosmall.com/episodes/pretty-in-pink-athens/

Artist’s Studio Apartment with Translucent Partitions and Custom Joinery, 48sqm/517sqft

Named after the bustling Athenian quarter it calls home, Kolonaki Apartment has been thoughtfully redesigned to match its 1970s building and celebrate its past as an artist's studio. At just 48sqm/517sqft, with only one window and a balcony door, the central challenge for Lora Zampara and Michalis Saplaouras of Cluster Architects was always light. Redesigning the floorplan around a central feature pillar – keeping the kitchen and bathroom in place due to plumbing – a bedroom, dining, and living area were added to the compact layout. Clever translucent walls allow light to move between zones, while strategic bronze mirrors amplify it throughout. The chosen social centre of the home – the kitchen – wraps around the bedroom's illuminated glass wall, connecting living, sleeping, and bathroom in one fluid sequence. New additions like a custom-built sofa and bookcase provide storage, while old pieces – like the wall of signatures from artists and intellectuals of the 1970s, uncovered during restoration – have become a dining space display: a piece of the past, held firmly in a home designed for the present.

Find out more details about Kolonaki in this full article, including imagery from Studio VD and the full video tour: https://www.nevertoosmall.com/episodes/kolonaki-athens/