In a 88sqm space in the heart of Thessaloniki’s city centre, Normless Architecture Studio designed a modern 3-bedroom apartment, emphasizing on earthy tones, natural materials and textures.

The principal elements of this space were the big openings on both sides of the building, leading on a big balcony to the front and a smaller one on the back, as well as the circular arrangement of the rooms around a central “core” of the building’s common spaces. For the new design, all the living spaces have been placed to the front, forming an open mixed space tha includes the kitchen, dining and living areas, all connected to the main balcony. All bedrooms and bathrooms were put to the back of the apartment to ensure privacy, while maintaining great natural lighting and ventilation through the openings to the back balcony.

The architects’ main focus was to design a space with clean lines and neutral, earthy colours. Wood and cement mortar were chosen for their natural textures, creating a calming atmosphere without big contrasts and striking accents.

Cement mortar of different types has been used in all spaces of the apartment, adding a natural texture element to walls, ceilings and floors. A lower ceiling visually separates the kitchen, where oak wood and metal is combined with the mortar, while keeping simple lines and the natural textures of the materials. In the living and dining areas, the ceiling mortar has been specially treated to look like concrete plates. The same material in different colours also covers the legs of the custom-made dining table and the bench that forms a seating option for the dining area and then turns into a storage space for the living room, under the tv.

The living room area is completed with the design of the wall separating it from the master bedroom. The architects have created a composition with metal and oak plywood, including a small bookcase and extra storage spaces, that also incorporates the flat bedroom door to avoid the fragmentation of the surface. In a similar way, the exterior walls and the door of the ensuite bathroom are covered in tinted mirror and form a glass box that reflects the natural light of the room. On the inside of the bathroom, cement mortar is udes on walls, floors and the built-in sink. Simple lines and natural textures can also be found in the second bathroom and the other two bedrooms, while the design is finished with black metal details all around the apartment.