Sarah Van Arsdale - Chances are that when you travel, you don’t want to stay in a place that looks just like your own house. And staying in a sterile hotel room can make you wonder just what city you're visiting. That’s why we were drawn to this beautifully designed property on the Greek island of Mykonos: it’s comfortable, with every convenience you’d want – and yet there’s no mistaking that here, you are very far from home. If you want to learn about terrific design, come with us as we tour this home. 

(Photo: Villa Drakothea )This house and property brings out the flavor of the Greek Islands, with a rustic touch and no sacrifice of comfort. The curved, white-washed walls of the living room give the feeling of being in a brightly-lit natural cave overlooking the blue waters of the Aegean Sea.  

(Photo: Villa Drakothea )This home, designed by Antonis Ampatzis, is available to rent. And from where we sit in New York City, it’s impossible to resist fantasizing about a trip to this sunny,well-designed, comfortable nook of the world.

One trick that makes the design of this home work so well is the nearly-unbroken background of a white palette. The white-washed walls continue throughout the home, providing a feeling of continuous calm and peace, and providing a background against which the color can really pop when it does appear.

(Photo: Villa Drakothea )Because of the white background throughout the entire home, color must be carefully chosen so it will add just the right note. Here, we see a corner with a wooden window shutter painted in a brilliant celadon green, bringing in a note of freshness to break up the white and brown.