In the heart of Madrid, in an apartment with high ceilings, wooden windows and light that fills every corner, lives Maria Hoyos. Mother of Gabriela (2,5 years) and little Jacobo, who has just turned one. After nine years in Paris, where she built a career in fashion at houses like Balenciaga and Sézane, Maria and her family recently returned to their hometown to write a new chapter. Her home feels exactly like her: warm, considered, and alive. We asked her to open the door.
Where the day begins
The living room
We step inside and immediately understand why Maria fell in love with this apartment. At the centre of the living room, a travertine table; oval, sculptural, styled in the most beautiful way. Orange tulips. Art books. And leaning against the wall: the painting.
"I fell in love with it the moment I walked in, the high ceilings, the wooden windows, the abundance of light. It felt like the perfect place for this new chapter."
A large, vivid canvas holds a childhood memory. A German artist at the La Mola market in Formentera. A painting kept for years before she had a home to hang it in.
A room full of magic
Inside Gabriela's world
At the end of the hallway, we reach the room that perhaps best captures who Maria is. A glowing crescent moon, a Fiona Walker hare on the wall, a framed birth announcement embroidered with a gold G, a star mobile catching the light.
"I try to create a space that feels fun and magical, and if I'm honest, it's for me too. I love spending time there, playing and entering their little world."
The investment piece you should know about
Built To Last, Made To Grow
Maria's one purchase she has never regretted, "For sure, the Oliver Furniture bed." It gives Gabriela the autonomy to get in and out on her own. It grows with her. And it is the quiet anchor around which the rest of the room was built.
On the second baby, the calm and the chaos
"The second time feels calmer. You already know what matters and what doesn’t. You trust yourself more, you let go more easily. But at the same time, you’re much more aware of how fast it all goes.You try to slow it down, to really be there.''
For now, little Jacobo sleeps beside Maria and her husband, his rattan cot tucked right next to their bed. His room is a work in progress, and she is in no hurry.
How to start a nursery
Maria's Advice
We asked Maria; If a mother came to you and said 'I have no idea where to start with a nursery', what would you tell her?
''Start simple. Good light, choose something special and custom-made just for them, natural materials and cute storage make a real difference.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but you don’t need everything at once. Build the space slowly, as you understand what you really need and what you love. Choose pieces that are both beautiful and also practical things you’ll use every day and let them be part of it with the time.''
The most beautiful chaos
On Motherhood in Madrid
"I believe I'm in the most special moment of my life, and for sure the most chaotic one."
No two days feel the same. Maria moves between work and motherhood, between Madrid and Paris, between the daily rush and the slow Sunday mornings she loves. The laughter, the mess, the noise of two small children... all of it, happiness.
"The most important thing, being present and squeezing every minute out of it."
