This Retro Apartment Is Finally the Good Kind of Funky
Old carpets, wallcoverings, drop ceilings—this apartment in the Polanco neighborhood of Mexico City, formerly belonging to an elderly woman, had settled into a senescent funk long before its current resident, a graphic designer, arrived. At his request, Arqmov Workshop stripped back the fussier details, then carefully reintegrated a few bold textures and patterns that jibed with his professional calling.
Arqmov Workshop began their renovation by stripping the apartment down to the basics. Removing finishes revealed a polished concrete floor and waffle-slab ceiling.
The raw concrete shell is accented everywhere by vivid patterns. Certain columns are dressed in wooden floorboards that were upcycled from an old building in the Colonia Condesa, then painted a patchwork of different colors.
The studio created a breakfast nook with a colorful mural in the heart of the home. The metal sconces are custom.
Synthetic, organic, and industrial materials coexist in the kitchen. The cabinets are finished in aubergine-purple polyester, the breakfast bench is made of an upcycled timber beam, and the range hood is steel.
Rich Veracruz marble lines one wall of the bathroom, black-and-white tiles of various sizes clad another.
Each of the private zones enjoys its own outdoor space. The master bedroom has access to a balcony that runs along the front of the apartment.
Likewise, the newly added guest suite looks out onto an enclosed terrace.
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