The Storyteller, Boutique Hotel

Category
Hospitality
Date
March 2022
Designers
Gkyzi Nefeli, Makri Chrysi
Photography
Mia Dorier Creative Agency, Iatropoulou Mirto

Located in Meteora, Greece, The Storyteller Boutique Hotel was recently designed by the Babatchas Design Studio team. An inspirational project that pairs picturesque elements of the unique landscape with the spirituality of monastic life.

The Storyteller Boutique Hotel building is found next to the city hall and the city's municipal library. Five different earth-toned rooms, inspired by the incomparably beautiful landscape of Meteora, were carved by the design team into a new – built structure. The hotel is characterized by a warm, homely feeling brought out in the main common space that resembles a residential living room. Ideal for hosting moments of relaxation throughout the day, the familiar, family atmosphere is completed with an open kitchen view, where a rich breakfast is prepared daily in front of the guests' eyes.

In this particular project, the Babatchas Design Studio team borrowed elements from monastic everyday life, such as the materials and color tones used in the acclaimed monasteries of Meteora. "Our goal was to connect the interior design with the local landscape. We decided to research the essence of the regional monastic aesthetics and found it in the morphological balance between Byzantine wealth and ascetic austerity," says the design team. Linens, stonewashed cottons and carpeted cushions dress the rooms while brushed oak surfaces and Perla and Boticcino marbles dominate the different spaces.

The greatest challenge in the design project of The Storyteller Boutique Hotel was renegotiating the building’s image as well as transforming the primal spaces. The Babatchas Design Studio received a ready-made building with serious deficiencies, where rooms and spaces were already arranged. The internal and external railings were designed from the beginning, as were all frames, in order to create a simple and imposing appearance for the building. In addition, detailed interventions resulted in a complete transformation of both the rooms’ and the common areas’ layout and interior aesthetics.

The Storyteller’s Boutique Hotel design philosophy evolved around creating a peaceful haven for those who wish to enjoy the beauties of Meteora as part of a quality experience. The local territory’s characteristics and their special details formed the central core of the Boutique Hotel project. The design team collaborated with the clients and a local ceramist, on the construction of hand-made washbasins for all rooms as well as the creation of custom made breakfast utensils. The corridors are decorated with paintings featuring traditional costumes by the photographer Mr. G. Tatakis. Last but not least, all artwork was edited exclusively by the Babatchas Design Studio who created pieces of clay, embossed crackle glazes and mixed media paintings.