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A Former Office in Madrid Becomes a Modern Apartment With the Blues

04.07.22 | By
A Former Office in Madrid Becomes a Modern Apartment With the Blues

Working with the existing configuration, BURR Studio transformed this former office in northern Madrid into a modern apartment. Ceilings, floors, and walls are stripped away in order to start fresh; added back in are a mix of movable and non-movable, built-in components that round out apartment NN06. The built-in elements, made of blue coated metal, structurally hang from the walls and ceilings without ever meeting the floor. The flexible elements are the wooden furniture pieces used throughout the space that will move with the family when they leave.

The main blue element is a T-shaped bookshelf built in the middle of the apartment. The shelves live on opposite walls with a blue bridge connecting the two at the ceiling. Each shelf stops just short of the floor giving the appearance that they’re floating.

The bedrooms and living room are slightly raised with plywood platforms to give the feel of tatami, the woven flooring material used to outfit Japanese-style rooms. Like the furniture, the raised floors can easily come up when moving from the house.

Additional blue metal components show up throughout the rest of the interior creating a cohesive design that offers contrast to the wood details.

The wooden details not only contrast the blue and white elements, they add warmth to a space that could easily feel stark.

BURR Studio included a semicircular headboard in a bold yellow for an unexpected detail.

Photos by Maru Serrano.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.