Andrea Diego transforms a home in Bilbao to gain clarity, comfort and balance

The Ciro project by Bilbao-based interior designer Andrea Diego belongs to that quiet and profound category of interiors shaped by balance, where every decision feels inevitable and nothing demands attention beyond what is necessary. This full renovation in Bilbao proposes a way of living grounded in calm, spatial coherence and a restrained beauty that remains over time.

The name of the project is not incidental. Of Persian origin, Ciro refers to the sun and the throne, to origin and centre. An etymology that here translates into the recovery of the domestic axis: light, proportion and the connection between rooms as structural principles of the design. The home is reorganised to respond to a more fluid and shared contemporary life, where kitchen, dining room and living area coexist within a single space, linked by a carefully measured material and visual continuity.

Living room, kitchen and dining area, connected through material continuity

The kitchen is fully integrated into the shared space, avoiding any sense of fragmentation. Wooden fronts coexist with low cabinets in light tones and a natural stone countertop that adds weight and permanence. The island, conceived as both a functional and visual nucleus, articulates the space and is reinforced by details of modular wooden slats that introduce rhythm and depth. Everything responds to a logic of restraint, where materiality speaks quietly.

One of the project’s most precise gestures appears almost unnoticed: a concealed door that gives access to the most private area of the home. Integrated into the vertical kitchen panels, it disappears from view and reinforces the feeling of continuous order. It is a subtle yet decisive choice, separating the social and private areas without disturbing the harmony of the whole.

The dining area is conceived as an enveloping and domestic place of encounter. A bespoke curved bench, upholstered in green velvet, embraces the space and introduces a note of chromatic depth. It is accompanied by a softly contoured microcement table and a work by Teresa J. Cuevas, whose artistic presence introduces both tension and balance. Her pieces, also present in the kitchen, integrate naturally into the project’s palette, reinforcing the visual coherence of the home.

In the living area, a custom-designed bookshelf in natural wood and stone acts as a structuring element. Its open and lightweight design allows for the combination of storage and decorative objects without overloading the space, preserving the serene atmosphere that runs throughout the home.

A common thread runs through all the rooms: walls finished in clay mortar. Their matte texture and natural quality bring warmth and depth, while also improving environmental comfort. It is a choice that speaks of material sensitivity and a conscious way of understanding interior design, where wellbeing is built through touch and atmosphere as much as through form.

The bedroom continues this pursuit of calm. Earth-toned textiles, an upholstered headboard and the discreet presence of wood compose an intimate and balanced space. In the bathrooms, relief ceramic wall coverings and matte gold fittings introduce character without breaking the overall sobriety, adding nuances that enrich everyday experience.

Andrea Diego has transformed this home to gain clarity, comfort and balance. Every material, form and colour responds to a shared idea: to create a space that works with precision and is felt, deeply, as a true home.

Project: Ciro.
Location: Bilbao.
Completed: 2025.
Interior Design: Andrea Diego.
Lighting: Tao Lighting.
Cabinetry: Rua Alberdi.
Photography: Erlantz Biderbost.
Source: Adde Media. Idoia Ruiz.

Andrea Diego

Andrea Diego’s career is shaped by a dual perspective: analytical rigour and spatial sensitivity. Initially trained in Business Administration and Management at the University of the Basque Country (EHU), her first professional grounding was closely linked to an understanding of processes, organisation and structure. Soon, however, a deeper concern emerged—one connected to creativity, materiality and lived space—which led her to redirect her path towards interior design.

Between 2012 and 2015, she trained as interior architect at Argi Arte, a decisive period during which she consolidated an understanding of the project as a balance between functionality, emotion and aesthetic coherence. It was then that she began to develop her first professional works, still alongside her studies, establishing an early and direct relationship with construction, clients and decision-making.

In 2015, she co-founded the studio IN56 Interiorismo, where she worked for more than nine years as managing partner and design director. This stage represents a period of intense professional activity and growth, during which Andrea Diego was directly involved in the creative and strategic development of the studio, taking on both project direction and relationships with clients and collaborators. A prolonged experience that strengthened her judgement, leadership skills and a highly personal way of approaching interior design, grounded in listening and precision.

In March 2024, she began a new professional chapter with the creation of Andrea Diego Interiorismo, her own studio based in Bilbao. From here, she develops interior architecture projects characterised by meticulous attention to detail, a carefully curated selection of materials and a clear intention to create serene, honest and timeless spaces. Her work is rooted in a deep understanding of the needs of those who inhabit the spaces, moving away from superfluous gestures to focus on what endures.

Today, Andrea Diego approaches each project as an exercise in balance between technique and emotion, where rigorous planning coexists with a quiet sensitivity revealed through light, proportion and materiality. A mature, conscious and committed practice that understands interior design not as an end in itself, but as a way of accompanying everyday life through space.

Project by Andrea Diego