Villa Hermes

The photographic challenge

At Villa Hermes, the strongest contrast is between the textured stone exterior and the lightness of the rooms inside. The sea-facing openings link the two, but bright views and shaded interiors ask for careful balance. My priority is to keep the stone, white shutters and timber pergolas legible, then carry that same natural character indoors. The curved pool and stepped terraces also need several viewpoints to explain their relationship to the house.

My approach

I follow the exterior from the stone facade and white shutters to the paths, stairs and pool. Wider compositions describe the stepped building, while lower views bring the pool edge and planting into the foreground. This gives the architecture a clear place within its hillside setting in Andros, in the Cyclades.

The covered terraces deserve their own part of the sequence. Timber seating, flowering planters and a dining table sit within the shadows of the pergola. I use the stone columns and slats as a frame for the sea rather than treating the view as a separate subject. A closer photograph of the shadows across the wall and cushions adds texture without repeating the broader terrace view.

Inside, the kitchen and dining area sit beneath white beams. The bedrooms have a quieter palette, with timber furniture, white linen and doors opening onto the terraces. Views across a bed towards an open doorway make the connection to the outdoors understandable. Other compositions give attention to the iron bed, the stone bathroom and the large picture window. These are individual spaces with different characters, so I avoid forcing the same camera position on every room.

The outdoor shower introduces another transition between enclosure and open air. Near the end of the series, the sunset returns attention to the sea through the bedroom window and from the terrace. The change in light gives those spaces a different mood while keeping the architecture familiar.

The result

I want someone looking at this collection to understand both the rooms and the spaces between them. For villa owners and managers, those connections help explain what makes a stay distinctive. This project brings my architectural and interior photography approach to Villa Hermes in Andros, Greece: precise composition, warm light and enough variety to present the property without relying on repeated views of the same feature.