Secret Storage and Pastel Colors Outfit a 350-Square-Foot Apartment in Madrid

A pocket-sized apartment renovation in Madrid helps the micro-home feel bright and airy.

Text by

In an apartment of only about 350 square feet, Madrid–based architectural firm elii has designed a functional layout with a bright palette that emphasizes light and views to the streetscape outside.

The light green cabinetry keeps Yojigen Poketto feeling bright, while the wood gives texture and a natural feeling to the space.

The apartment, located in Madrid, is arranged so that an L-shaped portion of the rectangular layout contains the "wet" areas—the bathroom and kitchen—leaving the rest for living and sleeping areas, all without blocking off the generously sized windows.

The two yellow hanging pendants contrast with the light green and hint at the punches of yellow also found in the bathroom.

Outside of the L-shaped area, the sleeping zone is raised on a platform about three feet off the floor and accessible via four steps, which slyly contain storage and can be rearranged to create entertaining space and additional cooking or eating surfaces in the apartment’s small footprint. The two levels in the apartment also help to physically distinguish the bedroom area from the rest of the space.

The bathroom has two glass walls with frosted and transparent glass to allow light to filter in from the windowed area. Colored grout and yellow drawers and hardware bring bright colors into the space.

The sleeping area is clad mostly in wood and also features additional storage, while the bathroom and short corridor leading to it are given an entirely different palette. Square white tiles with bright blue grout clad the bathroom, which has a sunken shower and bath and a wooden, yellow vanity.

Mirrors line the entryway and short corridor to reflect light in this space, which has no windows. The floors are covered in linoleum throughout.

One wall in the bathroom is comprised of frosted glass and looks out into the sleeping area to allow for natural light to enter the bathroom. Natural light is also spread throughout the entry corridor with floor-to-ceiling mirrors. The resulting space is one that is full of personality and thoughtful design details, but still light, bright, and airy.