We look back at a Spanish decorator’s furry makeover of a tiny apartment.

They say hindsight is 20/20, and this interior decorating article from August 1978 supports that theory. Even at the time, we knew this apartment’s radical look wasn’t for everyone (“Quite frankly, this apartment takes a little getting used to,” Marilynn Reynolds writes). Decorator Pedro Alejos certainly had a vision, and although 2015 readers might not agree a space should have more fur than furniture, this apartment bursts with ’70s character.Click the picture below to start the slideshow, and find more throwbacks here.

The apartment wasn’t always so striking. Located near the University of Alberta, it was cramped and showing signs of wear and tear when Pedro moved in. “He has a theory about Canadians,” Marilynn writes. “He says that we are far too conservative when we furnish our homes.” Altering the apartment wasn’t allowed, so Pedro got inventive: “Space was at such a premium that he decided to make do with as little furniture as possible to give an impression of roominess and to provide a neutral background for the antique paintings, sculpture and objets d’art that he had brought with him from Europe.”

Pedro expressed skepticism about conventional decorating wisdom: “Who is to say what is good and what is bad?” He believed people should decorate spaces for themselves first and foremost.

This apartment must have been quite the barefoot experience!

“A statue of St. Thomas Aquinas separates the living room from the dining room, which is a tiny but interesting setting for an intimate dinner.” (We wonder if red wine was permitted anywhere in this house?)

 

Patrick Easton

Patrick Easton