The Living Room Coworking turns 10 this year… and what a decade it’s been!
From our early days with mismatched chairs, DIY furniture, and a small but mighty crew, to the vibrant, international hub we’ve become today — it’s been one hell of a journey. And while so much has changed, the spirit of TLR has remained the same: community, creativity, and a shared belief that work can feel a little bit more like home.
To celebrate this milestone, our dear Community Manager Carmen dug deep into the archives and chose 10 old-school photos of the space from way back when. Then, with the help of our talented photographer Adri, we did something fun — we recreated each one, as closely as we could, in the exact same spot, a full decade later.
Some photos will make you laugh. Others might make you nostalgic. But all of them tell the story of how far we’ve come.
So, join us for a little time travel through TLR history — one corner, one coffee mug, and one throwback at a time.
The Rooftop Isn’t The Only Thing That’s Changed
Let’s start with our dear commander-in-chief – TLR owner Ben! Here’s a younger Ben sitting on the rooftop, complete with some faux grass and some picnic tables.
Today, the rooftop looks quite different! We’ve got some comfy couches, updated benches, and, thanks to our dear TLR Family member Natalia, an extremely professional covering (from Above & Beyond) to protect us from the sun or the rare shower. Though you can’t see it in the photo, the bare walls of the roof have also now been adorned with a custom artwork by our friend Adam Palmeter.
Ben himself has also changed – longer hair, branded t-shirts, his shadow Logan… and he’s even married now! He’s still got the same drive though, and the same ambition – to create a space that’s more than just a place to work from.
The rooftop now!
Breaking Down Walls
Taking the stairs from the roof down to the topmost of the coworking rooms, we’re presented with a very different view than a few years ago.
Gone are the plastic walls that kept us apart from each other and restricted the natural light. Aren’t we all, at least partially, in Malaga for the sun?
These days, the upper floor feels more open, less restricted, and less like working from a cage. We love the most recent layout, and our members do too!
The upper coworking floor then…
The upper coworking floor now!
Looking to the other side of the stairs, some newer members might be shocked to see that it was once the TLR Kitchen!
The upper coworking floor then…
Sensibly, this layout has now changed for the better. More walls were taken down, the kitchen table and fridge were moved downstairs, and the whole entire floor opened up to welcome more desks and more spaces for our members to think, get creative, and get their work done for the day.
The upper coworking floor now!
Here’s the former kitchen from the opposite angle, to give you a better sense of what it used to look like. Nowadays, the couch is gone and we have used that space to install our ever-popular pop in/pop out phone booths.
The upper coworking floor then…
Our upper coworking floor then…
The upper coworking floor now!
Expanding Our Family
These next photos may not show such a dramatic change, but it’s a hugely important one. Our family was small at the start, and continued to grow. Bit by bit, we added more desks and more spaces for members to work from.
The upper coworking floor then…
When we reached 150 members, we decided to cap it. After that number, we don’t tend to accept new members until someone else leaves.
While this does result in a waiting list at times, which can be longer or shorter depending on the desired membership plan, we felt it was important not to try and cram more and more people into the space. This would result in too much competition for phone booths or meeting rooms, and we wanted to give our members the space they needed to do their work as comfortably and as efficiently as possible.
The upper coworking floor now!
Greetings as Soon as you Arrive!
Come down another floor, and you can see how much the entrance to TLR has changed over the years. Yes, that’s a coffee station right there! Complete with a microwave, just to make sure everyone busy working at the top of the stairs could get more and more annoyed by the constant pinging and the smell of food being reheated!
The entrance then…
Nowadays, the layout makes a lot more sense – any member entering the space will be met by whoever is at reception, ready with a “Good Morning”, a friendly smile, and the answers to whatever questions you might have. This new layout is also way better for when visitors come to the space – whether it is someone delivering a package, asking for directions, or enquiring about the waiting list for new members. With reception right at the door, they don’t have to wait for someone to come down the stairs to answer the doorbell.
The entrance now!
Is it Time for Ping Pong or a Work Meeting?
At one point the downstairs space looked like this, complete with a fully-bearded, pre-baby Carlos!
Yes, you guessed it – the ping pong table was doubling up as a meeting space. The chaos was truly beautiful!
The downstairs area then…
We like the new layout a lot more – a better use of space, plus the noise from the ping pong table no longer bothers those sitting at the top of the stairs.
The downstairs area now!
Here are two more photos of the same space, but with a different layout in the older photo this time. This was actually even BEFORE we ot the big ping pong table – we had a small, rinky-dink net set up on a normal table. Note the wall in the far right corner – there was no kitchen back then! Later on, we broke through this wall to open it up into the adjoining space.
The downstairs area then…
The downstairs area now!
Today’s Kitchen Turned Event Space
Here’s what the space looked like just after we broke down that adjoining wall.
The kitchen then…
And here’s the TLR Kitchen as you know and love it today – complete with a bike rack, the ping pong table in the most sound-insulated area possible, an artwork exhibition adorning the walls, food-making facilities, and the table where our little family tends to gather to eat lunch. And the best part? This layout is easily changed – this is where we host our monthly TGIF (unless it’s on the rooftop), games nights, Halloween and Christmas parties, and countless other celebrations.
The kitchen now!
It’s true that a lot has changed in the last 10 years – the walls, the layout, even the faces – but the heartbeat of TLR has stayed the same. This space was always meant to be more than just desks and WiFi. It was meant to be a place where people connect, create, collaborate… and sometimes challenge each other to a game of ping pong.
Here’s to 10 years of growth, community, and free coffee – and to whatever the next chapter brings. Thanks for being part of the journey!
* If you would like to join TLR, check out our various subscription offerings here: https://tlr-coworking.com/subscriptions/. Our ‘Friend’ subscription, for example, is only €50/month and includes access to all TLR events and social gatherings, including the monthly TGIF! If you’d like a subscription with more office hours, you’re welcome to book a free trial day!
