00:03This is the first home I had the chance to design entirely to my own taste.
00:08From the very beginning, I wanted to create a single open space,
00:11defined by creating different floor levels of varying heights.
00:16My main goal was to eliminate all kinds of doors and partitions.
00:21This solution manages to separate rooms, but at the same time, keeps that connected.
00:27I like to contrast cool materials like metals or granite with warmer ones like wood or plaster.
00:36Since it was a complete renovation, I was able to start with a blank canvas and think through every little
00:42detail.
00:43My name is Iñigo Palazón, I'm an architect and I've been living at this house for the last 10 months.
00:54The flat is located in the Chambery neighborhood of Madrid.
00:59Chambery is one of the most traditional and famous neighborhoods in Madrid.
01:04It's an area that strikes an interesting balance between being a family friendly neighborhood and offering trendy shops and restaurants.
01:12The building was built in 1930. It has always been a residential building.
01:17It is a six story building that houses up to 60 flats.
01:22All kinds of people live here, families, students, seniors.
01:27The flat is about 47 square meters.
01:30It was a very old flat that had barely been renovated over the years.
01:35The unit was completely divided into many rooms.
01:38It had two very small bedrooms, a tiny kitchen and bathroom and a standard sized living room.
01:45This division made the spaces seem tiny and dark.
01:48I completely changed the floor plan.
01:51The first thing I did was remove all the existing partition walls until I had a blank canvas.
01:57The only thing left was the pillar in the center of the house.
02:00The next step was to create the horizontal levels.
02:04I raised the bedroom and bathroom area.
02:06Then I raised the sofa area in the living room.
02:10Brick partition walls were added to enclose the bathroom and the utility area.
02:14After completing the layout, fixed furniture was added to provide storage and separation throughout the flat.
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03:28On either side of the entrance are two storage units, made of wood with a metallic finish.
03:35When entering the flat, you are directly in the main open plan space.
03:41The living area is a rectangular space that features a U-shaped granite platform surrounding the entire room.
03:49There is a lower section of the platform to accommodate the sofa.
03:53I designed a custom set of cushions to match the clean lines of the room.
03:59The sofa is really comfortable, and the cushion covers can be removed to easy washing.
04:05The sofa can also be used as a guest bed when needed.
04:09By mounting the TV, I was able to use the surface below as a place to display decorative items.
04:17At the end of the granite platform, I add an integrated planter box.
04:22The space around the planter doubles as a coffee table when seated on the sofa.
04:28I added a niche with shelving for books, vinyl records, and artwork.
04:34The shelves are made of stainless steel, which I've also used in the kitchen.
04:40The main kitchen consists of four 90 cm high units.
04:44The interior units are from IKEA with custom wooden fronts that have a silver metallic finish.
04:51I felt it was very important to emphasize the ceiling height, which is over 3 meters.
04:56So I kept the units as low as possible to maintain the feeling of spaciousness.
05:02The countertop is made of stainless steel.
05:05It allows you to chop food directly on the surface because it doesn't scratch.
05:10For the backsplash, I had a sheet of stainless steel welded to the kitchen unit.
05:17Under the counter, there is a dishwasher, oven, and the rest of the storage.
05:21I chose an induction hub with a built-in structure, because I didn't want to have one blocking the light
05:28from the window.
05:30Above the worktop, there is a stainless steel shelf to display art and other objects.
05:37I really wanted to have a full-size fridge and freezer in this flat.
05:42In the living area, there are two tall units hiding a fridge and a pantry.
05:47Although they are tall units, they do not reach the ceiling.
05:51The kitchen is compact yet very functional.
05:54I enjoy it even though I don't cook that often.
06:03The dining area fits within an almost perfect square.
06:07I custom designed the dining table.
06:10I wanted to be consistent with the rest of the flat.
06:13So I used the same wooden panel with a metallic finish as the other joinery in the house.
06:19It is 120 cm in diameter and can easily seat up to 6 people.
06:26If the table was square, I would only be able to seat 4 people.
06:30The lampshade is crafted from canvas with beeswax.
06:34It was designed by Pablo Volumar, an artist from Valencia with whom we've worked on other projects.
06:41My office is about 20 minutes walk away, so I always like to work from there.
06:46By the dining table, there is a large flexible storage unit that also functions as a room divider between the
06:53kitchen and bedroom.
06:55On the kitchen side, it provides extra storage for things like plates, glasses, bowls and trays.
07:02I also use it to store personal items like my folders and files.
07:09The bedroom, along with the bathroom and laundry, are built on a platform raised two steps higher than the rest
07:16of the flat.
07:18From the kitchen, the bed is concealed, so sometimes people don't even realize that it's there.
07:24The bed is positioned to match the width of the storage unit.
07:28I added a niche to the storage unit to function as a bedside table.
07:34This allowed me to keep the sides of the bed free, so I choose an IKEA bed that has 6
07:40drawers,
07:40that I mainly use for extra bedding, towels and bathroom accessories.
07:46At the rear of the bedroom, there is a large wardrobe that spans the entire world.
07:51The doors are the same wooden metallic finish found in the rest of the apartment,
07:56but the actual wardrobe and attachments are from IKEA, which help me reduce the cost.
08:07The bathroom is through a metallic door from the bedroom.
08:10The small window helps to bring some natural lighting to the room.
08:16The wash basin area features a stainless steel sink that is suspended above a granite worktop.
08:23The shower and toilet are lower to create a separation between these areas.
08:27It also stops water from getting to the rest of the bathroom.
08:32In the shower, I create a ledge to have a place to put shampoo and soap.
08:36It is finished entirely in micro-semen.
08:41The mirror is at the back of the bathroom door,
08:44and the air conditioning unit is hidden above the bathroom,
08:48and two discrete vents disperse the air throughout the apartment.
08:53The laundry is the space for everything else.
08:57It houses the washing machine, drying rack, the boiler and cleaning appliances.
09:03Although this space is small, it plays a vital role in a home.
09:08It's also a useful spot to dry clothes.
09:13In the main spaces, I like to create a warm atmosphere.
09:17Most of the lighting is provided by lamps and wall lights.
09:21And for the windows, I chose metallic blinds.
09:24It's unconventional, but I really like the result.
09:28The flat already had rounded edges on the ceiling.
09:32It contrasts beautifully with the sharp, straight lines in the rest of the flat.
09:37The material covering all the walls and ceiling is a type of rough plaster.
09:42It adds an interesting texture and gives a more rustic and expressive look.
09:48In most of the house, the floor is made of natural alpine.
09:52Finding this balance between materials is what gives the space its unique character.
09:59As an architect, I'm always eager to take on complex projects.
10:04And small-scale housing presents a unique challenge that makes it especially exciting.
10:11Designing this apartment for myself was a fun opportunity to transform an older space.
10:16And to create a home with a lot of functionality and attention to detail.
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