Houzz Tour: Classic Elegance in a Spanish Apartment
Original moldings highlight the grand scale of the home’s living areas and home office
This apartment in a 1950s building in Bilbao, Spain, is located on the Gran Vía: the most important shopping street, created in the 19th century during the city’s expansion. “The home’s moldings were in good condition, but the floors, finishes and fixtures were very old. We carried out a comprehensive restoration to preserve the moldings in the common spaces,” says Sandra Vergara, who was responsible for the project. The clients asked for a spacious living room that would also incorporate a home office area.
The living-dining room, with an integrated office area (in the background), is a roomy and well-used space. Vergara tells us that color and moldings were key to planning out and zoning this large, multipurpose room.
The studio chose all of the furniture in the house. They opted for modern pieces to contrast the classic style of the flat’s moldings and chevron floors. “The original flooring was in poor condition. So, we put in a new floor but in the same style and with a distressed finish. This gives it a lived-in look and helps maintain the classic feel.”
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The studio chose all of the furniture in the house. They opted for modern pieces to contrast the classic style of the flat’s moldings and chevron floors. “The original flooring was in poor condition. So, we put in a new floor but in the same style and with a distressed finish. This gives it a lived-in look and helps maintain the classic feel.”
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Vergara used a green wall to frame the office space and help it stand out from the rest of the living room.
The ceilings give the home a monumental scale. “The style of the moldings needs to be balanced with more modern elements,” Vergara says.
The entrance is the designer’s favorite space. It extends to a bathroom, which connects with a bedroom. A corridor leading on from here connects it with the other bedrooms and the kitchen.
This plan shows the layout of the space. The large living room is at the top.
Like in the rest of the apartment, the kitchen combines classic and modern elements. The natural stone countertop is paired with painted cabinets, with paneling on the front. These features highlight the warmth of the breakfast nook.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Vergara did up the bedroom in elegant decor in the same palette as the rest of the house.
“My advice to those who are thinking of buying a place to renovate: Hire a good, trusted professional,” Mendoza says. “When you see a house you want to renovate, you don’t know all the possibilities it has to offer until a knowledgeable person steps in and helps you figure out what you want, right from the start.”
“My advice to those who are thinking of buying a place to renovate: Hire a good, trusted professional,” Mendoza says. “When you see a house you want to renovate, you don’t know all the possibilities it has to offer until a knowledgeable person steps in and helps you figure out what you want, right from the start.”
The three bathrooms are spacious and serene. Vergara very carefully picked out the lighting and decor of this bathroom, the largest in the home and the only one that includes a bathtub. “We wanted to create a warm space where you can relax and take a hot bath,” she says. On the wall, they painted over textured wallpaper.
“In the nursery, I used mint green paint to create a small refuge,” Vergara says.
The daughter’s bathroom is pictured here. “Except for small accents, we decided not to overly complicate the decor in the bathrooms. We like that the tiles blend in so well,” she says.
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Who lives here: Belén Mendoza, her husband and daughter
Location: Bilbao, Spain
Size: 1,938 square feet (180 square meters)
Project manager: Sandra Vergara Studio
One of the first things Vergara did was tear down walls to combine three rooms into one large living room. You can see this best in the photo here: the result is an open, 915-square-foot space that includes a home office.
“We like the living room the best,” owner Belén Mendoza tells us. ”Tearing down walls created a feeling of spaciousness. The large windows also brighten up the space. The decor and the color of the walls, carpets, sofas, curtains and cushions evoke feelings of peace and calm. To top it off, the wood chosen for the floor is wonderful because it creates warmth and coziness.”
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