Anastasia Koutsioukis of Miami’s Mandolin Aegean Bistro Gives a Look Inside Her “Great Room”

Anastasia Koutsioukis is a well-known name to Miami insiders, and those unfamiliar with her personally certainly know her restaurant, Mandolin Aegean Bistro, which she opened in 2009 with her husband Ahmet Erkaya in Miami’s Design District. Serving homespun recipes from the couples’ roots in Greece and Turkey, Anastasia created a space that offered a dose of warm Mediterranean hospitality, transporting diners to the tavernas of Aegean coastal towns. Since its initial opening, the couple has expanded the Mandolin brand with homeware store Mrs. Mandolin as well as fast-casual gyros and kebab house, Mr. Mandolin. Soon, they’ll be opening a Mezes & Wine Bar next door to Mandolin, in addition to their newest restaurant, The Drexel, opening on Española Way in late summer.

Mandolin has always been a reflection of Anastasia’s inherent hospitality. And while she’s certainly had a busy year preparing for upcoming expansions, her most important project was designing her new home, which her family moved into during the pandemic. All Anastasia had to see was the living room before they put in an offer. She immediately fell in love with the circular archway that connects the space, reminding her of Le Palais Bulles in the South of France. As someone whose livelihood is built on hosting and entertaining, “the great room,” as she calls it, is most important to her. “I do everything in this space—work, read, chill, cuddle with my son, watch movies, entertain friends, have my morning coffee, answer emails and host work meetings with my team,” says Koutsioukis. The airy living room serves as the entryway to the home and gets an abundance of natural light throughout the day. “Our home is our sanctuary, our safe place and now that we’ve all been spending more time at home, it’s important to fill it with objects that you love,” she says. Small touchpoints like candles and flowers were the first order of business. “When we moved in, we weren’t even unpacked and I had to have flowers on the coffee table and a candle burning. Then I felt I was home.”

She designed her living room like she designed her restaurant, wanting to make it beautiful, but comfortable and inviting. “I don’t believe that any room in your house should feel too precious,” she says. “I remember growing up and no one sat in the living room. It was off limits unless guests were coming. That’s so impractical and not how we live today. I love a home that feels lived in. Nothing is off-limits; our belongings are there to be used and enjoyed.” The room is filled with vintage ceramics and books she’s collected throughout her travels. “I’m inspired by European design sensibility. I love the effortless mix of period furniture and different materials and textures,” she says. “It’s that imperfect quality and sense of history that you find in European homes that draws you in and allows your eye to wander.” In this spirit, she designed the space with textured walls and contemporary art, punctuating it with flea market finds and heirloom pieces. “Nothing feels too fussy or intentional,” she says. Koutsioukis was also inspired by ‘60s and ‘70s design. The travertine coffee table and rattan circle chairs from the ‘70s were originally purchased for her lifestyle boutique Mrs. Mandolin, but she loved them so much she ended up taking them home with her.