Lyra House

Lyra House

Standing beside the main street in the most picturesque village of Ano Korakiana, this old house has been fully renovated by Petra Traditional Constructions in sensitive style, with very imaginative use of the available space. Entrance is direct from the street into a hall which extends into a fully fitted galley kitchen. To the left of the kitchen, a stone and brick arch leads through to a delightful living room, where the far wall consists of windows that can be pulled back to transform the lounge into a deep, covered veranda - an inside-ouside space for all year round use - with the iron railings that protect the drop adding to the effect. The kitchen opens into a bedroom, which has an en-suite bathroom. One of the major problems with village houses is a lack of light in some rooms, and here the problem has been resolved by placing a window immediately behind the bedroom door; while the amount of light is not great, who needs sunlight anyway, when you're sleeping!

Immediately to the right of the entrance, a spiral stair leads down to the lower level, where a bedroom and separate bathroom are both accessed from the stairwell. The light problem has been solved here by installing a glassed veranda-type door between the stairwell and the bedroom, which allows light to filter through from the bedroom to an area which otherwise would only receive natural light from the hallway above, as well as adding to the natural light of the bedroom itself. From this bedroom a glass door opens onto a shared yard, where a table and chairs could be set out to enjoy a shady morning coffee or a cool meal in the heat of the day (the yard is 'shared' only by two neighbouring houses, neither of which are occupied on a permanent basis).

The guest studio, or annexe, is located across the shared yard and comprises a small studio with an en suite bathroom and a kitchen area with very well designed compact unit containing a fridge, a cooker and space for equipment and utensils. Above the studio a paved and railed sun terrace takes up the entire roof, enjoying a view across the rooftops and to the sea in the distance (the lounge in the main house also has a sea view, slightly less extensive).

The renovation has been achieved by utilizing as much as possible the existing features, including the old stonework, floorboards and doors, whilst at the same time contemporary installations, such as the kitchens and bathrooms, suit the house for modern living standards. All fittings are well chosen and are in excellent taste. Road access is direct to the door for the purposes of dropping off and picking up; permanent parking is streetside a short walk away. The road carries only local village traffic and vehicles heading for Sokraki on the mountain above.

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