Houzz Tours
Bilbao Houzz: Open-Plan Grandeur in a Spanish Apartment
Original mouldings underscore the monumental scale of this 85-square-metre living, dining and home office space
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 mouldings were in good condition, but the floors, finishes and fixtures were very old. We carried out a comprehensive restoration to preserve the mouldings in the common spaces,” says Sandra Vergara, who was responsible for the project. The client asked for a spacious living room that would also incorporate a home office area.
The open-plan living/dining area, with an integrated home office (in the background), is a roomy and well-used space. Vergara explains that colour and traditional mouldings were key to planning out and zoning this large, multipurpose room.
The studio chose all of the furniture in the house. The designer opted for modern pieces to contrast the classic style of the apartment’s wall mouldings 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,” says Vergara.
The studio chose all of the furniture in the house. The designer opted for modern pieces to contrast the classic style of the apartment’s wall mouldings 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,” says Vergara.
The designer used a green wall to frame the home office space and help it stand out from the rest of the living room.
Is your interior ripe for a refresh? Create the home you’ve always wanted with the help of an interior designer near you
Is your interior ripe for a refresh? Create the home you’ve always wanted with the help of an interior designer near you
The elaborate ceilings give the home a monumental scale. “The style of the mouldings needs to be balanced with more modern elements,” says Vergara.
The entrance is the designer’s favourite space. It extends to the bathroom, which in turn connects with a bedroom. A corridor running on from here connects it with the other bedrooms and the kitchen (pictured below).
This floor plan shows the layout of the space. The large living room is at the top.
As in the rest of the apartment, the kitchen combines classic and modern elements. The natural stone benchtop is paired with painted cabinets from Santos in Spain, with Shaker-style panelling on the front. These features highlight the warmth of the breakfast nook.
Browse more beautifully designed kitchens featuring Shaker cabinets
Browse more beautifully designed kitchens featuring Shaker cabinets
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,” says Mendoza. “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. Trust is also important. Things go more smoothly when you trust the professional and, in the end, the result is better because the ideas that you weren’t totally convinced by end up being the best.”
“My advice to those who are thinking of buying a place to renovate: hire a good, trusted professional,” says Mendoza. “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. Trust is also important. Things go more smoothly when you trust the professional and, in the end, the result is better because the ideas that you weren’t totally convinced by end up being the best.”
The three bathrooms are spacious and serene.
Vergara very carefully picked out the lighting and decor for 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.
Vergara very carefully picked out the lighting and decor for 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,” says Vergara.
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.
Your turn
Which rooms in this home are your favourites? Share your thoughts in the Comments, like this story, save the images for inspiration and join the renovation conversation.
More
Missed our last Houzz Tour? Catch up here with this contemporary London Houzz: How an Angular Design Solved a Clash With Council
Your turn
Which rooms in this home are your favourites? Share your thoughts in the Comments, like this story, save the images for inspiration and join the renovation conversation.
More
Missed our last Houzz Tour? Catch up here with this contemporary London Houzz: How an Angular Design Solved a Clash With Council
Who lives here: Belén Mendoza, her husband and daughter
Location: Bilbao, Spain
Size: A 180-square-metre apartment with an 85-square-metre living, dining and home office space
Designer: Sandra Vergara Studio
One of the first things Vergara did was tear down walls to combine three rooms into one large living area. You can see this best in the photo here: the result is an open, 85-square-metre space, which also includes a home office.
“We like the living room the best,” says Belén Mendoza, the owner. “Tearing down walls created a feeling of spaciousness. The large windows also brighten up the space. The decor and the colour 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 cosiness.”