The Members Only Club is a very special part of the modern day world city. Associated in the good old days with black and white movies, after hour card games, the Rat Pack, tuxedoes and speakeasies, the member’s only club has evolved into an essential part of what makes a neighborhood “hip” in the 21st century. New York, London, and Paris all have their answers to the modern day clubhouse, with places for the young bohemians/ creative thinkers/ artists of tomorrow to gather. It’s about time Athens*GR provided such a space for the youth creating their burgeoning art, design, and foodie scene.

And who better to introduce such a place to Athens than Spyros and Chrysanthos Panas the brothers behind the ethereal and always elegant Island Club and Restaurant, and the Island Art and Taste event spaces in Athens, Greece. Panas Group wanted to create an environment for “seemingly diverse people who have a common denominator” to gather and share ideas and ultimately make a larger contribution to the society as a whole. It is a proactive and noble effort on their part. It is so much more than just building a lounge or a club. The goal here is to provide a clubhouse for ideas and see where it takes the community – and what better place and time to watch such an organic process than the young and restless Athens? We’ve watched what happens when we give resources to the bankers and financiers of the world… let’s give the artists something to work with! Panas Group is cultivating talent.

Members are hand selected by an approval committee upon specific guidelines as stated on their website, “The people of Salon de Bricolage are people with personality, for seeking good taste and quality, aware of the meaning of facts, and are not consumed in meaningless luxuries”. Salon de Bricolage is a cozy, intelligent space. A communal farm table in the center of the dining room is symbolic of an open atmosphere where you are encouraged to share, and strike up a conversation with your neighbor. The entire townhouse is designed for interaction and comfort. Industrial details outline the rooms in just the right amount of edge to protect an inner layer of plushy couches, warm tones, and clean lines. Purple velvet curtains by the bar transition the space from day to night – far into the night sharing fun cocktails with your new friends.

“Salon de Bricolage was introduced aiming at the promotion of art, gastronomy, winery, and entertainment, as well as wellbeing and conjectural arts. Members also can be invited to various happenings. such as gastronomy seminars, premium drinks and cocktails tasting, live performances, exhibitions of conjectural character, as well as private parties organized by Salon De Bricolage exclusively for them.” In short, we’ve got a case of a well-designed ”playground” for the modern day Athens dweller, yet the potential for the collaborations that may come out of this formula is the most exciting of all. We at Yatzer look forward to writing about a work of art or design that was conceived by otherwise strangers “over cocktails at the exclusive Salon de Bricolage”.

Images Courtesy of Salon de Bricolage

Salon de Bricolage