A 50-Square-Meter Apartment Anchors Mad Monk Studios' Hospitality Debut

By Elena Vasquez

Mad Monk Studios has opened its first hospitality property: a 50-square-meter (about 540-square-foot) one-bedroom in Mexico City's Roma Norte, the size of roughly four parking spaces. Mariel Lozano Studio, also based in the capital, designed the interiors and custom furniture.

The unit, called San Luis, sits inside a newly constructed building. It's the debut property for Stays, a concept from the music and design practice that "will eventually encompass multiple rentable residences."

What was wrong with the original interior?

The apartment came with builder-grade finishes that didn't suit a high-end guest experience. The Lozano team put it bluntly: "The initial interior suffered from an overwhelming combination of builder-grade finishes, requiring a conceptual reset to create a harmonious, high-end guest experience."

Lozano's fix leaned on warm wood. She wrapped portions of the exposed concrete walls in teak panelling. The same material runs through several custom pieces, all designed by the studio and built by carpenters on site.

How does the layout keep clutter out of sight?

The furniture does the hiding. Built-ins include an L-shaped sofa, a wall-mounted TV cabinet, a dining storage unit, and a table that extends from a shelving unit. The bed frame conceals luggage storage. The headboard runs the full length of the room.

"To optimise the compact layout, custom-designed fixed furniture was prioritized to hide clutter and maintain a tranquil feel," the team said. "Key elements, such as a custom bed frame featuring concealed luggage storage, keep the visual space clear, allowing guests to experience stillness inside the apartment."

How does sound shape the stay?

Because Mad Monk Studios began as a music studio, audio is built into the room. The headboard holds integrated speakers, paired with curated playlists. "Because Mad Monk Studios is fundamentally a music studio, sound is an essential part of the hospitality concept," the team said. Guests hear the space as the team intends them to.

What sets the kitchen apart?

The kitchen trades the apartment's wood tones for a black-and-white scheme. White cabinetry, square backsplash tiles, black countertops, and stainless steel appliances define the room. Grey floor tiles also mark the kitchen off from the oak flooring that runs through the rest of the unit.

A sliding slatted wood screen divides the bedroom from the living area, and both rooms open onto a small balcony.

The lighting mix reads like a small design-history tour. A Nelson Ball Bubble Pendant by Herman Miller hangs above the dining table. A semi-cylindrical sconce sits over the sofa, and a pair of burgundy Flowerpot VP1 Pendants by Verner Panton flank the bed.

Lozano also chose a vintage stackable ashtray by Isamu Kenmochi and drinking glasses by En La Superficie as accents.

Where does San Luis fit in Mexico City's boutique market?

The unit joins a string of small-format stays across the capital. Comparable projects include Hotel San Fernando in Condesa, the minimalist Lamartine in Polanco, and the Shaker-inspired Círculo Mexicano.

With Stays pitched as a multi-property concept and San Luis as its starting point, Mariel Lozano's custom-furniture playbook now has a template it can carry to each future address.