Susana Griso's House in Madrid: Navy Velvet, a Persian Rug and a Glass Porch - Lessons That Work in a 60-Square-Metre Flat Too

Spanish TV presenter Susana Griso is in front of a camera every morning, in a rush, in the noise, with news that doesn't wait. At home, north of Madrid, she has built the opposite: calm, bright, slow. Contemporary architecture, natural materials such as wood and porcelain stoneware, neutral tones and a constant connection with the nature outside. A house for rest and for focused work, under one roof.

What makes this house interesting isn't the luxury. It's the logic: every corner has a job, and none of them looks like a catalogue. That's a lesson you can apply just as well in a 60-square-metre flat in Aerodrom, not only in a villa.

The art of mixing: noble materials, neutral tones and touches of colour

The living room works on the principle of mixing - different seats, different textiles, but one calm base. The main sofa is in navy velvet, with mustard cushions. Next to it stands a curved, cocoon-shaped armchair upholstered in white bouclé. Above the built-in panoramic fireplace, in matte black, hangs a large mirror with a natural wood frame. The dark wall and the warm fire are the contrast that holds the whole room together.

The keys to her retreat

The floor is "anchored" by a Persian rug in red, burgundy and indigo. The coffee table has a metal frame and a glass top, so it doesn't weigh down the space. On it - cylindrical candle holders, stone sculptures and boxes with a checkerboard pattern. Advice you can take for free: one heavy, patterned rug calms a whole room full of mismatched furniture instead of making it even busier.

Art, ornaments and ethnic touches

Wooden figures, photographs in white frames, globes and books on the shelves. Nothing was bought as a set, everything looks collected over years. That's exactly what makes the house personal rather than designed - and it's the hardest thing to buy.

A mid-century armchair and a task light: the perfect reading corner

The reading corner is proof that a good space doesn't need a whole room. The wall is painted a deep, matte blue. In front of it stands a cream armchair in mid-20th-century style, and the wall holds black-and-white photographs. Beside the armchair - a floor lamp with a movable arm that points the light straight at the page. A corner like that needs no renovation: a brush, a tin of paint and a good lamp are enough.

The glass porch: a glass curtain that connects the house with nature

Large glass doors from the living room lead to a porch that's used all year round. There's an outdoor dining table - a wooden table, wicker chairs in cream and a ceramic stool with green and white stripes. Outside, loungers with white metal or painted wooden frames and sheer canopies. Around the pool - lavender, ornamental grasses and shrubs. Griso exercises on the lawn while her dogs run around her.

This house shows that glass is only worth it if there's life behind it, not boxes. How many glazed balconies are really just storerooms with a view?