Matt is a special person, with a unique way of seeing the world. His interests and our relaxed approach to architecture shaped this renovation of a small apartment in Ruzafa. Our task was to understand, design and implement a renovation that would accurately reflect our client’s functional and aesthetic needs.
The functional organisation of the space is quite radical, becoming still more radical and coherent when implemented. Despite the apartment’s small size, our design revolved around a central area dominated by a robust kitchen island that would function as the heart of the home. Adjoining this is the living room, which receives the light coming in from the main façade. Towards the interior of the building, a shared bathroom in the form of a lightweight box made from steel, glass and wood is the only partitioned area in the renovated apartment and serves as a corridor to the main bedroom, connecting the different parts of the dwelling.
Dominated by a large kitchen island more than four metres long, the kitchen is the main gathering area and the heart of the renovation. It’s easy to imagine our client using this space to work or to hold long lunches with his friends. A long shelf made from black lacquered metal and wood was designed to run along the full length of the apartment, with open shelves and closed sections, which give the apartment a unique look. Above the island, a large suspended structure serves as a kitchen hood, storage space and decorative element, as well as featuring linear lighting.
When it comes to materials, our main focus in this renovation project was on salvaging the most striking original elements in the apartment: the wooden beams and ceramic beam fills on the ceilings, the metal beams used in the original structure of the apartment and the exposed brick on the walls. These elements were uncovered, restored and left exposed. Together, they make up a fascinating palette of original materials that had been covered up and hidden.
Our renovation was rounded off with new, original materials to create a dialogue between tradition and modernity. On the floors, small grey ceramic tiles evoke an outdoor space, street or public square. Black lacquered steel details appear on the shelves, the kitchen hood, the island and the sliding doors to the bathroom, echoing the apartment’s original beams. There are touches of warm oak wood on the furniture, shelves, bathroom washbasin and headboard of the bed. Other striking elements include the sliding doors made from translucent glass, a characterful air conditioning system in stainless steel and carefully designed lighting in the form of spotlight rails with a black finish. Our renovation creates a bold, industrial aesthetic.
Reforma en la calle Centelles — Ruzafa — Valencia
Comprometidos con los espacio que habitamos
