#2 Renovating a 120-year old stone house in Greece - House Tour, Designing a Pool & Adorable Geckos

This week I spent some time preparing the interior of the house by removing the existing kitchen along with all of the old contents. This will leave me with a blank canvas to work with. When removing the kitchen, I discovered a family of gecko's camped out behind one of the cabinets, which was an interesting find. Later in the project, if the budget allows, I plan to install a pool, so I began planning this so I can gather the necessary quotes. I also met with the electrician to run through our plans, which went very well.
I visited Chania, the nearest large city, to meet with my wood supplier. Like everything else in the house, the wood elements will all be custom-made, including the kitchen cabinets, wardrobes and some very nice doors for the bedrooms and bathroom. I also visited a stonemason at his workshop to source the tiles for the bathroom floor, which will be a special detail in the house. After visiting four different locations, I found the perfect salvaged brick tiles. These are going to be stunning!
To finish off the week, I spent some time at Tetraktis Studio, where I am making ceramic items that will later decorate the house. I have plans to also make some light fixtures, but I will explore this idea more in the coming months.
SOCIAL:
Instagram: @stonebystone
Website: www.stonebystone.gr
MUSIC:
Price of Freedom by ‪@ZakharValahaMusic‬
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Welcome back
00:40 - House tour
04:05 - Adorable geckos
04:42 - Removing the kitchen
05:46 - Meeting the electrician
06:14 - Pottery studio
07:01 - Removing tiles
07:46 - Empty house tour
09:11 - Planning the pool
10:03 - Visiting wood supplier
10:28 - Visiting stonemason workshop

[@melissaeden1219]

I can see why you want to move the kitchen! Looks like it's going to be lovely as a living room.

[@stonebystone1]

I think so too!

[@SuzyPerlman]

So happy to have found your channel and looking forward to your renovations. I also enjoy hearing your commentary.

[@stonebystone1]

Thank you for the kind words Suzy, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the renovation journey.

[@Lovenature255]

Looks like you have a fountain outside as well. What a beautiful property! That living room is going to be a stunner.

[@stonebystone1]

There is a small decorative tap and basin, which is definitely staying exactly as is. The living room is going to be very lovely too!

[@Lovenature255]

Beautiful view and love the fireplace!

[@stonebystone1]

Us too! 🤍

[@Subgunman]

The geckos are harmless. As a matter of fact they tend to eat various insects that may have trespassed into the home. Well I see that the previous owners had real cabinets installed. I have slowly been remodeling a couple of very old apartments I have where the facade and counter were the cabinets. I always take the time to get cheap leftover or second grade tile to line the back of the wall if that wall is against an exterior wall. I learned the hard way that if there is moisture leaking through the wall it will cause mound within the cabinets and will render them useless. Taking into consideration where the counter top will be I will install the premium tiles about five centimeters below the countertop against the wall and then install cabinets and counters. The way most builders do a kitchen is to slam cabinets against an outside wall. Add the counter top and then tile the wall up to where the upper cabinets begin. Now if one was ever to replace the cabinets for any reason, tiles an all must come out to remove the counter and cabinets. Waste of time and money if one likes the tiles in use. I always install a decent bead of silicone along the back of the counter top before installing the counter. Seals against moisture getting behind the counter. That is an interesting stone flower pot in the wall by the one entrance, I like accents like this.

[@stonebystone1]

Good advice thank you, and I love the detail of the flower pot too. It’s those small details that mean so much in a house.

[@IanFarrellCreative]

Loving your videos so far! Agree that the voiceover is a great addition. We have a family house near Kolymbari, west of Chania, would love to find a place like yours to do up for ourselves one day!

[@stonebystone1]

Thank you! I know the area well, it’s a short drive from this house. There are endless amounts of old stone houses around the island with great potential, all begging to be brought back to life. They just need the right person to come along!

[@georgeattig8088]

Good proposed layout. The second bedroom seems a bit small, but you know best. Also, if your geckos are like mine, they will soon return through open windows and doors. I don’t mind them, since they help control the mosquito population. Edit: Thank you for the voice over. It makes the video more interesting.

[@stonebystone1]

Thanks! The guest bedroom will be compact, but its minimal design, large window, and built-in storage will make the room feel quite spacious. Plenty of space for your family of geckos and mine! Doing voiceovers is something entirely new for me, so I'm hoping to improve this with each video, and thanks for your feedback.

[@boukanastasia]

We also say that these little ones geckos bring luck to the house

[@stonebystone1]

@@boukanastasia This is a very lucky house then!

[@boukanastasia]

I hope so @@stonebystone1

[@lidijabirsa7768]

​@@stonebystone1😆

[@SiXiS4]

are u greek ? u look greek heh, where did u get this house, bought it or ?

[@stonebystone1]

I have been mistaken for a Greek many times, but I am Irish! Yes, I purchased the property in January. You can read more about that in the description of video #1