May 31, 2020

Inside Villa Mandra: A Summer Home In Mykonos

May 31, 2020

The sea view from a summer home in Mykonos

A view of the ocean from the open air living room of Villa Mandra: A Summer Home In Mykonos, Greece.

This time of staying home has had two effects on me…

First, it has made me wistful for travel. I love exploring foreign lands with landscapes, styles, and foods different from my own. My spring trip to Tulum was cancelled this March and I have so missed it… the sun, the sand, the laidback atmosphere, the natural fibers, and of course, the food. As I don’t know when I’ll be traveling again, I have been looking for beautiful and interesting places to inspire me. And perhaps to add to my list of places to visit one day. Have you had to cancel your spring travel plans?

The second effect that this homestay has had, is that it has motivated me to reevaluate and redecorate my home. I have been looking for ways to make it a more beautiful, inspiring, and organized space, so that this homestay can maybe feel a bit more like a choice than a challenge.

This post aims to speak to them both, sharing inspired design from abroad and showing how to bring this style home with this summer home style guide.

Introducing Villa Mandra

A chestnut pergola is created around an olive tree at Villa Mandra: A Summer Home In Mykonos, Greece.

Villa Mandra is a six bedroom holiday house perched high on the hill of Aleomandra in Mykonos, Greece. With sweeping views of the sea and the neighboring island of Delos, this home is a breezy open air mix of stone, sun, and salt air. Designed by K Studio, the home was designed to embody slow, laid-back summer living. A place where guests are invited to be a part of the natural world.

To accomplish this, the home was designed to be in keeping with the natural landscape in a palette of traditional materials such as lime-wash, stone and wood. It blends seamlessly and simply with its environment. The sprawling open air spaces are covered with natural chestnut pergolas offering dappled light and a feeling of ease and seclusion.

The design of Villa Mandra, a summer home in Mykonos, Greece, uses traditional elements of lime wash, stone, and wood to blend with its environment.

The house is separated into two areas. A communal living area, which has an open air courtyard at its center, looks out over the pool, gardens, and sea. Below the pool, the private bedrooms are removed to create privacy and a sense of seclusion, dividing social and private space.

A view of the ocean from the open air dining room of Villa Mandra: A Summer Home In Mykonos, Greece.

A view of the open air living room of Villa Mandra: A Summer Home In Mykonos, Greece.

The communal areas are decorated in a simple, natural, modern style which speaks to the surroundings and underlines the quality and integrity of the materials. Natural fibers, linen, rattan, wood, and stone blend seamlessly throughout.

A rattan chair at Villa Mandra: A Summer Home In Mykonos, Greece.

A view of the ocean from the bedroom of Villa Mandra with linen curtains swaying in the ocean breeze: A Summer Home In Mykonos, Greece.

The bedrooms have a natural, modern simplicity, blending a neutral palette and natural fibers of linen and cotton. From open doors you can look out over the gardens, filled with swaying grasses, and on to the sea. A divine place to sleep.

A bedroom at Villa Mandra: A Summer Home In Mykonos, Greece.

A bedroom at Villa Mandra with modern art: A Summer Home In Mykonos, Greece.

For me this home perfectly reflects an elegant, natural summer style that creates a sense of retreat and ease. Open doors, flowing gardens, salt air, and sea views are what summer is all about. If these spaces speak to you too, meet me below where I show you how to bring this style home with this summer home style guide.