How Furniture Replaces Walls In This 47sqm/506sqft Madrid Home

In Madrid's Chamberí neighbourhood, the 1930s flat was once thoroughly compartmentalised, darkening the 47sqm/506sqft space. Then architect Iñigo Palazón of DIIR decided to completely change the floor plan. Removing all the walls, the flat became a single open space and a blank canvas for Iñigo to think through every detail – from strategically separating zones through changes in floor level and multi-purpose joinery, to material contrast and balancing metals and granite with the warmth of wood and plaster. The result is Casa VA: a home now unified as a single space that breathes calmly between function and form.

Below, we explore five design decisions that realise the apartment’s full potential.

1. A Platform Sofa That Frames the Living Room
2. A Compact Kitchen Filled With Function
‍3. A Storage Unit That Separates Without Closing Off
‍4. A Bathroom Where Every Detail Earns Its Place
‍5. A Laundry That Makes Room for Everything Else

1. A Platform Sofa That Frames the Living Room

Instead of using separate pieces of furniture, the living space is organised by a single U-shaped granite platform. Wrapping around the entire perimeter, the platform both frames the living room and quietly offers multiple uses. The lowered section accommodates the custom sofa, elevated with custom cushions to sit level with the neighbouring planter box ledge, which doubles as a coffee table and home for the turntable. The niche behind is lined with stainless steel shelving for books, records and artwork. Opposite, below the TV, the granite platform continues to a low display with lighting, books and other special pieces. And when guests stay, the sofa is big enough to become a bed.

2. A Compact Kitchen Filled With Function

Although compact, the kitchen is fitted out for function, while including metallic finishes. The stainless steel countertop doesn't scratch, meaning food can be chopped directly on the surface, while a sheet of stainless steel behind forms an easy-to-clean splashback that seamlessly transitions to open display shelving above. Below, IKEA cabinetry is finished with custom timber fronts and coated too, in a silver metallic finish. To avoid blocking the generous light from the large kitchen window, the two tall silver units concealing the fridge and freezer sit across from the kitchen, on the edge of the living space. Neither unit reaches the ceiling, keeping a sense of openness alongside function and aesthetic consistency, all the way from sink to fridge.

3. A Storage Unit That Separates Without Closing Off

Instead of dividing the space with a wall, a freestanding double-sided storage unit helps zone the kitchen, dining and bedroom space. Matching the width of the storage unit, the bedroom is concealed from the communal spaces, with a two-step climb to demarcate the raised sleeping level from the living area without the need for a door. As well as dividing, the unit holds its own, with a recessed niche on the bedroom side that functions as a bedside table, complete with power outlets. While on the kitchen side, cupboards conceal everyday cookware, tableware and Iñigo's personal items.

4. A Bathroom Where Every Detail Earns Its Place

Through a metallic door off the bedroom is the bathroom. Finished entirely in microcement, the space is built around quiet details – hidden LED lighting that washes warmly across the walls, and a stainless steel basin above a granite countertop, all a continuation of the metallic theme found throughout the home. On either side of the sink, the shower and toilet each sit one step lower to subtly define each zone. Opposite, a full-height mirror is fixed to the back of the bathroom door – useful from inside the bathroom or, when the door is open, from the bedroom.

5. A Laundry That Makes Room for Everything Else

Through another silver door, just off the dining space, is the laundry. A compact utility room dedicated to the very practical essentials — a washing machine, boiler, ironing board, cleaning supplies, as well as a clever suspended drying rack that makes use of the room's height, which can be adjusted depending on the load. Within the naturally ventilated space, with its own window, the room holds all the household utilities so the rest of the apartment can remain calm, open and clutter-free.

“Designing this apartment for myself was a fun opportunity to transform an older space into a home with a lot of functionality and attention to detail … where beauty is present,” says Iñigo. In Casa VA, beauty reveals itself in the thoughtful details, from the silver accents to the sculptural niches designed to showcase artwork. Scroll on through to see professional images of this home from Luis Díaz Díaz.