A Designer's Villa above the Water on Serifos
In 2005, Andrew Sheinman, founder of the New York interior design firm Pembrooke & Ives (named by Architectural Digest to its Top 100 list) and his wife Helen bought this seafront villa and began adding rooms, terraces, and gardens. It occupies a hillside on Serifos with uninterrupted Aegean views, the island of Sifnos on the horizon, and a path leading down to a private rocky-pebble beach.
The intention was comfort, ease, and something fun and contemporary. Many of the interior elements were made by local craftsmen. The cocktail table and banquette in the living room are custom. A Queen Elizabeth II print by Andy Warhol hangs in the space, and the striped pillows are in a Les Toiles du Soleil fabric. The structure has been expanded over two decades until it reached six bedrooms across three descending levels, each with its own terrace and sea view.
The main level holds the open-plan living and dining area, with French doors opening to seaview terraces on multiple sides. The kitchen has a stainless-steel island, marble finishes, two refrigerators, and a service pantry. Built-in seating and a fireplace anchor the living room. Natural materials run throughout. Stone, marble, and locally made pieces sit alongside a small number of carefully chosen objects, including the Warhol print.
Stone-clad terraces step down the hillside from the main level to the water, shaded and sunny in turns, with olive, lemon, and fig trees throughout. The main terrace holds long dining tables, a barbecue, and a wood-fired oven. Lower terraces offer seating and sun loungers. A path leads to a panoramic viewpoint and continues to the private rocky-pebble beach at Karavi. The terraces were designed to shelter from the Meltemi, the strong summer wind of the western Cyclades.
Layout
This vacation home for rent in Serifos, Cyclades, Greece sleeps up to 12 guests across three levels. The top level is the main house: open-plan living and dining, fully equipped kitchen with marble finishes and stainless-steel island, and two double bedrooms with seaview terraces. The middle level holds three separate guesthouse units, each with a private entrance and sea views (two interconnect). The lower level is a single master suite with five sets of French doors to private terraces. Six bedrooms total, six en-suite bathrooms, plus a guest WC.
• Bedroom 1 — Double, en-suite shower room, front terrace access
• Bedroom 2 — Double, en-suite shower room, side terrace access
• Bedroom 3 — Double, en-suite shower room, terrace access
• Bedroom 4 — Double (twin on request), en-suite marble bathroom, built-in sofa, dressing room, interconnects with Bedroom 5
• Bedroom 5 — Double (twin on request), en-suite shower room, terrace access, interconnects with Bedroom 4
• Bedroom 6 — Double, en-suite marble bathroom (tub, walk-in shower, double sink), sitting area, walk-in wardrobe, five sets of French doors to private terraces
- 1 guest WC
Experiences
A resident cook prepares breakfast and one buffet-style lunch or dinner daily for six days of any weekly stay (ingredients billed separately). Guests can arrange kayaking along the southern shoreline directly from the private beach. The island has 80km of marked hiking trails, including coastal paths to secluded coves.
Good to know
The property is not suitable for children under 12 or infants. Free parking on premises. A car is recommended as the island has limited public transport, with a bus connecting Livadi port to Chora. Cook service is included in the weekly rate, but ingredient costs are not.
Amenities & services
Cook service (breakfast and one buffet meal daily, six days per weekly stay), private beach access, fully equipped kitchen with stainless-steel island and marble finishes, service pantry, two refrigerators, wood-fired oven, barbecue, multiple sea-view terraces, built-in seating and fireplace, Wi-Fi, TV, air conditioning (bedrooms), free parking, smoke alarm
Around
Serifos has more than 60 beaches, several reachable only on foot or by boat. Livadi, the port town, is a 10-minute drive from the villa, with tavernas, a waterfront, and a small supermarket. Chora, the whitewashed hilltop capital, is a further 5km. The Kastro at the top gives a full panorama of the Aegean. The Monastery of Taxiarches, built in 1572, sits inland. If you feel like venturing out, Kerameio Ceramic Studio is worth the short drive. A working studio and shop in Kato Chora run by ceramist Natasa Kalogeropoulou since 2014, it sells handmade stoneware tableware and sculptures drawn from the textures and colors of the Cycladic landscape. Serifos is also a natural starting point for ferry day trips to Sifnos (15–40 minutes) and Kythnos (50–80 minutes).
Location
Serifos, Cyclades, Greece. Nearest airport: Athens International (ATH, Eleftherios Venizelos), 45km from Piraeus port. The ferry from Piraeus to Serifos takes 2–4.5 hours depending on the vessel type.
Best time to visit
June and September offer the best balance of warm weather, accessible beaches, and fewer crowds. July and August are peak season. Serifos stays quieter than neighboring Cyclades, but ferry bookings should be made in advance.
