This Funky Student Apartment in Madrid Makes Us Want to Go Back to College

Lindsey Mather
Updated

Apparently, boring, bare bones student housing is a worldwide phenomenon. "They are all basic IKEA and white walls," says Ana Arana, cofounder of the local design firm Plutarco with Enrique Ventosa, of the options in Madrid. So when a good friend hired the duo to turn an abandoned medical practice into a shared apartment, they knew immediately that they wanted to go in the complete opposite direction. "We thought that giving each room a different treatment was necessary to make each inhabitant of the space feel special," says Ana. Sounds pretty straightforward, until you factor in the scope of the project. The new blueprint included five bedrooms and three bathrooms, with a shared eat-in kitchen and living room in the middle—that meant ten spaces to differentiate, all squeezed into a mere 1,184 square feet. Here's how they did it:

A focus on practicality

Given that five people could be using the combined living room and kitchen at any one time, functionality was top of mind. Quartz, the material of choice for the kitchen countertops, is both handsome and heat-resistant. Similarly, the arresting terrazzo floor defines the dining area while also hiding dirt and crumbs.

Before: Because no one had used the property for years, the structure wasn't in the best shape; a few beams ended up needing reinforcement.
Before: Because no one had used the property for years, the structure wasn't in the best shape; a few beams ended up needing reinforcement.
Photo: Plutarco
After: There's a notable lack of bright color in the main living area, and that's on purpose. Ana and Enrique wanted it to be the most neutral room in the apartment, considering it's a communal space. (Yes, navy counts as a neutral!)
After: There's a notable lack of bright color in the main living area, and that's on purpose. Ana and Enrique wanted it to be the most neutral room in the apartment, considering it's a communal space. (Yes, navy counts as a neutral!)
Photo: Asier Rua
After: In the living room, a heavy curtain hung in the tiny entryway nook blocks out noise from the street.
After: In the living room, a heavy curtain hung in the tiny entryway nook blocks out noise from the street.
Photo: Asier Rua

Tricks of the eye

Every space in the apartment is small, but none feel that way thanks to strategically placed mirrors, a few IKEA hacks, and some extremely cool bespoke shower stalls, among other genius solutions.

Before: The Plutarco team had only five months to take the apartment from construction site to home, but Ana and Enrique were unfazed. "It was exiting to see what we had imagined [come to life] so quickly," Ana says.
Before: The Plutarco team had only five months to take the apartment from construction site to home, but Ana and Enrique were unfazed. "It was exiting to see what we had imagined [come to life] so quickly," Ana says.
Photo: Plutarco
After: The terrazzo installation in the clay-colored "Earth Room" isn't just for visual interest, although it definitely succeeds there. It also serves as headboard and bookshelf, leaving plenty of room for a work space, a must for any student.
After: The terrazzo installation in the clay-colored "Earth Room" isn't just for visual interest, although it definitely succeeds there. It also serves as headboard and bookshelf, leaving plenty of room for a work space, a must for any student.
Photo: Asier Rua
Before: The wood shutters in what would become the largest bedroom were obvious keepers.
Before: The wood shutters in what would become the largest bedroom were obvious keepers.
Photo: Plutarco
After: Ana and Enrique warmed up the space, now called the "Blue and Green Room," with wall paneling in a robin's egg blue. The matching desk is actually IKEA legs paired with a custom table top.
After: Ana and Enrique warmed up the space, now called the "Blue and Green Room," with wall paneling in a robin's egg blue. The matching desk is actually IKEA legs paired with a custom table top.
Photo: Asier Rua
Before: At one point, the bathrooms were just piles of rubble.
Before: At one point, the bathrooms were just piles of rubble.
Photo: Plutarco
After: Rather than section off the shower stalls with half-walls or shower curtains, Ana and Enrique splurged on custom metal frames coated in supersaturated hues. "We thought this solution helped divide the space with the minimum impact," Ana explains.
After: Rather than section off the shower stalls with half-walls or shower curtains, Ana and Enrique splurged on custom metal frames coated in supersaturated hues. "We thought this solution helped divide the space with the minimum impact," Ana explains.
Photo: Asier Rua
After: Ana and Enrique installed wall-to-wall mirror on one side of the smallest bedroom in the apartment, the "Blue and Beige Room," to open it up.
After: Ana and Enrique installed wall-to-wall mirror on one side of the smallest bedroom in the apartment, the "Blue and Beige Room," to open it up.
Photo: Asier Rua
After: There also wasn't much square footage to work with in the "Black Room" (which is really more of a pewter gray), so Ana and Enrique created a bed frame that would make a nightstand unnecessary; the custom canopy is fit with both a reading light and shelving. There's more room-brightening mirror here on the closet doors.

A major injection of color and texture

"We started by choosing colors and materials that would match inside a whole space, but could make rooms individual," says Ana. Various shades of blue and red make up the majority of the apartment's color palette, complimented by pops of green and yellow.

After: In the blue and beige room's adjoining bathroom, a bold painted ceiling makes the space appear much taller. Next to the sink, Ana and Enrique added a sliver of mesh to create some privacy without blocking the precious natural light coming from the bedroom window.
After: The third bathroom is the most vibrant of all, inspired by the vivid hues found at the Majorelle Garden in Marrakech. Even the grout is eye-catching; the duo developed its teal color with the installer.
After: The third bathroom is the most vibrant of all, inspired by the vivid hues found at the Majorelle Garden in Marrakech. Even the grout is eye-catching; the duo developed its teal color with the installer.
Photo: Asier Rua
After: Ana and Enrique took a whole different approach in the last bedroom, called the "Wooden Room"; there's no in-your-face color here. Instead, everything that's not warm wood is a soft greenish-gray, in an attempt to make the shadowy space (it faces a courtyard) as welcoming as possible.
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