Private Residene in Trafalgar

Located in Madrid’s Trafalgar neighborhood, in the heart of Chamberí, this apartment renovation reimagines domestic space through a simple architectural gesture: replacing conventional partitions with three freestanding wooden volumes that organize the home while preserving its openness and continuity.

The project begins by stripping the apartment back to its essential structure, retaining the original brick perimeter walls and creating an open floor plan. Within this space, three carefully positioned volumes accommodate the home’s more private and functional areas. The first defines the entrance and integrates storage for the living room and kitchen; the second contains a guest bedroom; and the third houses two bathrooms. Together, they establish a fluid sequence of interconnected spaces, balancing openness with privacy.

Rather than extending to the ceiling, the volumes are conceived as oversized pieces of furniture that inhabit the apartment without fully dividing it. Their exterior surfaces are clad in natural cherry wood, with a rhythmic composition of vertical slats and horizontal elements that lends warmth and consistency to the interior. In contrast, their interiors remain white and neutral. Strategically placed mirrors blur the boundaries between the wooden volumes and the existing walls, visually expanding the space and reinforcing the perception of continuity.

A series of custom-designed elements introduces a second, lighter architectural language. The kitchen island and living room shelving, both crafted from white lacquered steel, stand as independent objects whose slender profiles contrast with the solidity of the timber volumes. Large-format terrazzo flooring provides a continuous surface that brings the different spaces together.

Through a restrained palette of materials and a precise approach to spatial organization, the renovation transforms a conventional Madrid apartment into a contemporary home defined by flexibility, material warmth, and an uninterrupted flow of space.