The interior designer Raquel Gonzalez practice the best interior design in your home. The fact that mix tradition and trends, colors and materials in a balanced and serene way. The result has given rise to a current and timeless floor at the same time.
Raquel confesses that she spent a lot of time looking for her home. The interior designer was looking for a quiet location, with natural light, with a wood-burning fireplace and plenty of storage space. Her search ended when she found a few kilometers from Bilbao (in Artaza, a neighborhood of Leioa), this 125 m2 flat, built in the 70s, which met all the aforementioned requirements. It only remained to transform it so that instead of welcoming a large family, -as was the case- it would become an open, bright and welcoming home for one person.
New distribution
The change was to redistribute the spaces to make the most of natural light, taking into account that the sun rises in the kitchenmoves to the rooms and continues until bathe the entire terrace in lightstaying illuminated from noon to sunset.
As a result of the new distribution, the house went from having four rooms to having only two, and several walls were eliminated to create more fluid and open spaces. This new configuration allowed extend the living room by 20 meters and install an open kitchen that stands out for his big island Macael marble (a classic), as well as a dining room bathed in natural light with a seating area that includes a corner where you can sit in front of the fireplace.
In this project we have used lots of white color to reflect natural light, neutral bases sprinkled with touches of color and carefully selected, simple and functional furniture. As for the materials, marble and woods take center stage, accentuating the natural and elegant character of each of the environments.
Living room, dining room and kitchen
The kitchen welcomes you when you enter but is separated from the entrance through a transparent partition that Raquel González designed to separate the entrance to the house from the kitchen from the living-dining room. In addition to generating a greater feeling of spaciousness with this resource, it is achieved that light reaches all spaces.
The living room reflects a simple style through neutral and natural colors with timeless furniture and finishes, such as the sofa, the rugs or the designer armchairs. On these neutral bases, the interior designer has added hints of blue and black with various pieces and decorative elements, such as the work by Rafael Canogar on the fireplace, the black glass top on the coffee table and the textiles on the sofa.
The dining room, overlooking the terrace, shares an open space with the living room and is separated from the kitchen by a transparent glass partition. On its walls stand out the plaster batons, a very characteristic decorative element that Raquel González often uses in her projects. The dining room stands out for the XXL size of its natural fiber lamps and the color of the artwork and the blue velvet chairs.
The kitchen, after the reform is the first thing we find when entering the house since it it has been kept in the same place on the plan as the original, but enlarged integrating the old hall and the service room with bathroom. The combination of colors and textures as white lacquer of the fronts of the kitchen furniturethe black varnished wood of the island and the Macael marble of the top, create visual harmony in a simple yet sophisticated style.
To prevent the appliances from being exposed to that first impression when entering the house, Raquel González devised a breakfast cabinet with retractable doors to optimize space and hide the oven and microwave. The large kitchen island is the most lived-in and most versatile area of the house, and “We have come to be 18 people around her talking, eating or having dinner”says the interior designer.
night area
Includes the master suite, guest bedroom and bathroom. In the private rooms of the house stands out the relaxing atmosphere of the master bedroom, in which the combination of wood, white, classic cornices and the vintage touch of the recovered old chest of drawers stand out. Each piece of furniture, lighting and art in this space has been carefully selected based on the interior designer’s art and design preferences.
One of the four rooms that the house had was converted into the bathroom of the main room, which is now a bathroom of impressive thanks to the application of Macael marble in a classic way, the wall paper and the classic-style taps.
In the guest room and its bathroom they were left in the same location as the original ones but completely renovated. In this room, green is chosen to add color and freshness.
The guest bathroom includes a small custom-made sink with white faucets to match the mirror and shower. A wallpaper in a neutral color and with a pattern was chosen to provide warmth.
The terrace
The terrace of the house receives natural light from noon to sunset so it is an area very lived by the interior designer. It was decorated with comfortable and functional furniture where there is no shortage of hanging pots or plants in pretty pots. On the floor, a vinyl carpet floor was installed that provides warmth as well as resistance.
The final result is that of a house full of harmony with a calm atmosphere and a timeless style interior design that perfectly reflects her style that she also transfers to her work and that, as she defines herself, is “a style that, while being contemporary, endures over time. A style that, while being innovative, takes functionality into account”.
Raquel González Interior Design Studio Project. Photos: David Montero and Styling Cristina Rodríguez Goitia
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