Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

A Madrid Artist’s Studio Is Filled With Sunlight, Texture, and Creative Inspiration

A Madrid Artist’s Studio Is Filled With Sunlight, Texture, and Creative Inspiration

Zooco Estudio creates a sublime workspace on the top floor of a painter’s home.

In Madrid, Zooco Estudio prioritized simplicity, organic textures, and daylighting to create an artist’s studio for a painter and writer in his fifties. "The client wanted a workshop where he could write, paint, and meditate," architect Miguel Crespo Picot says. "The design is based on ideas about austerity, warmth, having different perspectives, and the notion that having just enough-and not more than what is necessary-is the key to creativity."



Natural oak, wicker, and bright white walls define this Madrid art studio designed by Zooco Estudio for a painter and writer.

Located in Tercio y Terol, a historic suburb in the San Isidro neighborhood of the Carabanchel district, the studio lies on the upper level of the artist’s home. "It’s a quiet, economical area with larger homes near the center of town," says Picot. The firm completely reimagined the home’s upper level, which was dark and compartmentalized with small windows and a thick concrete slab floor.



Located on the upper level of the artist’s home, the studio features built-in cabinetry around a mirror and sink, where the painter can wash his brushes and hands.



The sink area is crafted from smooth stone, warm bronze, tactile wicker, and natural oak.

To recreate the home’s upper level as a light-filled studio, the design team removed all of the partition walls, joined the spaces, and employed skylights, mirrors, larger openings, and built-in shelving, cabinetry, and drawers. "We created open-plan exhibition areas, different workspaces, and storage to hold books, papers, supplies, and paintings," Picot says. "We positioned the mirrors at very specific perspective points to reflect sunlight, play visual tricks, and provide a sense of luminosity."



Oak shelving frames a glass door that leads to a large terrace, where the artist can paint or rest.



The indoor/outdoor quality of the art studio supplies creative inspiration for the painter and writer.

The mirrors bounce light throughout the interior and make the studio feel larger than it is. "Spaciousness and light are important for painting and writing," says Picot. Ledges integrated beneath the mirrors provide places for the artist to display, analyze, and correct paintings.



A ladder leads to a loft area for meditation above cabinetry made of oak and wicker panels.



A large mirror with oak ledges provides a place for the artist to post and review his work.

The architect and his team also designed a loft area for meditation, and a large terrace, where the artist can paint, rest, and feel linked with the natural landscape. "It was important to create this outdoor connection because the studio is at the same height as the treetops around it," Picot says.



Zooco Estudio created different work and exhibition areas that make the studio feel both expansive and flexible.

Organic materials like oak and wicker lend texture and warmth, and reference the surrounding tree trunks and branches. The design team created a built-in storage system with oak and wicker panels around a basin where the artist can wash his paintbrushes.



The staircase that leads from the home’s first level to the upper-level art studio serves as a display area for artworks and features built-in storage.



The bright white walls and staircase offset the warm tone and texture of the oak treads and cabinetry.

"The natural textures with the white walls and white-painted metal trusses establish the character of this studio," Picot says. "The client wanted to have contact with natural elements that would help create a comfortable and inspirational studio—a refuge for an artist."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×