Architect’s Compact Minimalist Apartment with Smart Storage, Madrid 47sqm/506sqft

This is the first home I had the chance to design entirely to my own taste. From the very beginning I wanted to create a single open space, defined by creating different floor levels of varying heights. My main goal was to eliminate all kind of doors and partitions. This solution manages to separate rooms but at the same time keeps them connected. I like to contrast cool materials like metals or granite with warmer ones like wood or plaster. Since it was a complete renovation I was able to start with a blank canvas and think through every little detail. My name is Inigo Palazón, I'm an architect and I've been living at this house for the last 10 months. The flat is located in the Chamberry neighborhood of Madrid. Chamberry is one of the most traditional and famous neighborhoods in Madrid. It's an area that strikes an interesting balance between being a family-friendly neighborhood and offering trendy shops and restaurants. The building was built in 1930. It has always been a residential building. It is a six-story building that houses up to 60 flats. All kinds of people live here, families, students, seniors. The flat is about 47 square meters. It was a very old flat that had barely been renovated over the years. The unit was completely divided into many rooms. It had two very small bedrooms, a tiny kitchen and bathroom and a standard size living room. This division made the spaces seem tiny and dark. I completely changed the floor plan. The first thing I did was remove all the existing partition walls until I had a blank canvas. The only thing left was the pillar in the center of the house. The next step was to create the horizontal levels. I raised the bedroom and bathroom area. Then I raised the sofa area in the living room. Brick partition walls were added to enclose the bathroom and the utility area. After completing the layout, fixed furniture was added to provide storage and separation throughout the flat. Let's play a game. 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On either side of the entrance are two storage units made of wood with a metallic finish. When entering the flat, you are directly in the main open plan space. The living area is a rectangular space that features a U-shaped granite platform surrounding the entire room. There is a lower section of the platform to accommodate the sofa. I designed a custom set of cushions to match the clean lines of the room. The sofa is really comfortable and the cushion covers can be removed to easy washing. The sofa can also be used as a guest bed when needed. By mounting the TV, I was able to use the surface below as a place to display decorative items. At the end of the granite platform, I add an integrated planted box. The space around the planter doubles as a coffee table when seated on the sofa. I added a niche with shelving for books, vinyl records, and artwork. The shelves are made of stainless steel, which I've also used in the kitchen. The main kitchen consists of four 90 centimeter high units. The interior units are from IKEA with custom wooden fronts that have a silver metallic finish. I felt it was very important to emphasize the ceiling height, which is over three meters, so I kept the units as low as possible to maintain the feeling of spaciousness. The countertop is made of stainless steel. It allows you to chop food directly on the surface because it doesn't scratch. For the backsplash, I had a sheet of stainless steel welded to the kitchen unit. Under the counter, there is a dishwasher, oven, and the rest of the storage. I chose an induction hob with a built-in structure, because I didn't want to have one blocking the light from the window. Above the worktop, there is a stainless steel shelf to display art and other objects. I really wanted to have a full-size fridge and freezer in this flat. In the living area, there are two tall units hiding a fridge and a pantry. Although they are tall units, they do not reach the ceiling. The kitchen is compact yet very functional. I enjoy it even though I don't cook that often. The dining area fits within an almost perfect square. I custom designed the dining table. I wanted to be consistent with the rest of the flat, so I used the same wooden panel with a metallic finish as the other joinery in the house. It is 120 centimeters in diameter and can easily sit up to six people. If the table was square, I would only be able to sit four people. The lampshade is crafted from canvas with beeswax. It was designed by Pablo Bolumar, an artist from Valencia, with whom we've worked on other projects. My office is about 20 minutes walk away, so I always like to work from there. By the dining table, there is a large flexible storage unit that also functions as a room divider between the kitchen and bedroom. On the kitchen side, it provides extra storage for things like plates, glasses, bowls, and trays. I also use it to store personal items like my folders and files. The bedroom, along with the bathroom and laundry, are built on a platform raised two steps higher than the rest of the flat. From the kitchen, the bed is concealed, so sometimes people don't even realize that it's there. The bed is positioned to match the width of the storage unit. I added a niche to the storage unit to function as a bedside table. This allowed me to keep the sides of the bed free, so I chose an Ikea bed that has six rows, that I mainly use for extra bedding, towels, and bathroom accessories. At the rear of the bedroom, there is a large wardrobe that spans the entire wall. The doors are the same wooden metallic finish found in the rest of the apartment, but the actual wardrobe and attachments are from Ikea, which helped me reduce the cost. The bathroom is through a metallic door from the bedroom. A small window helps to bring some natural lighting into the room. The washbasin area features a stainless steel sink that is suspended above a granite worktop. The shower and toilet are lower to create a separation between these areas. It also stops water from getting to the rest of the bathroom. In the shower, I created a ledge to have a place to put shampoo and soap. It is finished entirely in micro cement. The mirror is at the back of the bathroom door, and the air conditioning unit is hidden above the bathroom, and two discreet vents disperse the air throughout the apartment. The laundry is the space for everything else. It houses the washing machine, drying rack, the boiler, and cleaning appliances. Although this space is small, it plays a vital role in the home. It's also a useful spot to dry clothes. In the main spaces, I like to create a warm atmosphere. Most of the lighting is provided by lamps and wall lights. And for the windows, I chose metallic blinds. It's unconventional, but I really like the result. The flat already had rounded edges on the ceiling. It contrasts beautifully with the sharp straight lines in the rest of the flat. The material covering all the walls and ceiling is a type of rough plaster. It adds an interesting texture and gives a more rustic and expressive look. In most of the house, the floor is made of natural pine. Finding this balance between materials is what gives the space its unique character. As an architect, I'm always eager to take on complex projects, and small-scale housing presents a unique challenge that makes it especially exciting. Designing this apartment for myself was a fun opportunity to transform an old space and to create a home with a lot of functionality and attention to detail. Sign up to our newsletter for subscriber-only content and exclusive offers. Visit nevertosmall.com slash subscribe