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MKV Design plays with the colors and forces of nature in this luxury retreat’s new private villas.
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By Mary Scoviak
A classic sand-and-sea palette is always a safe choice for seaside retreats. MKV Design takes it off the grid for Blue Palace Resort and Spa's new private villas. Instead of using color alone to bring the outdoors inside, the London-based design firm integrates it with the textures of the rocky landscape that frames each villa and the sheen of the Mediterranean Sea beyond to merge the room with the view.
“We wanted to create a subtle canvas that serves as a backdrop for the stunning beauty and singular provenance of Elounda,” says Maria Vafiadis, managing director of MKV, which oversaw the design of the new villa extension. She and her team put guests in touch with the natural world with an open space plan that captures the sea breezes and filters in glowing sunlight. They deepen that connection with the choice of materials such as the local timber used for the rafters, floor tiles crafted from the area's sandstone, rattan and linen.
It's not just the look of the environment, it's the dynamism that sets these spaces apart. A sculpted focal wall in the bedroom seems to ripple with a wave-patterned mosaic of blue pebbles. The columnar folds of the draperies mirror the profile of the hillside. Deep-soak tubs invite guests to unwind while soaking up the panorama of the glittering shoreline or watching a film on the television inset in the wall.
Throughout the project, luxury is defined by rich, artisanal objects and local culture. MKV sums up the theme with a wall of art recalling the Phaistos disk (an antiquity dating from 1700 B.C.) in The Mansion, the exclusive reception area and lounge for the villas' residents. The designers surround that with other items unique to the area, from the bespoke fretwork pattern typical of Mediterranean design is the basis for an intricate metal screen in Iron chandeliers incorporate glass jewel tones favored in regional handicrafts.
The theme plays on in the villas. Hand-cut blue glass accent mosaics balance the cool sweep of the bathroom's extended Carrara marble vanity counter. The organic shapes of the raised sinks create a sense of harmony with the outdoors, one which is intensified by the private pool. Swathes of ivory textiles add a softened sensuality to the beds. “The design is really a mirror,” says Vafiadis. “It reflects this lovely setting, the area's rich heritage and the modern luxury of the resort. Together, these things make it unique.”
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