When architect Borja Vildósola first saw the 280-square-metre flat in Bilbao, it had what most people are looking for - big windows and an exceptional view - yet almost nothing worked. A poor layout made it dark and impractical. The solution wasn't expensive cladding but a different map of the home: making light the main decoration.

"Luxury isn't understood through ostentation, but through quality and detail," says Vildósola. You see it straight away in the living room: large glass doors open onto the view, and inside there's a Vitra Eames Lounge Chair, Kasthall rugs and a mix of natural wood, velvet and linen. Nothing shouts. Everything has been chosen to age well.

A dining room with no dead corners

The dining room was made to measure, so there are no spaces that exist only for show. A round table with custom chairs, a floor-to-ceiling bookcase in graphite, and a chandelier by CTO Lighting. The layout is rational - every square metre pulls its weight.

The kitchen and dining room are linked by a natural walnut partition with rounded corners that lets light flow through the flat. "It articulates the relationship between the open rooms and gives them a bit of hierarchy," the architect explains.

The kitchen came out of the dark

The biggest change is the kitchen. Once tucked away in the dark interior, it is now the social centre of the home, connected to the living room, dining room, study and terraces. The units are by Leicht, in natural walnut, and the worktop is Baobab quartzite from XTONE's Altissima line, in green-blue tones. The walnut partition allows the kitchen to be opened up or closed off as needed.

How many flats in the Balkans hide the kitchen in the darkest corner and waste the best light on a hallway or a room that gets used twice a year? In Bilbao the answer was radical: the kitchen goes where life actually happens.

From six bedrooms to four - but better ones

The original six bedrooms became four, larger and brighter. The main bedroom looks out through a big window, with soft tones, linen, wood, profiled mouldings and blue accents. The rule is simple: the best orientations belong to the most important rooms, while secondary functions have been moved towards the inner courtyard.

Between the bedroom and the bathroom sits a large rectangular walk-in wardrobe, with floor-to-ceiling cabinets in light lacquer and modular fronts with profiles and handles. Its position is no accident - the wardrobe helps the flow of light and cross-ventilation.

A black-and-white bathroom with ribbed-glass cubicles

The main bathroom is graphic and elegant: a freestanding bathtub facing the entrance, a pendant lamp, a chequerboard floor, marble, and finishes in white and black. The shower and toilet are in separate cubicles of ribbed glass, which lets light through while blurring shapes. The goal, says Vildósola, is "for several people to be able to use the bathroom at the same time, while keeping a certain privacy". A practical fix for the morning rush every family knows.

A child's room without childish things

The second bedroom has a custom bunk bed, natural wood and black details, naturally textured fabrics, a desk and a large wardrobe. "We wanted a young, relaxed but also pared-back room," says the architect. It's a room that can keep up with the child as they grow.

The guest bathroom is more playful: blue Marazzi tiles laid vertically with a glossy finish, a basin on a wooden cabinet, steel fittings and light surfaces for balance.

Washing and drying - in the inner courtyard

The flat is divided into three zones: public, private and service. The laundry, a work area and a place to dry clothes have been moved to the inner courtyard side, with floor-to-ceiling cabinets, a continuous worktop and built-in appliances. The outward-facing facades are reserved for the living rooms, kitchen, study and bedrooms. This may be the most useful lesson for anyone renovating: before you choose the tiles, decide which room deserves the light.