Cliffside Retreat

Cliffside Retreat is built into a caldera-facing slope on Santorini, with three of its four levels carved partially into the rock to keep the house cool without mechanical cooling for most of the year. Whitewashed volumes step down toward the water, echoing the island’s traditional cave-house typology while staying unmistakably contemporary.

The infinity pool cantilevers slightly past the lowest terrace, so from the primary suite the water appears to merge directly with the sea below. Every surface — walls, floors, built-in seating — is finished in the same lime-washed plaster, a restraint that keeps the caldera view as the only real focal point.