Step Into an Illustrator’s Sunny, Spanish Flat

I have been daydreaming about Spain a lot lately. With a co-worker who travels there regularly to visit family and a best friend anxious to run with the bulls, I seem to be a magnet for España-talk lately. Hopefully it’s a sign, and an impending escapade overseas is on my horizon. When the country first started springing into my daily conversations, I feverishly sat and researched the markets, festivals and food that I’d hopefully get to enjoy very soon. It didn’t take long for me to leave the logistical, travel research behind for a wormhole of Spanish design. I have always been drawn to the Mediterranean’s unwavering use of color, distinct architecture and flare for the bold. It was in one of those very wormholes that I came across Blanca and Jos’ glowing home in Madrid.

Blanca, an illustrator, and Jos, a personal cook, have called this beautiful flat “home” for a little over a year. Having been built in the 1950s, however, it was not exactly dreamy from day one. Some serious sweat has been put into making it an open, airy and comfortable space. “When I first found the flat it was almost in a ruinous state,” Blanca explains. “Everything had to be (re)done from scratch.” The home’s asymmetrical shape, rounded corners and crooked walls were no small obstacle to overcome, but the two were determined to make it work as its location was ideal. “I came across the neighborhood out of chance about 10 years ago and from the very first moment, I knew I wouldn’t want to move out,” Blanca says. “So (this) new house is less than five minutes walking from the old.”

Six months of hard work with the close tutelage of an architect and the results are exactly what the homeowners were hoping for. They’ve created a place where they can comfortably entertain and get work done, all while basking in Madrid’s brilliant sunlight. With personally curated touches and a clever use of open concept, there’s so much to love about this couple’s spankin’-new pad. Enjoy! —Garrett

Photography by Thipi CC and Blanca Gómez