Houzz Tour: A Narrow Flat Reworked to Create an Open, Airy Home
Stealing space from a terrace turned this flat from a series of small rooms into a cosy, light-filled haven
Ana García and Eduardo Rodríguez renovated this apartment on the Paseo de Extremadura, a stone’s throw from Madrid’s riverside Río Park and close to the Casa de Campo, one of the city’s main public parks. “What we like most about the area is the community life. We liked the apartment from the beginning, but it needed a complete renovation,” says Ana, who found the perfect firm for the job on Houzz. “We looked through the Emmme Studio projects and liked all of them. Plus, they had good reviews,” she says.
We visited the house with Lara Muñoz, architect and interior designer at Emmme Studio. This comfy flat is characterised by flowing natural light, functional furniture and lots of attention to detail. Integrating part of the terrace into the interior made it possible to maximise the space and mitigate the flat’s narrow geometry.
We visited the house with Lara Muñoz, architect and interior designer at Emmme Studio. This comfy flat is characterised by flowing natural light, functional furniture and lots of attention to detail. Integrating part of the terrace into the interior made it possible to maximise the space and mitigate the flat’s narrow geometry.
The entrance (with white furniture), opens directly into the living area.
The bookshelf in the living room is a good reflection of the owners, who have been together for 13 years: there are travel guides for countries in Southeast Asia and South America (“We love backpacking,” Ana says) next to yoga books and novels by JRR Tolkien.
The bookshelf in the living room is a good reflection of the owners, who have been together for 13 years: there are travel guides for countries in Southeast Asia and South America (“We love backpacking,” Ana says) next to yoga books and novels by JRR Tolkien.
Pictured here behind the living room is the hallway that leads to the master bedroom, the guest room – which doubles as an office – and the bathroom. On the ceiling, an iron beam that’s been painted black adds character to the space.
“The biggest challenge of the renovation was to make the hallway as short as possible. Before, there was a huge hallway we didn’t like,” Lara says.
“Another challenge was to fit all the rooms into this very narrow space,” she says. “So we decided to incorporate part of the terrace into the interior … to get rid of the overall ‘hallway’ feeling.”
“The biggest challenge of the renovation was to make the hallway as short as possible. Before, there was a huge hallway we didn’t like,” Lara says.
“Another challenge was to fit all the rooms into this very narrow space,” she says. “So we decided to incorporate part of the terrace into the interior … to get rid of the overall ‘hallway’ feeling.”
In front of the sofa are the dining room and kitchen. A wood, black and white palette dominates, with plants and accessories providing touches of colour. “The style of the house is Nordic, as seen through the light tones, wood and simple pieces,” Lara says. The round table is ideal for optimising space.
Custom-made sliding doors separate the kitchen from the rest of the house, while a change in flooring, with porcelain tiles in a speckled finish in the kitchen, marks the space off visually. “In the rest of the house, we laid a laminate inspired by traditional herringbone parquet,” Lara says.
Inspired to reconfigure your home? Find reviewed architects in your area on Houzz.
Custom-made sliding doors separate the kitchen from the rest of the house, while a change in flooring, with porcelain tiles in a speckled finish in the kitchen, marks the space off visually. “In the rest of the house, we laid a laminate inspired by traditional herringbone parquet,” Lara says.
Inspired to reconfigure your home? Find reviewed architects in your area on Houzz.
One of the surprises the flat offers is this wooden cube, which was part of the original terrace and has been added to the interior to create a reading area and expand the social space.
“I love plants, and I’m the one who takes care of them,” Ana says. “Our priority was a house with a terrace so we could have more plants.”
“I love plants, and I’m the one who takes care of them,” Ana says. “Our priority was a house with a terrace so we could have more plants.”
Colourful tiles stand out on the kitchen wall.
“We put in a water filter during the renovation – it’s one of the things I’m most excited about,” says Ana, who’s a fan of herbal tea infusions.
“We put in a water filter during the renovation – it’s one of the things I’m most excited about,” says Ana, who’s a fan of herbal tea infusions.
Peeking into the bedroom from the hallway, we see a beautiful wallpaper mural behind the bed. On the left, a wooden sliding door leads to the second bedroom, which doubles as a home office.
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The Nordic aesthetic continues into the bedroom through the fir-tree mural and functional wooden furniture, topped off with ceiling lamps over the bedside tables.
As with the living room, a wooden box is a key feature in the bedroom. “This space serves as a dressing room and relaxation area,” Ana says, pointing to the Nordic-style bench. Macramé on the wall adds warmth to the décor.
In the bathroom, there’s a niche in the shower wall to optimise the space. “The bathroom is all ceramic: the aquamarine tiles are small and have a handcrafted look, creating contrast with the large-format, marble-look tiles in the rest of the space,” Lara says.
The bedroom opens out onto the only part of the original terrace not integrated into the interior – now a sunny balcony. It offers beautiful views of Madrid.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite element in this light, airy apartment? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite element in this light, airy apartment? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? Ana García and her partner, Eduardo Rodríguez, both IT consultants
Location Paseo de Extremadura district, Madrid, Spain
Size Two bedrooms and one bathroom (69 sq m)
Budget Around €84,000 (£76,722)
Duration of Work Three months
Architect and interior designer Lara Muñoz of Emmme Studio
Photos by Carla Capdevila, ©Houzz Spain 2020
Natural light and a cosy open living space are the hallmarks of the new design, in a flat that started out with a narrow hallway, small rooms and an uncomfortable kitchen.
“The building is from the 1970s, and the flat hadn’t been renovated since then,” Lara says. “What I saw the first time I walked into the house was a dark and narrow space, but since it had no load-bearing walls, we were able to carry out a full renovation, completely changing the layout.”
Lara and Ana (right) pose here in the new kitchen-dining-living room.