A Cramped 19th Century Madrid Home Is Renovated to Unify a Family of Six

When a couple with four children began thinking about updating their 19th century home in Madrid, they knew that the kitchen needed to be at the center of their design. At the time, their property was a maze of closed-off rooms and obstructed flow — plus, it had no consideration for its close proximity to the city's famous El Retiro Park. The owners hired Lucas y Hernández Gil to open up the individual corners around a centralized kitchen, creating a cohesive layout for a family of six to work and play with ease. First, the team reconfigured the living and dining areas as a bright and unified locale, and then outfitted the study with oversized doors that overlook restored balconies just beyond the park. Then, they flooded the bedrooms and bathrooms with light from windows overlooking a quiet courtyard at the back of the house, and used the same materials throughout for a uniform look. And the kitchen? It's now the social hub of the property, connecting not only the living and sleeping spaces, but the family itself.