A Mirrored Kitchen Completely Transforms This 645-Square-Foot Spanish Apartment

“This apartment started as a typical 1960s three-bedroom layout designed for a traditional nuclear family — lots of separate rooms, not a lot of flexibility,” begins designer and architect Ismael Medina Manzano of the space that was very outdated when he was hired.

While the materials and finishes beautifully modernize the apartment, what really makes the renovation work is how Ismael rethought the layout. That flexibility is key, because the home isn’t designed for one traditional family, but for a mix of people — from parents and adult children to visiting friends and extended family of the owners.

To start, Ismael took the space from three bedrooms to two — and used the regained space to create a much larger living room opening to a balcony, which made the main space feel more open and much brighter. But Ismael’s layout doesn’t mean that the space can now sleep fewer people; he just made the living area more flexible. The living room can transform depending on the need: a sofa folds out for guests, and plants act as soft dividers to create privacy when needed.

Bold designs really define the entire home’s style, from the curved wall that was added to the center of the apartment and covered in glossy emerald green tiles on one side and mirrored on the other, to the kitchen cabinets that are entirely mirrored, almost mysteriously blending into the room. A color-drenched Yves Klein-blue bathroom feels much larger than it is.

Ismael’s favorite element might be the boldest thing in the space, though: the stone threshold embedded in the curved wall between the entry and the main living space.

“It is made of sandstone, the most widespread stone in the region, sourced from nearby quarries and present throughout the city of San Sebastián. It appears in façades, pavements, staircases, sculptures, and benches. It also emerges naturally along the coastline, where calcareous rock formations are perforated and eroded by salt, wind, and waves. Its porosity, its earthy tone, and its visible geological strata make it feel less like a construction material and more like a living regional body, something that belongs to the territory rather than to the apartment.

This home isn’t just an example of a stylish and chic space — it’s also a great example of how spaces can shift and adapt, and proof that you don’t have to necessarily stick with the traditional layout you’re handed. You can turn a standard layout into a flexible, multi-use space that works for different people and needs over time with a little imagination.

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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