Architect's Apartment, Renovated in 9 Weeks

Several years ago, Spanish architect Paula Duarte moved with her family from Madrid to Northern Europe. The days were shorter, and there was less sunlight — and after some time, the family realized they missed Spain.

After returning, Paula and her husband bought this apartment. Its 162 square meter layout was sufficient for them to settle here with two sons, set up several bedrooms, and create a common area for family relaxation and gatherings with friends. However, the original layout did not appeal to them.

Then Paula decided to demolish all partitions, leaving only load-bearing columns, build new ones, and arrange the necessary rooms and functional zones based on her personal vision of an ideal apartment. Of course, taking into account the preferences of her family members.

Despite the grand redesign, the work progressed quite briskly. The main principle Paula followed in designing the interior was to make it bright and spacious, filled with air: over the years of living in northern countries, both the architect and her family greatly longed for sunlight and natural light.

Paula arranged the kitchen-living room so that one side of the space was maximally open, while the other side kept each zone slightly separated from its neighbor. The best result was achieved with the kitchen. Her architect enclosed it in a semi-closed bar counter and effectively hid it behind columns from the living room and dining area.

Working on the bedroom project for herself and her husband, Paula drew inspiration from a solution she saw in hotels and arranged access to the household bathroom directly from the room by installing a full-height sliding wooden door between the two zones. Thus, the bedroom truly resembled a luxury hotel room.

Many pieces of furniture and decor were purchased well before buying the apartment and simply waited for their time to shine. Although the finished interior predominantly features motifs of sunny beachside homes and has plenty of natural light as desired by its owners, elements of northern Scandinavian style are also present here. Perhaps nostalgia.