Dimakis is one of the most coveted secrets among those who are truly passionate about handmade home interior furniture. The atelier is to be found in the outskirts of the second largest city in Greece, Thessaloniki. From there, Dimakis has access to all of Europe as well as the rest of the world due to its international port.

We met up with Giorgos Dimakis, a master craftsman in his humble atelier. The young dynamic and friendly man exulted passion for his metier d art. An Engineer by formation, Giorgos confessed that it was not at all his intention to work in this branch. With a smile he mentions that he married into it. He learned his trade first hand from his father in law Mr. Manolis Kamtzoglou who has over 50 years of working experience in the trade.

He is like a mentor to all of us, says Giorgos, he still comes in daily and acts as an advisor to the small team I have put together. We carry out the work as they did it over a century ago with the same tools and materials.

Our daily tasks are never the same. Sometimes we breathe new life into antique furniture or architects submit plans with precise designs for the interior of a brand new house. The more difficult ones are customers that simply drop off a picture without instructions to replicate what is on the picture. Our customers do this because they know that whether we are creating, restoring or mending, they can always expect outstanding craftsmanship and the very best materials.

The particularly beautiful thing about my work in interior design is that each piece we create is truly unique and that the process of making it is never the same. Each piece requires different procedures as crafting handmade furniture is an art that has no standard guidelines. There is always room for some improvisation. The most important part is the quality of the materials we use, something that the more famous interior furniture brands no longer have the luxury of doing as industrial production methods do not allow for it.

Few people understand the secrets of our trade. Take a sofa for example; ideally the frames should be built in birch wood that has dried extensively. Springs are strictly in iron and of a given height to give the correct rebound when sitting. The very best straps used to hold down the straps are made of cannabis and the most comfortable and durable acoudoirs are made of horse hair and hay! A proper cushion is made with duck feather, and even here there are different qualities and one has to know which one is suitable.

As we were eagerly waiting for more information he proceeded to laugh as he said kindly - do you expect me to give you all our secrets?

In essence, he continues, my profession is my passion. I am happy to come here every day, to work late and even on the weekends. The most rewarding thing for me is to see satisfied smiles on the faces of my customers. I am fortunate enough to be able to perpetuate a tradition of the highest craftsmanship and I am very proud of that. Our customers are demanding and knowledgeable and I am thankful for the trust that they have bestowed in us. We do not have the luxury or the means of advertising and we only work by referral. We are proud to have carried out work for the most beautiful homes in Greece. Last year, we received the work to carry out the handmade interior furniture for salons, chairs and even the beds for an entire new chalet in Gstaad, Switzerland. And lately, we are sending our furniture to customers in London, Cyprus, Germany and as far as St. Petersburg.

Editorial | Image Courtesy Of Giorgos Dimakis