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 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.

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 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.

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.

Project Details:

Architect: elii (Uriel Fogué, Eva Gil, Carlos Palacios, Ana López) / @elii_architecture
Contractor: Aniceto Jiménez

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