This Madrid Residence Marries Tranquil Surroundings with Glamorous Materials

Located in Salamanaca, the most prestigious neighborhood in Madrid, the Casa-Palacio del Conde de Cedillo is unmistakable for its medieval fortress like façade and storied history. So when a Spanish couple based in London were looking to craft a residence inside the noble building, they wanted to be respectful of its provenance but also cultivate an atmosphere of contemporary elegance.

The homeowners found a perfect ally in Maison Numéro 20 founder Oscar Lucien Ono, who maintains offices in Paris and Madrid that he runs alongside his Spanish husband, Ruben Cuenca. “They travel a lot and visit many hotels, so they were very knowledgeable about luxury,” says Ono, who has designed several soigné boutique hotels, including Villa Mirae in Cap d’Antibes, Soleia in Nice, and Maison Cassandre in Paris. “It was important to them to find someone who could provide them with the details they like in hotels.”

For the interiors, the clients wanted something timeless and elegant. Ono reconfigured the rooms to improve the home’s flow and offer more privacy in the main suite. A spacious entry was converted to a kitchen while its intimate former location on the far side of the apartment was transformed into a bedroom. “It was a bit strange,” Ono states of the original floor plan. “The functionality that we use in hotels, we used in this project.”

Now, the 3,200-square-foot unit encompasses three bedrooms, each with their own en suite bath. Guests enter into a marble-lined foyer, distinct for its dreamy Christophe Gaignon glass sculpture that hangs above a custom console with brass panels, its luminosity echoed in a chic nearby wall light by Tristan Auer for Veronese. To the right, glass sliding doors open to the kitchen and see-through wine room. An adjacent corridor leads to the guest rooms, culminating in a sumptuous main suite. A welcoming art-filled living room awaits visitors to the left.

Ono called on the Paris artisans he relies on for his hotel projects to elevate this residential assignment, including adding a rich texture to the walls in the entry and installing a lacquer marquetry detail to the ceilings. More of his design signatures, such as an adroit use of textiles, like the custom silk panels that animate the doors, and thoughtfully curated selection of decorative objets and antiques, permeate the glamorous spaces.

Decadent marble, travertine, and granite in black, gray, and brown guide the palette that’s punctuated with metallic accents. Custom furniture enlivens the interiors, including a dazzling marquetry dining room table Ono designed with Cafédesart, a plump living room sofa upholstered in a Lelièvre fabric, and a clean-lined bed Maison Numero 20 crafted using Dedar fabrics.

Adding to the heady mix is a decadent assortment of antiques sourced from galleries all around Madrid, including a stunning pair of Pierre Chareau sconces from the 1930s that bookend an arresting Javier Camara artwork, which overlooks the living room. Here, a creamy B&B Italia rug with a crimson border echoes the vibrant hues of a nearby canvas acquired at Alzueta Gallery in Barcelona.

“Normally we use more color in our projects but the client didn’t want a lot of it,” recalls Ono. “We decided to use this Bordeaux, this red wine shade, because it matches very well with all the gray, black, and cream tones.”

Completed over the course of a year, the residence is a welcome respite for the sophisticated world travelers, and a serene retreat in one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in Madrid. Its an interior that whispers luxury, just like the finest hotels in the world that offer a dreamy home away from decadent home.