Inspired Miami Living Restaurateur Anastasia Koutsioukis opens up her joyful Miami home
Words by Harriet Quick / Photography by Camilo Rios White
Anastasia Koutsioukis opened Mandolin Aegean Bistro in Miami with her husband in 2009. With a beautiful garden, homespun dishes and a fuss free ambiance it’s become a treasured hot spot with outposts in Soho Houses from London to Berlin and Istanbul. With Miami on our minds, Koutsioukis welcomes Lane Crawford into her home.
A home should…
Reflect who you are and be filled with things you love. All the pieces one collects over time, regardless of their period or origin, always end up working together. They tell a story. For us, that means travel finds, art and books. Most of our pieces are vintage with textiles found on trips to Greece, Turkey, Morocco and Latin America. Our house was built in 1939 in a historical neighbourhood called Buena Vista, within walking distance from Mandolin. We restored the original details and there’s a lush tropical garden out back.
My best advice on colour and texture is…
Colour brings happiness to a personal space. You can start by layering colours through pillows, books, art, pottery, rugs, and naturally flowers. Stick to a palette of three to four colours and use variations of them throughout so it feels cohesive.
My most lived in room is…
My living room. It has a big picturesque window that looks out to our backyard. I feel like I am on vacation in my own home. Growing up, our living room was off limits, but here we have our daily dance parties with our three-year-old son. It contains all our prized possessions.
My home is similar to Mandolin…
Because it has the same spirit, with an eclectic mix of vintage and new. It makes you feel like you can kick up your feet and stay a while. An obvious one is that I love blue.
I’m currently obsessed with…
Ceramics. They are beautiful, functional pieces of art and one of the oldest crafts.
My favourite way of entertaining is…
Family style. I start with a beautiful chilled rose or white wine and a cutting board with an array of goodies to nosh on. Dinner is shared - I never plate my dishes, as the host never really gets to enjoy themselves.
My mid-Spring menu
Marinated chicken thighs on the grill and Mediterranean-inspired salads like citrus, fennel and kalamata olive or freekah, cucumber, dill and feta. For dessert, yogurt, honey, pistachios and Turkish delights. I like simple white or gray porcelain with a mix of vintage stemware plus flowers and candles. Outside, I use palms on the table as the runner and serve on large platters.
What I find most exciting about Miami is…
Neighborhoods are creating their own identities outside of South Beach. We now have Wynwood, Brickell in Downtown and the Design District and new emerging areas like Buena Vista East where Mandolin is located, Little River and the Upper East Side MiMo district. These are enclaves for artists and entrepreneurs and have a real sense of community. We have a thriving art scene and Miami is a city of hidden gems.