The owners of this 1980s house in La Moraleja, Madrid, were looking for a home surrounded by nature and tranquility to live with their two children. To do so, they asked Trenchs Studio to completely renovate the house so that it would combine comfort with contemporary design as well as giving them a fluid connection with the outdoors.
‘The residence seeks to balance the serenity of nature with the modernity and functionality of contemporary urban design,’ says the studio, which had previously worked with the owners, a hotel entrepreneur and a design director at a construction company. The result is a welcoming, functional and beautiful space, where iconic and custom-designed furniture dialogues with works by artists such as Jaume Plensa, Miró or Palazuel.
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‘Simplicity and warmth were the pillars of the interior design, seeking a balance between comfort and aesthetics, where every detail, from the finishes to the furniture, invites calm and family coexistence,’ they point out.
The lower floor, which had a large games room, now houses all the social areas of the house. To achieve this new layout, a space was created that links the hall with the living room and the social areas. Here, a white spiral staircase has become the sculptural heart of the residence.
The garden level connects with the outside and the pool and is where the living room and lounge are located, separated from the kitchen and dining room by a long, narrow garden that occupies the former descent of an external staircase. On this floor, but slightly higher, we also find the library, the wine cellar and the guest room.
‘The kitchen deserves a special mention, since, being located in a space without natural light, it was decided to separate it from the dining room by a set of swing doors made of wood and channeled glass that allow for a total connection with the views of the garden through the dining room,’ they explain.
‘To achieve an aesthetic balance that reflects the desired serenity, we worked with a palette of materials and colours in soft, light tones that contrast with dark finishes and natural textures,’ the studio highlights.
Materials such as pearl marble and tobacco-coloured oak wood panelling have been used in floors and ceilings and in elements such as the bar cabinet that separates the kitchen from the dining room.
There are also carpentry and details in bronze and Pietra Grey marble or tobacco oak finishes, light quartzite for the worktop and the large island and cotton and linen upholstery and curtains in neutral tones or wool carpets.
As for the furniture, many pieces were designed by Trenchs Studio, although there is also vintage and designs from Spanish and foreign brands. ‘Each piece of furniture seeks to reinforce the unique character of a space without losing the visual harmony of the whole,’ they explain.
Highlights include the ‘Utrecht’ armchairs by Cassina in the living room, the ‘Extrasoft’ sofa by Piero Lissoni for Living Divani in the TV room, the iconic ‘Lounge Chair’ by Eames for Vitra in the library, and the ‘Tobi Ishi’ table by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby for B&B in the wine cellar. In addition, in the studio we find a Danish desk from the 60s by Arne Vodder next to the ‘Capitol’ chair by Le Corbusier for Cassina.
Art, one of the family's great passions, also plays an important role with works by Jaume Plensa, Juan Francisco Casas, Rafael Barrio, Stephan Balkenhol, Miró, Pablo Palazuelo and Emilio Pemjean . ‘We have carefully integrated works by contemporary artists, placed at strategic points in the house to complete the visual narrative.’
The façade, previously clad in beige stone-inspired ceramic, has been covered with an off-white Thermal Insulation System that simplifies the play of volumes. In addition, three new lightweight metal slab structures were created on top of the original building, which allowed the creation of the entrance hall, the gym on the roof and the pool porch, with a large wall inspired by Mies Van der Rohe’s pavilion. trenchsstudio.com
