Industrial Loft Málaga

The client — a young architect who had purchased the apartment for €185,000 specifically because of its Málaga centre location — wanted a proper industrial loft rather than the polished contemporary aesthetic typical of Costa del Sol renovations. He had specific references: New York SoHo loft conversions, Berlin warehouse apartments, the early-2000s industrial trend properly executed. He suspected (correctly) that the building's original 1920s structure included steel beams hidden by the dropped ceiling and brick walls hidden under plaster. Our initial site survey confirmed this: behind one wall of plaster we found high-quality original red brick in good condition, and above the dropped ceiling we found four cleanly-cast steel I-beams supporting the floor above. The brief was set: expose the bones, open the plan, keep one private zone behind glass.

Technical Specifications

The client made his selections in our Marbella showroom across two sessions. The polished concrete floor was specified as Topciment Pavipool overlay 5 mm in warm pale grey rather than a true cast slab — easier on the existing structure and faster to install. The Crittall-style partition doors were sourced from Crittall España in Madrid: black powder-coated steel frames divided into a 3×6 grid of clear glass panes, two pivot doors. The kitchen veneer was sampled in three walnuts before settling on American black walnut with vertical grain in a clear matte finish — rich and warm against the cool concrete floor. Worktop is Dekton Sirius matte black in a 12 mm slim profile — an engineered ceramic surface, not stone, and explicitly not marble. The Edison-bulb pendant lamps are Buster + Punch Hooked 3.0 in matte black with antique brass detail, custom long-cable for the loft's high ceiling.

Technical Specifications

Demolition was the largest phase: three internal plasterboard walls came down, the dropped ceiling was carefully unscrewed and removed, and the original Spanish hydraulic tile floor was lifted (some intact tiles were saved for the client's later use as decorative pieces). With the dropped ceiling gone, four steel I-beams were revealed — original 1920s rolled steel, slightly rusted but structurally sound. They were shot-blasted on site to bare metal, primed with anti-corrosion etch, then painted in a matte black water-based metal paint that left the original surface texture and bolt heads visible. The brick feature wall took two days of careful chiselling: the lime-based original plaster was hand-removed without damaging the brick beneath. The exposed brick was then dry-brushed, washed with diluted hydrochloric acid, neutralised, and sealed with a matte breathable masonry sealer that retains the natural texture and colour without making the wall look painted.

Technical Specifications

The polished concrete overlay was poured across the entire 75 m² in a single operation — done in one continuous pour ensures no joint lines spoil the look. The 5 mm Topciment Pavipool overlay was self-levelling, troweled to a smooth finish, then power-trowelled and finally sealed with two coats of matte polyurethane. The Crittall partition was installed as a single 3.6 m wide × 2.8 m tall unit dividing the bedroom from the living space — black steel frames with single-glazed clear panes (the bedroom doesn't need acoustic isolation in this client's brief, and the visual lightness of single glazing was important). The walnut kitchen runs along one side wall in an L-shape: floor cabinets in walnut with matte black bar handles, single tall housing for fridge and oven, and an open walnut shelf running the full length above the worktop displaying the client's collection of vintage cameras.

Technical Specifications

Lighting in this loft is unapologetically industrial. Three Buster + Punch Hooked 3.0 matte black + brass pendants hang low above the dining table, each fitted with Edison-style ST64 LED bulbs at 2200 K that look like vintage incandescents but consume 4 W each. A discreet floor uplight at the base of the brick wall washes the texture upward at night — the most dramatic single lighting decision in the project. Mid-century furniture pieces sourced second-hand by the client (a mustard yellow velvet armchair, a mid-century walnut sideboard) sit perfectly against the rough industrial surfaces. Final commissioning included testing the kitchen extractor (Faber In-Light recirculating, hidden in the open walnut shelf), checking all 32 Crittall pane putties for perfect seal, and a deep clean of the polished concrete floor with the recommended pH-neutral cleaner — the client received a 12-month maintenance schedule for the concrete and the brick sealer.

Technical Specifications

Every Magnum Reformas project begins with a free site visit from a dedicated project manager — no obligation, within 48 hours of enquiry. We provide a fully itemised fixed-price quote: every line of work is listed, nothing is hidden. Once approved, our team manages every trade on site so you never coordinate subcontractors yourself. A dedicated WhatsApp group keeps you updated with photos and videos throughout. At handover, we walk you through every installation and leave you a full documentation pack.

Technical Specifications