The Sibarist visits Casa Decor

“The avant-garde in a world of emotions”. With these words, Casa Decor’s president, Kersti Urvois, kicked off the opening of the 60th edition of this essential event for interior design lovers. The building enjoys a strategic location in Madrid’s Sagasta Street, one of the most prominent arteries of the Chamberí neighborhood, and on the corner of the Plaza de Alonso Martínez. One of the historical details related to this nineteenth-century building is that it occupies the site where the original Royal Tapestry Factory stood, ordered to be built in 1720 by Philip V. In a perfect state of preservation, it was built in 1902 by the Bilbao architect Luis de Landecho y Jordán de Urríes and represents the Madrid eclecticism of the early 20th century and gives a glimpse of “the trends of neo-Gothic rationalism with the powerful presence of exposed brick combined with stone and metal”, according to the organization.

This platform of interior design, design, trends and lifestyle brings together in an area of 3,000 square meters around 3,700 companies, professionals and trades related to the habitat sector. Throughout 57 spaces it exhibits trends, novelties and diverse styles, among which the solutions for kitchens and bathrooms stand out. Once again this year, the institutional spaces are dedicated to the Italian Embassy “through which the Italian government favors the economic and commercial development of Italian companies in foreign markets”; and to Legado Artesano de Castilla-La Mancha, which presents the work of 23 artisans from Castilla-La Mancha, under the artistic direction of the interior designer Miguel Muñoz.

For the director of Casa Decor, Alicia García Cabrera, it is clear that “craftsmanship is the new luxury and Legado Artesano has been promoting it for the last five years”.

García Cabrera said at the presentation that this is “the house of the senses, where designers have developed products to enjoy them because this is a laboratory of ideas and an experimenter with materials”.

Exquisiteness in the details, a classic kitchen

The interior designer Beatriz Silveira has created for the kitchen firm SixtyPro the Essence & Harmony Kitchen space in which the functional becomes the heart of the house. A place to be not only for cooking and eating. To this contributes the natural light that pours through the balconies, the warmth of the oak, the fantastic texture of the marble, the light and the artistic and decorative details that make it so cozy. The key inspirations have been nature and noble materials designed in perfect harmony, to which we are accustomed Silveira. This result has been possible thanks to the collaboration of firms such as Siemens (studioLine) in appliances, Muebles Ébano in furniture, Officine Gullo with its gas stove, CUPA Stone in the quartzite countertop, Costa Este for textiles, and Gira in home automation systems and electrical mechanisms. The final detail, made with the stylist Loreto López-Quesada adds a golden brooch where shines, among others, the Justino del Casar vase.

A visual game, with the unmistakable Mayice’s stamp

Gabinetto delle curiosità is the name of Marta Alonso and Imanol Calderón’s (Mayice) bet for Fenix. It is an ode to the tangible in times dominated by the digital. “In this space, every detail invites you to discover new perspectives in interior design. Inspired by the ancient wonder rooms of the Renaissance, the installation offers a unique experience that stimulates the imagination and the senses,” for the Formica brand. This space invites you to rediscover the value of sensory experience, where curiosity guides the visitor through a journey full of subtle discoveries and hidden surprises, integrated into the design as secrets to be discovered. Materiality takes center stage, thanks to the HPL laminate for the Formica furniture; to Homapal, which provides metallic textures that evoke sophistication; and to Niessen, with its mechanisms that complete an environment where every detail stimulates exploration.

A restaurant in homage to the sun

The interior designer Miriam Alia surprises again with Solana for the ceramic tile company Nais. This restaurant is impregnated by the sunlight that floods everything. A space that travels to the ancestral to present a contemporary vision that dialogues with airs of Mexican tradition and winks to the Memphis movement. It does so in the form of vibrant colors, rich textures and geometric shapes that generate a sensory and enveloping atmosphere. This balance between the artisanal and the contemporary is materialized thanks to the collaboration of brands such as Häfele, which provides integrated LED lighting and backlighting in the furniture; Lagrama, with its modular design shelves; and Misia Casamance, which dresses the space with textiles full of expressiveness and sophistication.

Time suspended

Andreu Carulla Studio together with Roca has devised Tempus, a poetic reflection on the dizzying pace of today’s world and an invitation to reconnect with the present moment. Winners of the Jury Prize at Casa Decor 2024, this space seeks to unrouse the senses with a “holistic” idea to restore our ability to contemplate the beauty of everyday life and find serenity in the midst of chaos. Materials such as wood, iron, stone, water and light intertwine to create a dystopian and sensory atmosphere, where water acts as a central and transforming element. The sustainable approach of the project lies in the fact that it reuses demolition materials. The limestone cladding is by XTONE.

An ode to nature

The interior designer Raul Martins has created the Maisons restaurant, which invites to a sensory journey in a space dominated by tones and textures taken from nature. The wall coverings of the Belgian firm ARTE achieve their maximum expression in the private dining room that occupies one of the corners of this historic building. Inspired by the chromatic landscapes of the French countryside, the space displays a warm range of whites, ochers and earths, dotted with touches of black and orange, creating an elegant and enveloping atmosphere, according to the brand. In this particular space, the Under Sycamore Tree model stands out, a handcrafted mural made of hand-installed wood veneer that evokes the calm of a sycamore forest. The innovative design and the quality of the materials invite you to enjoy this Rosewood Villa Magna restaurant as the official catering operator.

An immersive experience

The shape of water is a project signed by Sixto Martín, Miguel Crespo, and Javier Guzmán, from the ZOOCO architecture studio for Geberit that explores water as a fundamental element, flowing and adapting to the space. Through a geometric composition based on circles, water manifests itself in “liquid walls” that delimit and transform the environment, becoming an architectural generator that interacts with light to create unique sensations. This project highlights a material that emerges as a trend, the pavés that returns in such original realizations as this one. The execution is by De Lucio Reformas, its sintered stone by Neolith, the wooden casings by Sanrafael, the furniture by Carl Hansen & Søn, the lighting and domotics by Simon and the covering for the washbasin and bathtub by Hisbalit.

Homage to the city

By Jean Porsche, Toujours à Madrid is a kitchen turned into a home that reflects the vibrant spirit of Madrid. Designed for the French kitchen firm Schmidt, born in Alsace -like the designer’s grandfather-, this proposal welcomes the visitor with a triangular island that gives way to different environments full of surprises: from large storage modules to a wraparound office, an unexpected laundry room and a lounge with custom-made bar furniture. The space is completed with exquisite details such as the raffia coverings by ARTE, the ceiling decorated in exclusive collaboration with Maison Christian Lacroix and the lighting carefully designed in the unmistakable style and attention to detail of the interior designer. Other highlights include KÜPPERSBUSCH appliances, Nais ceramic tiles, lamps from the Real Fábrica de Cristales de La Granja and tableware and glassware from Vista Alegre.

The excellence of Italian tradition

Il tempo lo dirà is an idea of Pilar Barroso and Miguel Brieva, from Bao Proyectos, which proposes a celebration of the Italian soul, where tradition and modernity meet through design. The ITA space revolves around a large central table, a symbol of hospitality, divided into two atmospheres: one contemporary and the other traditional. The space is clad with natural materials such as wood inspired by a painting by De Chirico and walls with aged effects, to reflect the passage of time as a value. The excellence of Italian craftsmanship is evident through the careful selection of Italian brands present, such as Bticino, Flos, Listone Giordano, Rubelli, Tubes Radiatori or Valpaint, among a total of twenty.

Immersion in the future

Estudio Alegría, formed by Ignacio Alegría and Manuel Such, is the architect of Hisense Forward, which proposes a trip to the home of the future with technology as an ally. This space fuses light, materials and innovation. The most outstanding piece is the sculptural kitchen island that emerges from the floor in an ethereal way and attracts attention with its zigzag front. It is by Cocinas Rio, a Spanish brand that celebrates its 50th anniversary with this eye-catching setup. The wall and ceiling finishes that resemble Japanese wallpaper and are a vinyl wallpaper from ARTE enlarge the space and make the kitchen a warm place to spend many hours of the day. Both the countertop and the floor, by Museum Surfaces, also attract the eye because it is a travertine-effect porcelain tile with a pleasant texture.

The living room, designed by Sigfrido Serra for The Masie, is a tribute to the art of living and sharing where neutral tones share space with the vitality of pistachio green and burgundy red. The curved shapes take over the furniture and the central oculus through which the interior terrace can be glimpsed while the backlit tensioned textile ceiling illuminates the scene.

TICKET SALE ONLY ONLINE at casadecor.es/entradas/
General admission price: 25 €.

Address: Calle Sagasta 33
Dates: from April 3 to May 18
Hours: every day, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Sundays and holidays included)

Editor: Beatriz Fabián

Beatriz is a journalist specialized in offline and online editorial content about design, architecture, interior design, art, gastronomy and lifestyle.