Inspiring apartment invaded by color in Madrid

This unique apartment, spotted on Mi Casa, is located just steps from El Retiro Park in Madrid, Spain occupies a building floor with a basement, an example of balance between history and modernity. This brilliant rehabilitation and new uses of space was the result of the work of two teams of architects, Quam Architecture and Porras & La Casta Architects. The rehabilitation of this house meant a major challenge: respecting the architectural characteristics of the building without losing sight of modernity in its wider concept.

Distribution, functionality and decorative change were necessary. A drastic transformation, since reforms were not undertaken in forty years, the basement of the building had originally been a warehouse. The building was built in the early 20th century with the typology of that era, walls of solid bricks and granite blocks. The homeowners, who worked closely with the architects, wanted a reform that retained the original essence, highlighting structural jewels – baseboards, doors, domes and arches of brick – and restoring the woodwork and shutters.

The interiors were carried out by the company Embroes, which got a comfortable and upbeat reform, peppered with unique details. The living room, dining and kitchen, as well as the basement, where the bedrooms are situated, displays decor that responds to the mixture of current tradition with the past.

On the floor, a glass skylight illuminates part of the basement of the home.

Publishing house transformed into charming home

This successful reform was to adapt a modernist apartment in Barcelona, Spain to the lifestyle of the 21st century by Studio MINIM. What seemed to be an advantage, the floor was in a typical building in downtown Barcelona with modernist structural elements, which became the main difficulty. The challenge was to adapt to the needs of a family without altering the buildings architectural peculiarities, which was originally the headquarters of the editorial Icaria.

“We should do a respectful intervention until such point that, at the end of the reform, it seems that we had not done anything, except paint white and put in contemporary furniture”, states the designer. Although difficult, the designers achieved its purpose. Despite works, the floor maintains intact the high ceilings, with fine moldings and original plaster rosettes of the house. On the floor, tiles are repeated in a delicate floral composition throughout the entire house. Woodworking exhibits shutters, latches and panels in perfect condition. Interior doors transform natural light in a multicolored arc iris thanks to their tinted leaded crystals.

The house was also given modern updates, achieved with the distribution of the spaces. The entrance to the home was created in the middle, with a hallway that acts as an axis and divides the house into two areas, public and private spaces. A spacious living room is in the center of the home from which you can access the kitchen through a double sliding door. The private spaces are comprised of the children’s bedrooms and a spacious master bedroom with bathroom, dressing room and private library.

Restoration of enchanting old village house in Catalonia

An old village house, spotted on Mi Casa has been rehabilitated in the historical Empordà region of Catalonia, Spain. The goal of the owners, a young couple with two children, was to preserve the home’s traditional charm. The mission fell into the hands of Lizarriturry Tuneu architects, who respected the exterior architecture and interior finishes that initially presented the three-story house: flooring typical of the area, vaulted ceilings and wood windows. While, on the other hand, they opted for open spaces, making the dining room and the kitchen into one as well as the master bedroom sharing space with the cozy living room consisting of a sofa and a unique coffee table.

The entry of the ground floor was arranged to receive guests and takes advantage of the space with a drop table that acts as a mini office. The small kitchen has a breakfast nook and comes complete with a small balcony and a bathroom. A simple staircase leads to the upper floors, with the first floor consisting of the bedrooms (main and child), a bathroom and the living room. The second has a small loft and a generous terrace chill out enjoying wonderful views.

Modern elegance displayed in spacious Valencia flat

With magnificent views and wide luminosity, the house Ciudad de las Ciencies is situated in a privileged area of Valencia, Spain. Designed by Valencia-based architecture studio +Quespacio, the contemporary apartment is comprised of 1,345 square feet (125 square meters) of living space. The project has strict budget constraints, so many of the existing spaces were maintained. Only a few partition walls were eliminated, reducing the bedrooms from three to two and extending the living room.

Here is a description of the project from the architects, “The entry lobby presents a photography exposition that shows various historical moments from people of Afro-Caribbean heritage. It’s been created to be change with the times. In the living room the large windows are maximized so natural light can flood the room. The central point in the contemporary room is the big red flower lamp from Lucent that marks the color palette: green, red and grey – combined with the powerful white. In the living room we can see three different areas all with a special eye for commodity combined with a modern design. A dining area can be found behind the sofa; here you can find a glass table combined with steel legs that contrast with the white chairs. In the chill out zone the red carpet contrasts with the grey chaise lounge used for reading.

“Outside the terrace shows us something totally different, fulfilling the aim to make every room different with its own style. The kitchen is more minimalistic applying for a timeless design with colors grey, white and black. Appliances are integrated gently in the kitchen cupboards. The main bedroom shows a bamboo headboard, lit by LED lights. In the bathroom the little space uses a blackboard stone that contrasts with the lacquered furniture.”

Photos: Araski Kuro and David de Cualiti

Retro-inspired Barcelona flat with cozy interiors

Discovered on Mi Casa, a complete reform was undertaken in this Barcelona, Spain home to provide planning according to its new owners, a young couple with two small children. He is a photographer, and she is passionate about decoration, both wanted to preserve its original structure, with high ceilings, ornamental moldings and large windows. Its retro doors are also maintained, although access to the bathrooms was changed by sliding doors to optimize space. They chose to paint the walls white and thus enhance the light in the space; but also, to not subtract from the colorful flooring that has an incredible visual impact in decoration.

The open floor plan has visual continuity created through the environments: on one side, living area with a work corner, and in the opposite, kitchen and dining room. In the master bedroom next to the fireplace and vintage decor, evokes the leisurely and serene pace of times past. Concrete was chosen for the bathroom walls and floors which were completely renovated, a material which by its texture and natural appearance, fit into the style of the house. A world apart is the child’s bedroom, with wood flooring and decorated in white and slate, a chromatic palette used infrequently in baby’s rooms.

Monastery transformed into charming mountain refuge

Surrounded by the spectacular beauty of the Pyrenees Mountains in Aragon, Spain and at the gates of the Ordesa National Park stands the majestic hotel of Casa de San Martin, a giant Sentinel of thick stone walls originating in the 18th century. The hotel is a former monastery and later a farm house, today has become a dream refuge of purist nature lovers and those who want to get lost between valleys and forests of conifers and forget about technology. The key to both charm and warmth lies in its careful reform, eco-friendly materials and typical elements of Aragonese architecture such as traditional fireplaces and wood slabs.

The spaces are designed to be cozy and comfortable with a warm ambiance despite the stone and strong frosts in the area. There are ten rooms decorated with care in an attractive rustic-chic style and incredible views of the endless mountains. In this place, away from crowds, there is no haste, only long walks, moments of reading and leisure and the enjoyment of nature. An old barn on the property was converted into a warm dining room with fireplace, providing a meticulous and creative cuisine cooked with products from the garden.

House of seventeen balconies infused with eclectic charm

The house of seventeen balconies is a transformation of a property that was in dark and labyrinthine origins in the heart of Madrid, Spain. Studio Arroyo Architects undertook this project to reform in into a radical conversion of space into a typical nineteenth-century distribution, with a clear differentiation between service and noble areas. These latter areas were grouped around a central patio with an infinity of small dwellings and endless corridors that filled this part of darkness and mazes. The reform put an end to excessive compartmentalization to create continuity around the courtyard a circulation and vision to achieve spacious surfaces that are flooded with natural light.

Instead of passing through various corridors, the entire house became interconnected through large spaces. The original architectural elements that characterized public areas were respected, such as moldings, woodwork, cast iron radiators and pine flooring. Efforts were made to minimize the materials used in the reform. In areas where wood was no used, cement was put in its place, which also covered sinks and showers. As for walls and ceilings, they were painted white to create the perfect canvas to highlight the extraordinary works of art and furniture. Style combines antique pieces mixed with contemporary, responding to the character of the owners, who are lovers of art, reading and collecting of object acquired on different trips.

Stunning chalet with British accents in Madrid

The furnishings and the spatial conception of this house spotted on Mi Casa are the reflection of the tastes and customs of their owners, a Spaniard who has spent half a lifetime in United States and Great Britain and her husband, of Swedish origin. After a long search, the couple found their ideal space to live in the heart of Madrid, two small cottages, which have been transformed into a luminous and comfortable house with the help of architect Luis Ester Butragueño.

The two residences were joined together to create larger more spacious rooms. The ground floor consists of the lounge, library, kitchen and dining room that communicate with each other by way of sliding and accordion doors. On the first level, a corridor leads to the guest room and the rest of the family bedrooms.

In terms of decoration, the owners personally chose the furnishings, upholstery and accessories with a British accent. The idea was to infuse brightness into all the rooms with a base of neutral tones, which is an influence of the Nordic countries. Sculptures and pictures become more important in the interior due to the hobby and the direct contact that the owner has in his work with the art world. The result is a home that exudes personality.

Retro-chic dwelling features sparkling holiday decor

A few steps away from Madrid, Spain’s Retiro Park is this special house featuring beautiful interior details, spotted on Mi Casa. The original structure has been historically preserved, which highlights the emphatic presence of a solid platform of great beauty and staggered openings of some large windows decorated with mouldings. The quaint home features antique and vintage finds creating a unique decoration designed by the owner of the home.

His passion for travel coupled with the attraction of flea market finds creates a special environment. With a classic taste and his love of the collections, each piece of furniture, seat or embellishment creates an ideal setting. Mixing styles creates this retro-chic style, where eclecticism becomes a conductive thread between spaces. Solid wood, chairs metal, aged leather, methacrylate, crystal, etc., dominate equally in interior design. A passion for furniture and objects of the past is evident, where even new furnishings were chosen with an antiqued finish.

The bedrooms are also infused by the charm of the markets mixed with pieces from distant countries. The kitchen and the bathroom, on the other hand, are the most modern rooms of the house, with new fittings, updated appliances and current furnishings of straight lines and simple appearance as well as easy maintenance. Currently this property can be rented through www.ivoryescapes.com.

Beautifully restored refuge in Costa Brava

Near the beautiful town of L’Escala in Costa Brava, Spain is this gorgeous property spotted on Mi Casa, whose original 19th century construction was restored by architect Gloria Duran Torrellas. The distribution and the original state raised challenges that were overcome thanks to the commitment to respect the existing structure, by the recovery of materials such as stone, old ceramic floors, walls and ceilings with wooden beams. The home is distributed over three well-lit floors; each one of them opens to an outdoor space. The sharp contrast between original materials, rustic and modern furnishings with a nearly complete predominance of white color as a means of integration and reflection of clarity is spectacular.

To create a feeling of spaciousness in the home, the interiors were painted white and with the presence of some, rather few, open walls with the exception of the more private areas of the house. On the first floor, one of these walls hides a guest bedroom, while on the ground floor, the kitchen serves as a separation between the living room, pantry and a coquettish toilet. The top floor hosts a magnificent bedroom of incredible vistas, with a wall in place of the headboard behind which is a full dressing room and two twin and separate bathrooms.

The end result of the project with the original elements is a surprising richness, in particular, for its balanced rustic content and design in almost equal parts and the relaxing atmosphere achieved after the change.