Colour and Clever Design Transform Compact 1930’s Spanish Apartment, 60sqm-646sqft

We're interested in rethinking domestic space, not through traditional partitioning, but through large pieces of furniture that become architectural features of the space. These volumes are visible and usable from different rooms of the house. Each side has a different function that defines the space around them, like bookshelves or dish cabinets. I'm Javier Arrubia and I'm Jorge Gabaldon. We are architects and co-founders of JJ Damas, an architecture studio based in Madrid. Our client is a writer. This apartment has actually belonged to his family for generations. He wanted to make this space his own, adding theatrical touches and bold design. The apartment is located in Chamberí, a residential neighborhood in central Madrid. Chamberí is known for its residential character and elegant early 20th century buildings. The building was built around 1935. The apartment had undergone only one renovation in the 1970s, leaving many original fixtures intact. A few door fixtures, as well as some doors, cast iron sash windows, and most importantly, a hydraulic tile floor hidden beneath some vinyl flooring. We were really happy to find a bunch of different patterns and colors that totally influenced our design later on for the apartment. The original layout followed a conventional 20th century corridor plan, with a central hallway branching off into individual rooms. We introduced three freestanding chromatic volumes that organized the space for function and color. The kitchen was relocated, repurposing wasted space of the old corridor into a long galley-style kitchen. A new multi-purpose room can be used as a study, a reading room, or even a guest room. Behind it, we created space for the bathroom sinks, separated from the bathroom itself. At the far end, we placed the client's closet and bedroom. It's freaky-deaky, and it's oh-so-fine. We have it all. 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You enter the apartment through a small corridor that leads you into the living area. The hydraulic tiles are matched with a typical cushion door from the 70s we decided to keep from the prior renovation. A bar cart functions as an entryway piece to drop the keys as you walk in. As you enter the living area, you are able to see the full length of the apartment. When we first knocked out the walls of the apartment, there were gaps left behind on the floor. So we chose a dark grey tile of similar heritage as a border around the hydraulic tiles. We removed the old window in the living room and replaced it with a large single pane window. On this side, the red volume holds one of the client's bookcases. This room is directly connected to the dining and kitchen area. It can be partially closed off with the use of the floor-to-ceiling folding partition doors. The reason we use frosted glass is not just to allow the light to pass through, it gives continuity to the space but still maintains intimacy. The kitchen is the heart of the house. The kitchen is central to the client's lifestyle and he wanted it to be the main event of his home as well. It is set up to be subtly separated from the non-cooking areas of this open plant space without being totally disconnected. In this area, the red volume houses a hidden fridge and dishwasher as well as a cooktop. Inside it, we created a frame of red mosaic tiles. To allow these textures to shine, we paired them with light birch melamine cabinets and white engineered stone for the countertops. On the other side of the wall, we placed a counter that has a ton of storage as well as the sink, dishwasher and oven. This distribution creates a sort of triangle from the fridge to the sink to the cooktop, which is ideal for cooking. The dining area features a geometric pattern floor with a lot of yellows. It matches perfectly with the pertinent light that used to be in this room, so we left it in the same spot. On this side, the volume has a closed cabinet for dishes, cutlery and software, so you don't have to walk all around to the kitchen from the dining table. For the dining set, we paired the simple white tulip table with the client's old chairs, which we painted to match the yellow in the floor. The bathroom is placed at the limit of public and private areas. The door to this room is from the original construction and was also painted green to make it part of the green volume. An intimate yellow capsule contains the private shower area. For the walls, we decided to combine two different tiles. For the toilet area, a white tile helps to blend the toilet fixture into the space. On the other side of the blue volume, we created an open bathroom sink area. This area reflects how we think about private and semi-public spaces in a home. Using the toilet or shower usually requires privacy. However, the sink often has uses, like brushing your teeth or putting on makeup, that don't always need total privacy. Sometimes it's even convenient to use a sink area while talking to someone or when hosting guests. The blue volume was built with versatility in mind. Eventually, it will be a guest bedroom for when his sister visits once or twice a year, but we didn't want the room to go totally unused for the rest of the year. This is why we came up with this multi-purpose room that can be either a small office separate from the bedroom or a guest bedroom that can be closed off with a sliding door and the partitions. We built it with a niche that in the future is where a sofa bed could go. This flexibility requires storage that could adapt to different uses, so it's all built into the volume. The main bedroom is behind a hidden door that is in the same white color as the wall. Currently, as the client is still waiting for the furniture for their guest room, this room is used as storage. We reused the tiles from the bathroom to cover the new additional space in the bedroom. We don't see small spaces as a limitation, but as an opportunity to rethink how we live. Instead of relying on traditional partitions, we worked with what we call equipped furniture. This approach allows us to free up the floor plan and design each piece to offer something more, both visually and functionally. Sign up to our newsletter for subscriber-only content and exclusive offers. Visit nevertosmall.com slash subscribe