COFO architects, a Rotterdam-based firm, has transformed a relatively small and dark apartment into a generous home filled with light and colour. The clients are an empty-nester couple that wanted to convert their family apartment into a place to enjoy the next phase in their life.

The design plays with openness and intimacy, introducing diagonal sight lines between functions. The entrance, the kitchen, and the living room are carefully combined into a single generous space where, thanks to the distinctive pavements, each area maintains its own character.

A striking cupboard-wall organises the space. This robust and efficient L-shaped element encloses the two bathrooms in the centre of the apartment. Openings and niches lighten the volume, while the wooden front hides extra storage.

Direct morning sun rays deeply penetrate the bathroom through the cupboard’s strategically placed open niches. Filtered by the textured glass and coloured by the intense blue tiles, daylight provides a unique bathing experience. Stepping out of the shower, the contrast between the blue tiles and the sand-coloured floor echoes the nearby Mediterranean Sea.

The meticulous choice of colour, materials and furniture adds to the feeling of amplitude and warmth throughout the apartment. Two types of wood – oiled oak and light birch -, combine with deep green cement tiles. These warm materials are complemented by the calm beige kitchen and by a lush green wall. Meanwhile, the niches’ bright primary colours add a welcome contrast.