patricia bustos weaves gentle curves and natural materials into new apartment in madrid

‘casa ola’ by patricia bustos studio: an ode to the sea 

Patricia Bustos Studio brings to life ‘Casa Ola’ (house of waves), a single-family apartment in a popular part of northern Madrid inspired by nature and the sea. Full of curving elements, the design also exudes a gentle and enveloping feminine energy that celebrates the vitality of family life; natural materials such as beach and sand mortar, marble, onyx, root wood, or handmade ceramic highlight that flowing ambiance draping over the vibrant apartment.

‘‘Casa Ola’ respects the organic shapes of nature with its rounded edges, soft breaks, and curved lines that trace encouraging communication and healthy energy flow. As a result, a home that invites trust, privacy, and harmony with its surrounding environment is achieved,’ writes the designer. 

a sinuous, feminine, + flowing design full of natural accents

Worthy of its name, the entrance at ‘Casa Ola’ simulates the tube of a wave, an effect materialized through the transparency and reflections of its polycarbonate walls and illuminated ceiling with fluorescent tubes and RGB LED lighting. Crossing the main entrance, the living room’s access greets every visitor with imposing windows that overlook a field of tinted palm trees; each window features iridescent slats that vary in color according to the time of day, evoking a sunrise or sunset. Every wall, flooring, and carpentry chosen is covered with micro-cement based on beach sand mortar.

Further exemplifying the seascape, a central seashell-like cylinder that holds the toilet outlines the crest of a breaking wave. This time, Patricia Bustos grated the material micro-cement to simulate the effect produced by water retiring from the shore of the sea. The entire kitchen and other architectural elements, such as columns and arches, are covered with handmade ceramics in different formats. ‘The perfect placement of the coverings using whole pieces with no cuts in the quartering has been maybe the biggest challenge. It was essential to design and calculate every item for the impeccable coincidence of the wooden panels and furniture such as the headboard and bedside tables,’ she explains. 

As mentioned, the rhythm within ‘Casa Ola’ is sinuous and feminine, letting all energy flow naturally. Patricia Bustos enriched that quality by creating contrast with raw materials, such as the travertine shelves or the onyx table (a very coarse untreated slab) in the living room. The daughter’s bathroom features the same polycarbonate used in the entrance, this time covered in iridescent vinyl to recreate a multicolored aurora borealis. ‘Overall, the space is divided by delicate veils, such as the pivoting lattice that divides the living room from the kitchen. Everything is connected but may be subtly divided simultaneously,’ concludes Bustos. 

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project info:

name: Casa Ola

location: Madrid, Spain 

design: Patricia Bustos Studio | @patricia_bustos

photography: Manolo Yllera