Antonia, master embroiderer, drawing embroidery patterns with ruler and pencil in her Athens workshop

The Beginning

A Craft Learned in the Countryside

In the early 1990s, Antonia learned the art of traditional embroidery from older women in the Peloponnese countryside. Techniques passed from hand to hand, generation to generation, with no shortcuts and no compromise. What began as a craft shared between women in a rural community became a lifelong dedication.

In 1995, she opened her own workshop and store in Athens. Over three decades later, she is still there, still working by hand, still practicing the same techniques: cross stitch, Richelieu cutwork, azur hemstitch, counted-thread work. Every custom piece that leaves the atelier is guided by her hands, with support from a small network of skilled craftswomen she has trained and trusted for years.

The Atelier

More Than a Shop

The atelier at Michail Koraka 35 in Athens is both a working atelier and a space filled with decades of collected textile heritage. Walk in and you are surrounded by the full scope of the family's work: custom curtains in progress on the Singer machine, walls lined with vintage folk embroideries, shelves of antique textiles waiting to find their next home.

Alongside custom commissions, the family has spent over twenty years building a private collection of antique and vintage textiles sourced from Greek estates, island families, and trusted professional networks across the Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean. Ottoman-era metal-thread embroideries, Greek folk pieces with strong regional character, whitework, heirloom linens, woven kilims, and more.

Interior of the Embroider Riches workshop in Athens filled with vintage textiles and embroidered pieces

Visitors surrounded by handmade textiles and folk embroideries in the Embroider Riches Athens atelier

Two Generations

A Family Working Together

Today, Antonia's son Menelaos runs the international side of the brand, bringing the family's work to collectors and buyers worldwide through Embroider Riches. The craft stays in Antonia's hands. The strategy, curation, and global reach are his.

Antonia's work has been featured in Greek publications, and the atelier has welcomed visitors from across the world: collectors, textile enthusiasts, diaspora Greeks returning home, interior designers sourcing for hotels and embassies.

The door is always open. Visitors are welcome by appointment, in English or Greek. Whether you are a collector, a designer, or simply someone who values heritage textiles, we would be glad to meet you.

Featured In

A Continuous Presence in Alexia Magazine

Antonia's atelier has been featured across multiple issues of Alexia, the long-running Greek bimonthly publication dedicated to traditional embroidery, lace, and needlework. A selection of pages from years of editorial coverage.

Antonia's atelier featured in Alexia magazine, August 2022 issue, full-page editorial with portrait and product showcase

Alexia
Aug 2022

Antonia featured in Alexia magazine alongside her handmade white cutwork linen curtains and bridal trousseau pieces

Alexia
White cutwork feature

Antonia in Alexia magazine with ecclesiastical Christian embroidery and traditional needlework

Alexia
Ecclesiastical work

Antonia at her Athens atelier featured in Alexia magazine with embroidered runners and traditional patterns

Alexia
At the atelier

Antonia embroidering by hand featured in Alexia magazine with bridal trousseau and traditional Greek pieces

Alexia
Hands at work

At a Glance

Embroider Riches in Brief

Founded: 1995, Athens, Greece. Physical store since 2009.
Master Embroiderer: Antonia, over 35 years of professional practice. Trained in the Peloponnese tradition.
Signature Technique: Traditional white cutwork embroidery, practiced today by very few professional artisans worldwide.
Other Hand Techniques: Richelieu cutwork, azur hemstitch, broderie anglaise, cross stitch, ecclesiastical Christian embroidery.
Vintage & Antique Inventory: 300 to 500 pieces. Greek folk textiles, 100 to 150 rare Greek antiques, and 50 to 100 Ottoman-era pieces from the 1800s onwards.
Sourcing: Private Greek estates and closed professional networks. No bulk markets, no mass lots.
Custom Commissions: Made to order on premium European linen and cotton. Pricing from approximately €70 to €3,000 ($85 to $3,500).
Recognition: Featured across multiple issues of Alexia, the long-running Greek embroidery publication. Continuous Star Seller on Etsy with a 5.0 rating.
Shipping: Worldwide tracked. Standard 14 to 20 days, express 3 to 8 days.
Atelier: Michail Koraka 35, Athens 10445, Greece. Visits by appointment.

Embroider Riches is a family-run atelier in Athens, founded in 1995 by master embroiderer Antonia. The atelier specializes in traditional white cutwork embroidery, a labor-intensive technique practiced today by very few professional artisans, and curates a collection of 300 to 500 vintage and antique Greek and Ottoman-era textiles sourced from private estates. Antonia's work has been featured across multiple issues of Alexia, the long-running Greek publication on traditional embroidery. Custom commissions and authenticated heirloom pieces ship worldwide from the Athens atelier.

A Family Atelier in Athens

A Craft Learned in the Countryside

More Than a Shop

A Family Working Together

A Continuous Presence in Alexia Magazine

Embroider Riches in Brief

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