A calm and uncluttered Grecian villa brightened by a palette of soft pastel colours
Somewhere in Greece, on a green island with a fascinating history and direct flights to London, there is a rocky headland where, it is said, Odysseus once made landfall and Roman emperors trod. Here, a 20-minute speedboat ride from the main town, a small jetty projects out over the turquoise water and a steep path winds up through cypress and olive trees to a wide stone terrace. Looking out across the bay is a long and low villa, built into the hillside and supported by arches in deep shade.
This is the holiday home of a successful London couple with a large family, who had spent years looking for the perfect Mediterranean bolthole. They wanted somewhere by the sea, within easy walking distance of a small town, so their friends and children could come and go, but they did not want anything too large. Having looked far and wide, this island and this headland finally fitted the bill, and they bought the house in 2018.
If their search for the perfect villa took them a long time, that was not the case when it came to finding a designer. ‘Our first site visit with the owners was on the day that they exchanged contracts,’ recalls Martin Hulbert, who had been introduced to the couple by some long-standing clients and mutual friends. Though the house was the ideal size and had the perfect setting, it was, Martin says, ‘hideous inside and out’. It had been fitted out à la russe, with oodles of shiny marble and a good sprinkling of bling. Luckily, no structural changes were required apart from the insertion of extra bathrooms, and the entire project took just over a year.
Martin and his co-director Jay Grierson, who set up Martin Hulbert Design (MHD) in 2010, have won numerous awards for their colourfully comfortable interiors for private clients and luxury hotels, including Coworth Park in Berkshire and Barnsley House in the Cotswolds. With a small team based in an early-Georgian townhouse in Southwark, near Guy’s Hospital, Martin and Jay like to mix traditional and contemporary elements, often with a touch of the dry sense of humour that animates their conversation.
They are also known for injecting something of their clients’ characters into their designs, rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all look on everything they do. When it came to this project, that approach was tested by the owners having quite contrasting personalities: one favours a diverse mix of eclectic styles but also neutral tones, while the other is much more minimalist but loves bright colours. It is evidently a winning partnership in life, and Jay and Martin have cleverly combined something of each personality in the interiors. The overall look is calm and relaxed, with uncluttered rooms and a palette of soft pastel colours. Yet there are some surprises, too.
The villa is arranged over three floors, built into the slope of the hill. The main entrance, at the back of the house, leads into the largest room – a wide, spacious sitting room, with a high beamed roof and french windows opening on to a terrace that wraps around two sides of the house. Pale tones predominate, with limestone flooring and two simple sofas (both designed by MHD) in C&C Milano linens, paired with vintage Italian armchairs.
Yet Jay and Martin have avoided beige boredom by adding touches of brighter colour and rougher textures, such as the MHD-designed occasional table, made from black papier-mâché, and a custom-made cabinet displaying the owner’s collection of vibrantly coloured glass bottles.
To one side, an arch opens into the dining room, which shimmers with the pale blues of a Mediterranean morning. In contrast to the other rooms, its walls are lined with handmade porcelain tiles, specially commissioned from ceramicist Ali Tomlin and created not in Greece but in Peckham, south London. They offer a delicious contrast with the sunny yellow of the kitchen beyond, which has simple planked cabinets constructed by a local woodworking company. ‘It’s intentionally a slightly humble design,’ says Jay. ‘We wanted it all to be robust and not flashy, though carefully finished.’
Stairs from the sitting room lead up to a main bedroom, which takes up the entire first floor and has wonderful views out across the bay. The lower-ground floor is largely devoted to bedrooms for the children and guests; these are surprisingly light and airy, thanks to the fall of the land outside. As far as possible, MHD used local suppliers for everything from the paving to the showers and door handles, but most of the fabrics and vintage furniture had to be packed into a shipping container in London and unloaded a few weeks later when it arrived at the jetty. ‘We fitted as much in there as we could, including fabric for curtains and a sewing machine to make them with,’ says Martin. Not everyone would think of that.
Martin Hulbert Design: martinhulbertdesign.com
Paul Massey1/7Papier-mâché lamps by MHD, paired with shades from Samarkand Design, shed light over one of the sofas; behind the other, Paolo Moschino ceramic table lamps frame a display of colourful glassware.
Paul Massey2/7A wall of pale blue porcelain tiles by Ali Tomlin frame the kitchen doorway and provide a backdrop for Hans J Wegner ‘Wishbone’ chairs around a Heal’s dining table with a Vessel Gallery vase. An Alexandre Logé chandelier is complemented by Villa Alys table lamps on console tables from Julian Chichester.
Paul Massey3/7A rattan chair from Hadeda is placed beside a cabinet from Selected Antiques, flanked by curtains in C&C Milano’s ‘Ciondolino’ linen.
Paul Massey4/7A collection of small paintings hangs above the MHD sofa. The wooden side tables are from Anthropologie and the wood and cord bench from Design Vintage.
Paul Massey5/7Locally sourced lampshades offer rustic contrast with a table topped with Pyrolave stone, by Interna, and ‘Village’ dining chairs from Kettal.
Paul Massey6/7A built-in seating area is enlivened by a combination of different cushions and woven lampshades, all from Caravane.
Paul Massey7/7A mixture of seating from Kettal – aluminium-framed ‘Vieques’ sofas and classic ‘Basket’ chairs designed in the 1950s by Danish designers Nanna and Jørgen Ditzel – is arranged around an old wooden table, sourced from Ardingly Antiques Fair, on which the legs were shortened. Plain and patchwork cushions from Caravane provide colour and comfort, softening the contemporary lines of the furniture, including a locally made long wooden bench. Everything is positioned to capitalise on the wonderful views out to sea.
