What Apartments Do Realtors Choose for Themselves?

Fuente — the owner of this one-bedroom apartment in Madrid — wanted not just to buy a flat but also to completely redesign it according to her taste. After years of experience, she clearly understood what kind of apartment she needed. However, despite her expertise, finding a place and implementing her planned interior designs within budget proved to be quite challenging.

The funniest part: when it's time to find your own home, the task becomes overwhelming. Although you've done this a million times before.

For her clients, Fuente recommends choosing a future home this way: think not about the specific features of a particular apartment, but about yourself. Ask yourself questions like: 'How do I want to start my day? How do I want to continue it?' This immediately reveals what you need and what is important. She started with these very questions.

Currently, the apartment has a large living room with a dining area for frequent guests, a small kitchen for rare culinary masterpieces, a bedroom combined with a bathroom, and a guest bathroom.

The design combines a variety of colors (black, yellow, pink, gray, blue), textures (wood, glossy, velvet) and patterns, while the white wall finish and light wooden floor serve as a perfect backdrop for such diversity.

The kitchen is small, yet the owner managed to fit in a work surface, a kitchen island with a stove, and even a voluminous wooden table. Wood on the kitchen works beautifully with mirrors in rattan frames and a similarly whimsical chandelier.

To be honest, I rarely cook, so a big kitchen isn't necessary for me. However, a spacious living room allows me to host parties often.

The living room is the largest space in the apartment. It's no surprise, as Fuente spends most of her time there. Surrounded by favorite items such as a Japanese coffee table brought back by her brother, an interesting detail of the living room is a custom-made wall with a hidden fireplace. The space is also decorated with plants: cacti and even an olive tree. It looks fresh.

There is nothing else in Fuente's bedroom except a large bed with a velvet headboard, and even books are placed on the floor. What is particularly unusual is that the bathroom and bedroom are separated only by a mesh partition. A bold, yet intriguing solution.

For frequent guests, the owner provided a separate bathroom. Inside, the usual combination of white and black is enhanced with a pink-tiled wall and even monochrome details (faucet, pendant light, door handles) that blend in perfectly.