Houzz Tour: Small Space Tricks Make a Flat Big Enough for Guests
Details such as a folding table and hidden charging point help to create more room for friends in this two-bed flat
Bea González
15 May 2019
This apartment was once part of a larger unit that was split into two. “My parents live next door,” owner Cristina Barrón says. “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.
Cristina, an architect and co-founder of Barronkress architecture studio, has owned this flat since 2009, but only recently decided to renovate it. “We christened the project ‘Narnia’ [after CS Lewis’s 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 as if I was opening the wardrobe to Narnia,” she laughs.
Cristina, an architect and co-founder of Barronkress architecture studio, has owned this flat since 2009, but only recently decided to renovate it. “We christened the project ‘Narnia’ [after CS Lewis’s 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 as if I was opening the wardrobe to Narnia,” she laughs.
Apartment at a Glance
Who lives here? Cristina Barrón
Location Madrid, Spain
Size Two bedrooms and two bathrooms; about 970 sq ft (90 sq m)
Architect Cristina Barrón of Barronkress
Photos by Javier Bravo
“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 the electrical outlets,” Cristina says.
“Since it was my own home, I gave priority to my client’s projects, and that’s why this renovation took a little longer than expected,” she says. She is pictured here holding mugs bearing the initials of her studio.
Who lives here? Cristina Barrón
Location Madrid, Spain
Size Two bedrooms and two bathrooms; about 970 sq ft (90 sq m)
Architect Cristina Barrón of Barronkress
Photos by Javier Bravo
“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 the electrical outlets,” Cristina says.
“Since it was my own home, I gave priority to my client’s projects, and that’s why this renovation took a little longer than expected,” she says. She is pictured here holding mugs bearing the initials of her studio.
The aim, besides insulating the house, was to optimise the space by combining the kitchen and 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 Cristina 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,” Cristina says.
Most of the furniture was designed and produced by Barronkress, the studio Cristina 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,” Cristina says.
Two open shelves in the living room, designed by Barronkress, are made of untreated bent steel.
The coffee table also has a steel base. “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 to create the table with an untreated steel structure,” Cristina says.
Find an architect or building designer to help realise your project on Houzz.
The coffee table also has a steel base. “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 to create the table with an untreated steel structure,” Cristina says.
Find an architect or building designer to help realise your project on Houzz.
“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 watch the sky,” Cristina 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.
See 6 of the best one-bed flats on Houzz.
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.
See 6 of the best one-bed flats on Houzz.
“I’m terrible at taking care of plants. There’s one that I gave to my grandmother that’s been with me for 10 years since I got it back,” Cristina says, 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, and helps to zone the now open-plan area. 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 worktop and splashback 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 homes – is visible.
“I gave an informal housewarming dinner with wine and cheese after I was done with the renovation,” Cristina 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 worktop and splashback 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 homes – is visible.
“I gave an informal housewarming dinner with wine and cheese after I was done with the renovation,” Cristina 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’s the heart of the flat, and ties the living room and kitchen together. Cristina says it serves a variety of purposes: it’s a place for dinners with friends, quick breakfasts, and working from home, and it also doubles as a kitchen worksurface.
The end folds up to create a longer surface. “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 10 or 12 people. It’s in the brightest spot in the house,” Cristina 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.
The end folds up to create a longer surface. “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 10 or 12 people. It’s in the brightest spot in the house,” Cristina 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.
The new layout shows how Cristina squeezed in two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a good-sized reception room where friends can gather. Not an inch has been wasted.
The wardrobes in the main bedroom are organised by category. There’s a space for hanging clothes, some drawers, a place for shoes, and another for bags and accessories.
A clever touch is the niche pictured here, which was designed to hold Cristina’s bag when she gets home. It even has a socket for charging her phone, which keeps it neatly out of the way.
A clever touch is the niche pictured here, which was designed to hold Cristina’s bag when she gets home. It even has a socket for charging her phone, which keeps it neatly out of the way.
There’s also a chest of drawers made up of a white shell 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 also offers a place to pin notes or hang postcards.
Cristina uses the second bedroom as an office. The poster is from an exhibition put on by one of her relatives. “The scales belonged to my grandfather, who was a doctor,” Cristina 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 Eameses [in emphasising] the production of functional items instead of purely aesthetic or artistic ones,” Cristina 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 Eameses [in emphasising] the production of functional items instead of purely aesthetic or artistic ones,” Cristina says.
The second bathroom has a combined bath and shower for more leisurely soaking.
Tell us…
What do you think of this renovation? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Tell us…
What do you think of this renovation? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
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Very nice, but where do you store the extra 8 chairs when you have 12 for dinner?
Love the glass display cabinet in the first picture of the living area, where is it from?
@gagit Notice the stools for plants... they are used as sitting places when I have a lot of guests. I also have another 2 more folding chairs behind sitting area.
@Anna Healey Is from El corte Inglés, Madrid.