For over a century, the Athenian furniture house has cultivated an aesthetic reminiscent of ancient Greece. A small, historically significant gem whose style is perfectly suited to our times.
1867. Istanbul was then called Constantinople. It was in this city that two families, the Saridis and the Psaltis, launched a cabinetmaking workshop. This workshop continued into the 20th century and worked for some of the greatest figures, such as Atatürk and Henry Ford, but also for prestigious locations like the embassies of the United States and Denmark, not to mention Dolmabahçe Palace.
Relocated to the Greek capital, the future Saridis of Athens was taken over by the Saridis family in 1927. Passionate about French furniture, the company brought French style into Greek homes. In the 1950s, it forged ties with the American furniture manufacturer Hollis Baker. This friendship paved the way for a series of collaborations with international companies such as Knoll International and Maison Jansen in Paris, as well as with renowned designers like Billy Baldwin, Dorothy Draper, Michael Taylor, Elsie de Wolfe, Yves Vidal, Gene Moore, Charles Sevigny, and Rena Dumas, designer of Hermès boutiques. But it was the encounter with the British-born American designer T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings that truly gave the Greek company its international renown. Indeed, this devotee of ancient Greek furniture designed 126 pieces that constitute the company's most enigmatic creations, including the Klismos chair. This work has been on permanent display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York since 1961.
But the story doesn't end there. In 2016, Zois Spiliotis, owner of the brand and relative of Eleftherios Saridis, continued the family legacy. He renamed the company "Saridis of Athens," aiming to revitalize it internationally by leveraging the famous 126 original models, as well as its extensive catalog spanning all historical periods and boasting 5,000 designs. The Athens-based company also recently appointed a new artistic director, Yannis Mantzaris, tasked with continuing the work begun over a century ago and bringing it fully into the modern era. Thus, while the pieces in the "Modern Classic" collection, inspired by ancient Greek furniture, were immortalized in iconic photographs by Slim Aarons and Loomis Dean, Saridis of Athens unveiled a brand-new campaign last year entitled "Together yet Apart." In black and white, minimalist and fiercely contemporary, it breathes new life into these classic pieces from the house, conceived and designed in Athens. Behind these creations are artisans with diverse specialties, working from original designs, continuing a history spanning more than a century.
Saridis of Athens
Esperou 22, Paleo Faliro (Greece)
