My Houzz: Art and Design Take the Stage in a Madrid Apartment
Well-crafted transitions and contrasts help showcase an art consultant’s impressive collection
Rocío Bardín’s apartment in Madrid is a symphony of harmonious contrasts. Its interior design revolves around two elements: the stunning patio, a rare find in the city center, and Bardín’s collection of artwork, design elements and artistic mementos, gathered during her career as a contemporary art consultant and the owner of OA, a former Madrid gallery specializing in art and design. The carefully selected decor supports these features, creates balanced contrasts and transitions, and highlights specific elements in each space.
The interior design was driven by two primary factors: the creation of a link between the outdoor and the indoor spaces, and the desire to show off Bardín’s art collection.
“My home is a reflection of my tastes but also my inquisitiveness,” says Bardín, pictured. “I like to live in the company of the things I appreciate and treasure. After many years of working with the best art and design, I had gathered a small collection of pieces I adore.”
“My home is a reflection of my tastes but also my inquisitiveness,” says Bardín, pictured. “I like to live in the company of the things I appreciate and treasure. After many years of working with the best art and design, I had gathered a small collection of pieces I adore.”
The flooring transitions from pastel-colored cement tiles in the entrance hall to painted white pine planks in the kitchen, and from a warm to a cold color scheme. “[Feduchi’s] idea was to contrast the irregular [shapes and various] colors of the tiles with the [rhythmic straight lines] of the wooden floor. The color is concentrated in the darker area of the house to give it a bit of liveliness and movement, and as it progresses toward the patio, it gets quieter, and the energy is displaced to the works of art and design elements,” Bardín says. “It was important to reduce the intensity of the overall color [here] so that the works of art and design pieces could stand out and be the protagonists.”
Bardín says this idea of contrast and transition was fundamental to the design of the apartment as a whole. “In a small space like this one, you need to have it change and arrive at contrasts — that helps you get away from monotony. Of course, [you have to be] careful to not descend into chaos.”
Wall shelves: Vitra
Bardín says this idea of contrast and transition was fundamental to the design of the apartment as a whole. “In a small space like this one, you need to have it change and arrive at contrasts — that helps you get away from monotony. Of course, [you have to be] careful to not descend into chaos.”
Wall shelves: Vitra
This sense of contrast is also what drove Bardín and Feduchi to create an all-white kitchen. “I liked the idea of a kitchen as a white cube, as if it were a lab. It is the most active place in the apartment, where lots of tasks are carried out. When you move on to the dining area, it is the space that is activated. The same happens between the living room and the patio. It is a way of playing with contrasts in a harmonious way.”
The eye-catching ceiling lamp is made of kitchen utensils that Bardín was going to get rid of in the move until her friend Carlos Schwartz, an artist who designed several other elements in the apartment, offered to use them to create this piece.
The eye-catching ceiling lamp is made of kitchen utensils that Bardín was going to get rid of in the move until her friend Carlos Schwartz, an artist who designed several other elements in the apartment, offered to use them to create this piece.
Beyond the kitchen, movement and activity give way to the visual richness of artwork and design elements. “In this space,” says Bardín, referring to the open-plan areas as a whole, “I wanted to place all the objects and art pieces I find interesting, not because of their aesthetics but because of their meanings. Each of them has a history that is connected with my life.”
Feduchi made the Shukhov dining table just for this space. It features a granite top and steel-rod legs inspired by the radio towers built by Russian engineer Vladimir Shukhov.
The picture on the right is by Gonzalo Puig and was once exhibited in Bardín’s gallery. Bardín bought the colorful crystal lamps at Madrid’s famous El Rastro market — they were made in a now-closed factory. She mounted them with Schwartz’s help.
Feduchi made the Shukhov dining table just for this space. It features a granite top and steel-rod legs inspired by the radio towers built by Russian engineer Vladimir Shukhov.
The picture on the right is by Gonzalo Puig and was once exhibited in Bardín’s gallery. Bardín bought the colorful crystal lamps at Madrid’s famous El Rastro market — they were made in a now-closed factory. She mounted them with Schwartz’s help.
This sculpture of the upside-down man is Colmena Negra 2 by MP & MP Rosado, two brothers Bardín collaborated with for a number of years.
“In their pieces, they play with a theatrical way of speaking about identity and the permanent search for one’s own place in life. Their sculptures provoke tension and instability. The ‘upside-down man’ is someone who is looking for his place, and it is something none of us should ever stop doing. For my home, I thought that the sculpture should be in a transitional space. The effect is surprising, disturbing; it does not leave you indifferent,” Bardín says.
“In their pieces, they play with a theatrical way of speaking about identity and the permanent search for one’s own place in life. Their sculptures provoke tension and instability. The ‘upside-down man’ is someone who is looking for his place, and it is something none of us should ever stop doing. For my home, I thought that the sculpture should be in a transitional space. The effect is surprising, disturbing; it does not leave you indifferent,” Bardín says.
Bardín stresses that the functionality of the objects is also very important. “The pieces have found their place in a very natural and effortless way. Living with them is easy most of all because the majority of them have a function.” Thus, Bardín uses a rabbit-shaped, ceramic cookie jar, designed by Momoyo Torimitsu, as a vase.
She brought the polished aluminum chairs, designed by Philippe Starck for Emeco, back from New York after an exhibition. They reflect the pattern of the tiled floor.
She brought the polished aluminum chairs, designed by Philippe Starck for Emeco, back from New York after an exhibition. They reflect the pattern of the tiled floor.
On the other side of the room is a sitting area with two Eames rocking chairs. On the wall hangs a photo (a triptych, printed on silk) by Cristina Iglesias. The La Flaca floor lamp on the right is by Álvaro Catalán de Ocón.
The clover-shaped table is a piece by Sanaa for Vitra. Its sky blue color matches the handmade carpet by Cristina Vallejo for Elsur, as well as the Eames chairs.
The eclectic origins of the items in Bardín’s house are best illustrated here. The sofa from her previous house was reupholstered with a linen fabric by the Madrid-based textile showroom Moet Chansons. Next to it stands the Log table by Fredrikson Stallard, which also showed in the OA gallery.
A chair by Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek and polka-dot pillows by Yayoi Kusama complete the sitting area.
On the wall hangs artwork by Diango Hernández, Michel François and Marcel Dzama. The floor lamp with a lamp shade of African fabric is by Austrian artist Franz West.
On the wall hangs artwork by Diango Hernández, Michel François and Marcel Dzama. The floor lamp with a lamp shade of African fabric is by Austrian artist Franz West.
On the patio side of the room is a study area with a wall unit also designed by Feduchi.
On one shelf sits a skull sculpture by Christoph Steinmeyer.
The idea behind these pieces was to create a continuous wooden wall that would conceal structural pillars, drawers and electronic devices, many of which can be used without opening the cabinets, thanks to the holes drilled in the doors.
As important as adequately displaying Bardín’s impressive collection was the need to balance indoors and out and to create an open space. The apartment had been made up of a number of smaller rooms. Feduchi knocked down the walls between them and also replaced its plaster of Paris with concrete beams to give the whole space a nice geometric touch and to define separate zones within it.
“We saw from the beginning that we had to create an open-space plan into which the patio could be fully integrated [so that it would be possible] to enjoy it to the max.… When I am inside, the patio is also present due to the three doors that open to it. On the other hand, when I am outside, the inside is still present, and I have a full view of what goes on inside.… If there is a nice day, it is great to open it all and let the perfume of the plants and the light come inside,” Bardín says.
As important as adequately displaying Bardín’s impressive collection was the need to balance indoors and out and to create an open space. The apartment had been made up of a number of smaller rooms. Feduchi knocked down the walls between them and also replaced its plaster of Paris with concrete beams to give the whole space a nice geometric touch and to define separate zones within it.
“We saw from the beginning that we had to create an open-space plan into which the patio could be fully integrated [so that it would be possible] to enjoy it to the max.… When I am inside, the patio is also present due to the three doors that open to it. On the other hand, when I am outside, the inside is still present, and I have a full view of what goes on inside.… If there is a nice day, it is great to open it all and let the perfume of the plants and the light come inside,” Bardín says.
The patio is an oasis within the city. Bardín says she has breakfast here, organizes dinners for her friends and plays with her grandchildren in this outdoor space.
The apple tree in the photo was already here when Bardín moved in. Now she makes cakes from its apples.
The firm Pot Shop took charge of the patio landscape design and chose plants with different flowers. In time, the whole wall will be covered in different types of climbing ivy that will give the impression of a wild, leafy space.
The apple tree in the photo was already here when Bardín moved in. Now she makes cakes from its apples.
The firm Pot Shop took charge of the patio landscape design and chose plants with different flowers. In time, the whole wall will be covered in different types of climbing ivy that will give the impression of a wild, leafy space.
The tile floor was also here when Bardín moved in. Though it’s a bit old, she finds it quite charming. The table and chairs are by La Europea — she bought them at El Rastro.
Feduchi would have chosen a more daring, Luis Barragán-inspired color palette for this space, but Bardín wanted it to have more muted tones so that the plants could take center stage. “The colors you find in the interior belong to the objects, and I did not buy them because of color but because the artist or designer was interesting to me, so the amount of colors is totally by chance.… In the patio, I did not dare to be bolder with the colors.… For me, it was more interesting to leave this to the plants [and have them] be the main attraction, and it is my intention that in the future they will invade all the walls.”
Feduchi would have chosen a more daring, Luis Barragán-inspired color palette for this space, but Bardín wanted it to have more muted tones so that the plants could take center stage. “The colors you find in the interior belong to the objects, and I did not buy them because of color but because the artist or designer was interesting to me, so the amount of colors is totally by chance.… In the patio, I did not dare to be bolder with the colors.… For me, it was more interesting to leave this to the plants [and have them] be the main attraction, and it is my intention that in the future they will invade all the walls.”
The apartment opens to the patio through three large sets of French doors: two from the living room and one from the master bedroom. Bardín likes to wake up “in the sunlight, looking at the vegetation.”
The blue ceiling helps bring the outside in. “The lattice over my bed was the architect’s idea,” Bardín says. “He wanted to give the impression of height, which is why he put a filter between the bed and the actual ceiling. The ceiling … gives the impression of an endless sky. It is very relaxing when you look up at it.”
This sense of transition and upward movement is reinforced by the neon ladder on the wall — another piece by Carlos Schwartz. It is “a light ladder that climbs to heaven, to the infinite. In the place where I placed it, it is enhanced by the blue ceiling.” The artwork next to it, by Brazilian artist Fabiana de Barros, reads “allez retour,” or “go back.”
The birch headboard separates the bedroom area from the dressing room and bathroom.
The blue ceiling helps bring the outside in. “The lattice over my bed was the architect’s idea,” Bardín says. “He wanted to give the impression of height, which is why he put a filter between the bed and the actual ceiling. The ceiling … gives the impression of an endless sky. It is very relaxing when you look up at it.”
This sense of transition and upward movement is reinforced by the neon ladder on the wall — another piece by Carlos Schwartz. It is “a light ladder that climbs to heaven, to the infinite. In the place where I placed it, it is enhanced by the blue ceiling.” The artwork next to it, by Brazilian artist Fabiana de Barros, reads “allez retour,” or “go back.”
The birch headboard separates the bedroom area from the dressing room and bathroom.
Feduchi designed everything in the bathroom, carefully planning each detail. Bardín is still surprised by how well-organized it is. “To have an organized dressing room is, I think, everyone’s dream.… What I really like about it is that even if it is packed with things, the organization makes it look more spacious and integrates perfectly with the rest of the bathroom area.”
The shower area has the same tiles as the entrance.
There is also a second bedroom with an attached bathroom, which plays with contrast in another way. The flower wallpaper on the wall is juxtaposed against the geometric floor. The dropped ceiling here allows for storage space. The Cornucopia lamp at the entrance is also by Álvaro Catalán de Ocón.
As Bardín says, a house “is like a symphony, which has slow parts and lively parts. A house is not a single song; it is a repertoire that you listen to as you wander around it. It would be boring if it had only one rhythm.”
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
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My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Rocío Bardín, art consultant and gallery owner
Location: Argüelles neighborhood of Madrid, close to Oeste Park
Size: 1,184 square feet (110 square meters)
Designer: Pedro Feduchi
Bardín had been looking for a penthouse or at least an apartment with a good terrace. She never thought that a ground-floor unit would be her pick, but when she saw its big patio, she couldn’t resist.
She asked Pedro Feduchi, an architect who used to exhibit his furniture at her OA gallery, to design the space. “He had also visited my previous home many times, so he knew my needs and my taste,” Bardín says.
Though she worried that she may have been too quick to jump on this apartment, Feduchi also was enthusiastic about it. “He saw the light that comes into the house from the patio and urged me to buy it immediately,” Bardín says.