"When life gives you a darker space, lean into it, pull in warm elements and go for cozy drama." That's the advice from interior designer Sheena Murphy, who renovated her family's first-floor apartment in an Art Deco building. Situated on an ancient street in Madrid, the apartment has limited daylight — during the winter months in particular.
So began a rather rushed process to get the place up and running as a functional, family-friendly and, crucially, aesthetically pleasing modern home — something that could be tricky, if it wasn't for Sheena's interior design expertise. The result is a space that has plenty of warmth, depth and welcoming energy.
This space makes a subtle nod to its Art Deco exterior with curves, an elegant chaise, a burl-wood coffee table, and fan-shaped wall lights. The color palette was inspired by the artwork (see image above).
Dunelm's burl wood coffee table is an absolute steal — and a fabulous alternative to Sheena's Ferm Living one.
"I didn't try to fight the fact that it wasn't super light-filled," Sheena Murphy says of the project, "and rather than go for the neutral tones of many of our previous projects, I upped the contrast with shades of terracotta, chocolate and caramel, with some green in the mix, too." The palette was inspired by the large-scale artwork in the living room by Paris-based artist Hermentaire.
"This table makes for intimate eating and easy cleaning," says designer and owner Sheena. "It's made of microcement, so the visual texture and tactility is lovely, but it is so heavy. It had to be carried up the curved staircase by five people — it was worth it, but it is never leaving!"
Sheena and her partner Paul, who is a climate-focused small business advisor, moved to Madrid from London so their 10-year-old daughter could experience life there and learn the language. "We moved here two years ago for a couple of school terms, but stayed as we all love it so much," she says. The family needed to find a home speedily and ended up buying a nearly constructed three-bedroom apartment from a Madrid-based developer. It has a large living room and a balcony big enough for morning coffee.
"The kitchen was already in production," says Sheena, "but we were able to change the island to walnut, alter the color of the cabinets, and swap out the countertops for a leathered Taj Mahal quartzite."
A plaster-finish chandelier brightens up this moody kitchen — we love this option from Soho Home.
The time frame for completing the project and fully furnishing it ready for the start of the new school term was a scary three months. "It was very tight, so our options were limited to stocked or short-lead-time items, which is tricky when you're mindful of materials and processes, you're trying to avoid too many large companies with mass-produced items, and you barely speak any Spanish," laughs Sheena.
"I designed this hallway joinery and worked with a local cabinetmaker to find the walnut and obscured glass. The curtain panels are designed for privacy, as all the apartments are quite close and overlook a central courtyard," says Sheena.
The first thing she did was incorporate layered lighting: identifying lighting locations and sourcing fixtures, focusing on adding power points for wall lights and pendants in addition to the developer's task lighting. Decorating the apartment became Sheena's full-time job, with mood boards plus complete plans with all the specific furniture items and the physical materials noted, to ensure that everything was going to work and that the proportions were correct.
"It wasn't possible to change the developer's designs for the bathrooms, so I concentrated on making this a fun space," says Sheena. "It's small but uplifting."
Why have a plain hand towel when you can do a fun stripe? H&M Home's amazing towel collection is an open secret at this point — but snap up this one to channel the powder room energy.
The facade of the apartment building is protected, but inside most of the Art Deco references had gone. "I wanted to acknowledge its heritage through items of furniture sprinkled throughout," she says. "The curves of the sofa, the round little pouffes and the ceramic fan lights — they are not overly obvious, but subtle nods to the period.
"Many accessories and the microcement dining table came from within Spain, but the choice was limited, so quite a lot came from France, Denmark and the Netherlands, which are all EU, so at least items could be transported by lorry, which made it a little more responsible."
The apartment will be hard to leave when the family returns to the UK imminently. "I don't think Madrid will ever really leave us, though. We've got such an incredible community here and a really strong connection to the place," says Sheena. "And our daughter now dreams in Spanish, so we have a little Madrileña on our hands!"
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