Kambones 1615 Branding: Connecting the Past with the Present

An interview with Kambones and Eleni (Lead Designer & Strategic Brand Partner)

Eleni:

Some projects feel bigger than a brief. They become conversations with history, place, and identity. Working on Kambones 1615 was exactly that. When you first invited me into this project, what story did you hope the brand could tell?

Kambones:

At heart, Kambones 1615 is a living heritage, a Venetian tower home on Naxos that’s been in our family for centuries. It’s more than stone walls and olive groves; it’s the echo of generations, tradition, and quiet rituals. We wanted that presence, its calm, its depth to come through in every element of the brand, without sounding like a museum.

Eleni:

That balance of living history and present moment became the guiding lens of the brand identity and digital storytelling. From the very beginning, this project felt special. Not just because of the name or heritage, but because you gave such trust and creative freedom to explore it fully.

Kambones:

What drew you in creatively?

Eleni:

The opportunity wasn’t to freeze Kambones in time, but to let its voice be present. The visual identity didn’t borrow history as decoration — it translated meaning. At the main entrance of the tower, a weathered marble detail became our starting point. Through sketches and studies of that fragment, we distilled a logo that resonated with place, materiality, and lineage: a mark that feels both historic and alive today.

The identity extended beyond the logo: every typographic choice, texture, and layout was considered to evoke continuity and authenticity, while still feeling contemporary and considered.

Kambones:

You didn’t stop at branding alone, the digital experience was designed to speak emotionally, not just visually.

Eleni:

Exactly. The website and digital presence were crafted to bring users into the experience of the place — its light, rhythm, and silence — before they even step foot on Naxos. It’s a space where reflection and discovery can unfold, with narrative pacing that mirrors the house’s own slow, thoughtful pace.

This project also grew into video editing, photography direction, social content, and a bespoke wedding brochure — ensuring that every touchpoint felt cohesive and meaningful.

https://vimeo.com/1087680677

Kambones:

The storytelling has certainly opened doors. The project has received recognition in the heritage world — from the European Prize for Architecture Philippe Rotthier to the European Sustainable Heritage Award and the Europa Nostra Award for Conservation & Adaptive Reuse. These honours reflect not just preservation, but sustainable regeneration rooted in place.

Eleni:

And digital storytelling allowed Kambones 1615 to exist beyond logos and colours — to unfold as narrative. That meant building space for memory, emotion, and identity to guide the user experience.

The result is a brand and platform that feels calm, confident, and steeped in place — yet unmistakably contemporary.

Kambones:

If you were to sum up what this project meant to you, what would you say?

Eleni:

Working on Kambones 1615 reminded me why I love design: when it becomes a bridge between generations, between past and present, between meaning and form. This project didn’t ask me to choose one over the other; it invited me to connect them. I’m deeply grateful for the collaboration, trust, and the chance to shape a brand that feels rooted and relevant. History isn’t something we leave behind, it’s something we carry forward, thoughtfully and creatively. A testament to the idea that history isn’t something we leave behind—it’s something we carry forward, thoughtfully and creatively.