Now we are well into 2019 and this Monday everyone in Madrid was finally properly back to work following the long Christmas / New Year / Reyes celebrations. We managed to get all the photos done just before the new year (the mirror in the kitchen wasn’t here on time so we had most done before Christmas but had to do another shoot over the new year) so here are my favourites (as always by the very talented Felix Davilla @lafotobelle) as well as the sales blurb for those inter

One of the best things about living in Madrid is the amount of time you can spend outside - even in winter the sun is usually shining and skies for the most part blue which means bars and restaurants with terraces can be used all year round (even at night  cold nights with the addition of heaters and cosy rugs).  The other day the temperature on my terrace was up to 17 degrees. Perfect for sitting out and enjoying the sun. Here are some photos of it taken last week  - mid-Dec

Having  sold the Ortega y Gasset property before Christmas, I spent most of January pounding the streets in search of a new project. It took me until mid-February to reach an agreement on price and sign the deposit or Arras contract on the property I had set my sites on in Chamberí;  as a number of other interested parties were also offering on the property. Madrid is seeing a rise in demand for centrally located properties in prime areas whether from those looking to invest

Update on the opening of the Four Seasons....

I was lucky enough, more through accident than design,  to be the first person through the doors of the 53rd annual Casa Decor interiors expo in Madrid this month. What a privilege to see so many interior designers, artists, architects, landscape gardeners, and businesses and suppliers from the building sector presenting their work over the five storeys of the 3000m2 of this crimson coloursed historic corner property built around 1901.  Located in the district  of Chamberí Ca

One of the things I miss about finishing a job are the people I bump into on a daily basis during the renovation work. For three months or so I see the same people every morning and get to know not only the waiters and chefs but also the locals who frequent the bars, from the foreign students in Malasaña sometimes with visiting parents, office workers having lunch in the sun or shop owners having their first coffee of the day, strangers who quickly become friendly faces. In M

I have taken to bringing a Union Jack cushion from my house to use in the photoshoots.  It always captures everyone's eye and bring a bit of British design to the flats -  if I do take it home afterwards for the next project! Often it is the funny little touches like this that catch people's eye. The last buyers from Latin America remembered the cushion from looking at the site from back home. Another touch which is becoming a bit of a trademark of our renovations are the mid

#Reforma #Renovations #BeforeandAfter #Chamberí #Madrid #MadridBoutiqueProperties

Following the sale of the Gonzalo de Cordoba property,  work has started on the next project in Madrid's barrio Salamanca on Jose Ortega y Gasset street. Like the last two properties, this exterior property in a building with a protected facade will have two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a living room and dining room overlooking the street and an open plan kitchen with breakfast bar.  As well as two large windows overlooking Ortega y Gasset there are a further 6 windows overloo

Having loved hanging out in Malasaña, people watching in the local cafes, browsing the fantastic artisan shops and the studenty/hipster vibe, why then did we choose Chamberi for the next project? Bordering the Centro (Malasaña) to the southwest and Barrio Salamanca to the east, Chamberi has a very different feel. Often described as 'castizo', meaning the most Madrileño of barrios, it is a very classic part of the city, comprising imposing buidlings, well maintained and ofte

Japan is renowned for its spectacular spring time cherry blossom, but Madrid can certainly give it a run for its money. From February onwards, our our trees burst into blooms of pink, white and even the brightest yellows, contrasting against an azure Spanish sky. Look up as you walk along cafe-lined streets in the centre of Madrid and see cherry and almond trees covered in varying shades of the most elegant pinks and whites, contrasting with the vivid yellow flowers on the mi

Malasaña is one of Madrid’s most happening districts with its hipster atmosphere and nightlife, a hub of creativity. Located to the west of the famous Calle Fuencarral, to the east being the gay barrio of Chueca/Justicia, the area is centred around the famous Plaza Dos de Mayo, the heart of Malasaña. It was the location of the Movida countercultural movement in the seventies which emerged after the transition of the Post Franco years in Spain and the change to democracy. Afte