In April 2020, Nico Valverde, a pharmacist, set out on a day trip from Barcelona to Begur, a historic village situated on the Costa Brava (the coastline to the north of the city famed for its natural beauty). The idea was to spend the day working remotely with Élia Pérez, his sentimental partner who also works at the same company. “I came here on a Thursday, and by Friday the whole country was in lockdown,” says Nico. “So I was stuck here for three months with nothing but the clothes on my back.”

Since fate had thrown them closer together, the couple decided to use the time to try out coliving. Élia, a veterinarian and native of Begur, had at her disposal the bottom two floors of a traditional stone-built house they could hole up in. The house belongs to her grandmother, who lives on the top floor, while her parents and aunt live in dwellings next door to the property; a convenient and cozy setup that is not unusual in Spain.

Situated at the end of a hilltop road with a view of the Pyrenees mountains, the home has now been thoughtfully restored under the guidance of Barcelona-based Scala Studio. It addresses the needs of comfort, work/life functionality, and the desire for isolation while still being in close proximity to those the couple care for the most.

Because of the thickness of the stone walls, the layout of the home had to be respected. During the lockdown, the couple decided to prioritize reforming the kitchen, which is located on the ground floor along with the living/dining area. “This was really where we got to unravel the history of the home,” comments Élia, who is a keen cook.

While dismantling a termite-infested doorframe, the couple discovered the ancient walls hidden by crumbling layers of plaster and whitewash. The nook next to the stovetop originally held a wood-fired oven, which was situated outside on the patio. Like many of the furniture and fittings throughout the home, the counters and stools were sourced locally, and display a simple pinewood and natural fiber aesthetic that is popular in this Mediterranean region.

Scala Studio were clear that they needed to respect the origins of the home, bring in quality and warmth, and incorporate modern decor that didn’t provide too much of a contrast. Many features, such as the speckled green cement flooring and stucco-effect walls, were in place before Élia’s grandmother bought the home in 1992. Rather than cover them up, which is common practice for less-than-fashionable features of this type, the design team left them in place and gave them a new lease with natural textiles, clever lighting and a coat of paint in soft eggshell.

“The only place the stucco was smoothed over is on the arched ceilings,” says Nico. “It helped reflect the illumination, making the space so much brighter.” The lithographs on the wall, an inheritance from Élia’s late grandfather, are by the noted Catalan artist Josep Maria Subirachs.

The upstairs floor, accessed by a narrow, enclosed stairway, accommodates a guest and master bedroom, two bathrooms, and an open home office at the landing. The walls are painted in a frothy, minty green, echoing the tone of the flooring downstairs and bringing an irreverent flourish to the traditional architecture. Ceramic tiles, which Élia and Nico consider more practical given the home’s level of humidity, were chosen over micro concrete to dress the bathroom walls.

“The master bedroom is very ‘us,’ very natural, very calm. It’s the part of the home that we worked on the most,” says Élia. The beams, which are made of cement, were in need of repair. A local carpenter suggested covering them with timber “casings”—a solution that fit with the desire to bring natural materials into the space.

The bedhead is made of a piece of pinewood left over from the countertop in the kitchen, and the slatted wardrobe doors were also made to order. “We love the living room, but in the day-to-day, we don’t have much time to enjoy it, adds Nico. “So, we spend most of our time upstairs in the office and bedroom. I suppose that’s a sign of the times.”

More From Scala Studio:

Before & After: An Abandoned Office Is Reborn as a Serene Garden Home in Barcelona

Project Credits:

Designer: Scala Studio / @scala_studio

Photographer: Sara Adroer Martínez