Find out why this Madrid apartment is only for the colour confident…

There are no small servings when it comes to the use of colour in this home. Generosity is key, as swathes of full-fat shades are used with abandon. It’s an approach that’s playful, cheerful and unconventional: exactly how its owners wanted it.

‘The family asked us to design a lively home, full of colour and light,’ recalls architect and interior designer Blanca Rosa Gutiérrez, who was responsible for the renovation of the apartment in central Madrid.

Her goal was to create a layout of connected space, perfect for sparking conversations (much like her decorative choices), so the decision was made to totally demolish the previous flat, walls and all.

‘We only kept the fireplace,’ she explains. The main living area is instead now zoned by paint choices – a large orange box acts as divider and storage, while bold blue defines the kitchen. ‘It’s a house that responds to the character of the client, and we have empathised with their desires and reflected their hobbies,’ adds Blanca.

This approach is particularly evident in the living room, where books form a fundamental part of the scheme, their colourful spines decorating the clean lines of the custom-made bookshelf.

This piece of furniture, like the kitchen cabinets, those in the bathrooms and the modular entrance storage, was crafted by the architect’s studio to deliver an unexpected twist alongside a furniture collection that is heavy on the contemporary classics: the ‘Infinito’ bookcase by Franco Albini for Cassina, Mario Bellini’s ‘Camaleonda’ sofa, an Isamu Noguchi coffee table... The list goes on.

Placing them in Blanca Rosa’s colour-confident interior is like adding a fun filter to this rich aesthetic heritage. It’s a look that lifts the spirits. It is, in her words, a home where ‘creativity is always present’. blancarosagutierrez.com