Houzz Tour: How to Create a Home for the Life You Have
Using some budget-saving tricks, a designer found on Houzz makes the most of an apartment’s layout for a father and son
This apartment in a former office building had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a spacious hall, a kitchen and a living-dining room. “The client contacted us through Houzz and asked us to carry out a complete overhaul of the decor. He told us that he liked open spaces and gave us the challenge of finding a place to hang the laundry and turning part of the living room into an office. But that was before COVID!” says Leticia Yagüez, from the Leticia Yagüez Studio, who headed the project.
In the first photo, the semi-open living room stands out, subtly separated from the kitchen by the dining area. “We expanded a partition, changed the kitchen layout and managed to create a laundry area [see the next photo], repurposing the water inlet from the original sink for the laundry sink,” Yagüez says. “We also changed the placement of some lights to adapt the lighting to the furniture layout.”
In the dining area, Yagüez extended the wall to the same width as the dining table.
Shop for dining chairs on Houzz
In the dining area, Yagüez extended the wall to the same width as the dining table.
Shop for dining chairs on Houzz
Outfitting the laundry area cost $2,100. The owner asked Yagüez to repurpose the plumbing from the original kitchen to bring down remodeling costs.
The owner says that renovating his home was both stressful and exciting, and that hiring a professional was the best decision he made. His advice to anyone embarking on their own renovation is to be clear about what they are looking for, what kind of home they want and how to adapt it to the life they have.
The owner says that renovating his home was both stressful and exciting, and that hiring a professional was the best decision he made. His advice to anyone embarking on their own renovation is to be clear about what they are looking for, what kind of home they want and how to adapt it to the life they have.
These beautifully colorful niches are in the kitchen. “We wanted to turn this into a cheerful and bright home with a certain Pop Art air, and a lot of color,” Yagüez says.
The kitchen appliances cost $2,600.
The owner tells us that the home was originally narrow and, despite several large windows, dark at certain times of day. Thanks to the new open-plan layout, natural light permeates the house all day and there is a feeling of spaciousness. This comfortable layout proved to be a blessing during the pandemic when the owner had to spend more time at home.
The kitchen appliances cost $2,600.
The owner tells us that the home was originally narrow and, despite several large windows, dark at certain times of day. Thanks to the new open-plan layout, natural light permeates the house all day and there is a feeling of spaciousness. This comfortable layout proved to be a blessing during the pandemic when the owner had to spend more time at home.
Before Photo
Before. The living room and the kitchen had been separate.
After. As seen here, part of the partition has been removed to create an open and very bright living area. The small storage space on the wall behind the sofa is one of the custom-made features in this space.
With the pandemic, work spaces have become important in homes. “The client was looking for a solution that would allow him to work while being with his son, while other clients demand closed-off work areas where they won’t be distracted,” Yagüez says.
“My favorite space in the house is the entrance, which is connected to the kitchen and the living room. It has a very cheerful aesthetic,” Yagüez says.
A mirror next to the entrance door (visible in the background of this photo) opens to reveal the electrical panel.
A mirror next to the entrance door (visible in the background of this photo) opens to reveal the electrical panel.
One of the challenges of the project was the huge radiator located right in front of the main door. They chose not to move it, to keep costs down.
Yagüez came up with an ingenious solution. “We kept the entrance partially separate from the office area by putting in a wrought iron window with a custom-made unit to cover the radiator underneath. Then, we painted the wall anthracite to give it more presence and create a contrast with the retro-pop prints.”
Yagüez came up with an ingenious solution. “We kept the entrance partially separate from the office area by putting in a wrought iron window with a custom-made unit to cover the radiator underneath. Then, we painted the wall anthracite to give it more presence and create a contrast with the retro-pop prints.”
These prints feature American indie rock bands. “We made use of the owner’s passion for music. He chose the prints himself. For the wall, we considered putting up wallpaper with colourful geometric designs. In the end, we opted for anthracite black paint to fit with the industrial style, which the owner loves.”
Before Photo
Before. This photo shows the master bedroom, with its unusually angled walls.
After: The new decor has filled the space with light. The owner chose the pink and gray combo. “We marked the headboard area with a composition of floor-to-ceiling painted wooden slats to provide visual order in the narrow space. We added a soft headboard upholstered just like the sofa,” Yagüez says. A Tintin print also stands out.
The room has a closet and an en suite bathroom.
“We did not do much in the bathrooms. In the main one, we put in a screen and accessories to give it an industrial touch.”
In the son’s room, a painted mountain range mural surrounds the headboard. “The boy said that he wanted a lot of play space and an area to hang things. They chose the mint green, which we also used in the bathroom.”
The second bathroom was bland. “We wanted to make it more fun without spending a lot of money,” Yagüez says.
“We made a low-cost update: We choose a vinyl by Lokoloko for the floor and another in a plain mint to change the appearance of the sink cabinet, and we added a frame for the mirror,” Yagüez says.
“We made a low-cost update: We choose a vinyl by Lokoloko for the floor and another in a plain mint to change the appearance of the sink cabinet, and we added a frame for the mirror,” Yagüez says.
Before. The layout of the house, a spacious apartnent with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, before the minor renovation.
After: After the renovation, the house offers a semi-open living area with a laundry area next to the kitchen.
More on Houzz
Tour more homes
Hire a local home professional
Shop for your home
More on Houzz
Tour more homes
Hire a local home professional
Shop for your home
Apartment at a Glance
Who lives here: A father and his young son
Location: Madrid, Spain
Size: 754 square feet (70 square meters)
Architect: Leticia Yagüez Studio
Builder: Grupo Plumysa
Budget: About $50,000. The major items were furnishings ($18,000) and the construction work ($15,000)
This interior design project and minor renovation was completed in spite of the pandemic in the summer of 2020, just after the first lockdown was lifted.
“After a couple of meetings at the flat and my studio, the decisions were made through online communication, with PowerPoint presentations and using Houzz ideabooks to exchange photos,” Yagüez says.
Find an architect near you