Eduardo Mediero designs own apartment in Madrid "to rethink domestic space"

Pirelli rubber flooring, raw MDF and galvanised steel define this renovated 1970s Madrid apartment, which the founder of local architecture studio Hanghar designed as his own home.

Spread over one compact floor, the apartment is defined by industrial materials instead of more typically homely soft furnishings.

"I wanted to challenge traditional ideas of what domestic materials should be," Hanghar founder Eduardo Mediero told Dezeen.

Recognisable white rubber flooring by Italian tyre brand Pirelli was paired with a slatted galvanised steel ceiling and uniform blinds, creating a stark backdrop throughout the home.

Central to the renovation is the bedroom, which was raised three steps above the main floor and offers privacy within the otherwise open-plan apartment. The space is concealed behind a duo of chunky sage green raw medium-density fibreboard (MDF) cabinets.

Mediero designed the raised bedroom as a play on Renaissance studiolos – small rooms historically built within homes for private study and contemplation.

"I wanted to recreate that feeling in a contemporary way," explained the architect. "The idea came from a desire to rethink domestic space not just in terms of function, but in terms of atmosphere."

Tucked into a corner opposite the bedroom is a petite stainless steel kitchen unit that gives the impression of a laboratory table. Mirrored panels feature above the worktop, reflecting one of the chunky green storage cabinets that contains pots and pans.

Mediero explained that space-saving was a key obstacle when conceiving the apartment.

"Designing my own home was both liberating and challenging," said the architect. "It gave me the freedom to experiment with ideas, but one of the biggest challenges was condensing all the essential functions of a home into a minimal footprint."

"Although the upside was that it allowed the rest of the space to remain open and adaptable," he added.

The main living space features the same material palette as the bedroom and kitchen areas, complete with geometric metal and timber furniture.

A gridded, cage-like yellow stool and glossy, rounded red sofa are among the playful pops of colour that offset the bright white of the walls and floors.

"Throughout the apartment, I was drawn to the raw beauty of the materials," said Mediero. "How they reflect light, and how they can redefine the atmosphere of a living space when placed in a new context."

Across Madrid, sensitively designed apartments showcase the breadth of the city's creativity.

Local firm Studio Noju previously renovated a curvy home within the brutalist 1960s Torres Blancas tower. More recently, design studio Puntofilipino designed a richly layered interior for an apartment in a former bank office.

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