Madrid Houzz Tour: Renovation Makes Room for Guests
In this revamp of an architect's home, the details – like a purse nook with built-in charging station – steal the show
This apartment was once part of a larger unit that was split into two. “My parents live next door to me,” says owner Cristina Barrón, pointing to the other door on the landing. We’re standing on the seventh floor of one of the buildings in the classy Salamanca district of Madrid, Spain, having just walked through its common areas, which are embellished with mouldings and stained-glass windows. “This building dates back to the 1930s and has high ceilings. This is the top floor, so we have a ceiling height of about 3 metres (9 feet),” she says.
Barrón, an architect herself and co-founder of Barronkress architecture studio, has owned this house since 2009 but only recently decided to renovate it. “We christened the project ‘Narnia’ [after C.S. Lewis’ novel The Chronicles of Narnia]. I finished one room first and, while I was living in it, every time I opened its door I felt like I was opening the wardrobe to Narnia,” she says, laughing.
Barrón, an architect herself and co-founder of Barronkress architecture studio, has owned this house since 2009 but only recently decided to renovate it. “We christened the project ‘Narnia’ [after C.S. Lewis’ novel The Chronicles of Narnia]. I finished one room first and, while I was living in it, every time I opened its door I felt like I was opening the wardrobe to Narnia,” she says, laughing.
The aim, besides insulating the house, was to optimise the space by combining the kitchen and the living room. “I love having people over, and now I have room for many more,” she says.
Most of the furniture was designed and produced by Barronkress, the studio Barrón runs with Benjamin Kress. This includes the bed and coffee tables as well as the storage furniture and shelves in the kitchen (pictured in the background of this photo), which are major highlights in the home. “You need time to design and to hire someone with the same vision. This helps you develop a lot of patience,” Barrón says.
Most of the furniture was designed and produced by Barronkress, the studio Barrón runs with Benjamin Kress. This includes the bed and coffee tables as well as the storage furniture and shelves in the kitchen (pictured in the background of this photo), which are major highlights in the home. “You need time to design and to hire someone with the same vision. This helps you develop a lot of patience,” Barrón says.
Two open shelves in the living room, designed by Barronkress, are made of untreated bent steel.
“The top of the coffee table was originally part of an island in black porcelain stoneware. It was a bad choice we’d made [for another project] and we’d been storing it in our workshop. I decided to use it in a table with an untreated steel structure,” the architect says.
“The top of the coffee table was originally part of an island in black porcelain stoneware. It was a bad choice we’d made [for another project] and we’d been storing it in our workshop. I decided to use it in a table with an untreated steel structure,” the architect says.
“One of my favourite corners of the house is the area with a little armchair and windows next to the radiators. Seated with a book while sipping tea and leaning on the windowsill, you can see the sky from some angles,” Barrón says.
To enhance the insulation, the team installed triple-paned windows and an outdoor motorised roller blind system, which keeps blinding sunlight out without blocking all natural light from the interior.
To enhance the insulation, the team installed triple-paned windows and an outdoor motorised roller blind system, which keeps blinding sunlight out without blocking all natural light from the interior.
“I’m terrible at taking care of plants. There is one that I once gave to my grandmother and that has been with me for ten years since I got it back,” says Barrón, referring to the peace lily pictured here on the right. “She’s the only one that can stand me – and she’s 20 years old now! She communicates with me really well, putting her leaves down when she wants me to water her. I also have basil and cacti that take care of themselves.”
The flooring through most of the house is natural oak finished with a colourless water-based varnish. In the kitchen, hexagonal tiles in four different colours create a colour gradient that flows into the wood floor. The two finishes meet in an irregular edge that creates the feeling of a smooth flow from one area to the other.
The bottom cabinets in the kitchen are grey, while the ones above are white. The counter and backsplash are by Neolith. The electrical appliances are hidden from view from the living room. Only the compact steamer-microwave oven – which is perfect for small houses – is visible.
“I gave an informal housewarming dinner with wine and cheese after I was done with the renovation,” Barrón says. “The truth is, I’m not a chef, but I use the oven every day to prepare vegetables, macaroni and cheese or chocolate fondants.”
The bottom cabinets in the kitchen are grey, while the ones above are white. The counter and backsplash are by Neolith. The electrical appliances are hidden from view from the living room. Only the compact steamer-microwave oven – which is perfect for small houses – is visible.
“I gave an informal housewarming dinner with wine and cheese after I was done with the renovation,” Barrón says. “The truth is, I’m not a chef, but I use the oven every day to prepare vegetables, macaroni and cheese or chocolate fondants.”
The dining table is made of solid oak. It is the heart of the house, and ties the living room and kitchen together. Barrón says that it serves a variety of purposes: It is a place for dinners with friends, quick breakfasts and working from home, and also doubles as a kitchen counter. “It was really important to be able to have guests over, this being the main reason for the renovation. I needed a dining room for up to ten or twelve people. It is in the brightest spot in the house,” Barrón says.
Beautiful ceiling lamps, which she inherited from her grandmother, have a strong presence in the room.
The metal girder comes with an interesting story. “There had been a thick partitioning wall there. We tore it down once we realised it wasn’t load-bearing – and there was the girder. My sister, who was there at the time, was horrified. I, on the other hand, was fascinated,” she says. They ended up having to cut the table top – and then table cloths as well – to allow the girder to slide into it.
Beautiful ceiling lamps, which she inherited from her grandmother, have a strong presence in the room.
The metal girder comes with an interesting story. “There had been a thick partitioning wall there. We tore it down once we realised it wasn’t load-bearing – and there was the girder. My sister, who was there at the time, was horrified. I, on the other hand, was fascinated,” she says. They ended up having to cut the table top – and then table cloths as well – to allow the girder to slide into it.
“In the renovation, we managed to distribute the spaces without losing any square meters in the hallways or entryway,” Barrón says.
The closets in the main bedroom are organised by category: There is a space for hanging clothes, some drawers, a place for shoes and another for bags and accessories. A unique touch is the niche pictured here, which was designed to hold Barrón’s purse when she gets home. It even has a socket for charging her phone.
There is also a chest of drawers made up of a white structure and custom-made oak drawers. It was also designed by Barronkress.
The bathroom next door was finished in hexagonal mosaic tiles in an aquamarine colour, matched with concrete-grey floor tiles.
The mirror is illuminated with a magnetic lamp, which can be moved anywhere on the mirror surface and offers a place to pin notes or hang postcards.
Barrón uses the second bedroom as an office. The poster is from an exhibit put on by one of her relatives. “The scales belonged to my grandfather, who was a physician,” Barrón says. The Vitra Eames Elephant also stands out.
“I’m a big fan of the Eames duo. Their chairs are really in fashion, while the elephant and the bird [pictured in the living room] are less popular. The Barronkress spirit identifies with the spirit of the Eames duo, [in emphasising] the production of functional items instead of purely aesthetic or artistic ones,” Barrón says.
“I’m a big fan of the Eames duo. Their chairs are really in fashion, while the elephant and the bird [pictured in the living room] are less popular. The Barronkress spirit identifies with the spirit of the Eames duo, [in emphasising] the production of functional items instead of purely aesthetic or artistic ones,” Barrón says.
This is the second bathroom, with its bathtub.
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What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Cristina Barrón
Location: Madrid, Spain
Size: About 970 square feet (90 square metres); two bedrooms and two bathrooms
Project by: Barronkress
“My suggestion to anyone who is about to begin a renovation would definitely be to think it through completely before you start and not while the work is in progress. Think about every detail, even where you want to put particular electric outlets,” Barrón says.
“Since it was my own house, I gave priority to my clients’ projects, and that’s why the renovation took a little longer than expected,” she says. She is pictured here holding mugs bearing the initials of her studio.