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Collection by Alex Vuocolo

A 16-Foot-Wide Barcelona Row House Gets Creative to Stay Bright and Airy

Nook Architects wraps a staircase in mesh and transforms a confined row house into an open home.

Sparked by an influx of young professionals and artists, the factories and working class homes that once dominated Barcelona’s Poblenou neighborhood are giving way to innovative residential architecture. Hired by a young Spanish-Swedish couple to refurbish a two-story row home, Nook Architects realized that the house needed more than just a facelift. Due to poor construction, the architects had to start from scratch. What began as a modest remodeling project became an opportunity to “delete the visual limits of the usual house with multiple levels,” says Nook Architects. The result is an airy and art-filled home with colorful details from top to bottom.

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A narrow band of ceramic tiling delineates the compact kitchen from the rest of the room. Built-in cabinetry doubles as seating to help integrate the kitchen into the dining area. The table from Maison du Monde spans the subtle divide.
A narrow band of ceramic tiling delineates the compact kitchen from the rest of the room. Built-in cabinetry doubles as seating to help integrate the kitchen into the dining area. The table from Maison du Monde spans the subtle divide.
The railings on the middle level are 1.2-by-1.2-inch wrought iron bars and the wood flooring is by Kahrs.
The railings on the middle level are 1.2-by-1.2-inch wrought iron bars and the wood flooring is by Kahrs.
Mesh is strung along the stairs and railings as a safety precaution for the couple’s first child, who was born during construction. The material also serves as a screen for filtering the light.
Mesh is strung along the stairs and railings as a safety precaution for the couple’s first child, who was born during construction. The material also serves as a screen for filtering the light.
By creating so much open space, the family can feel connected even while on separate floors. “We were looking for an easy and fast connection among the four levels,” says the firm.
By creating so much open space, the family can feel connected even while on separate floors. “We were looking for an easy and fast connection among the four levels,” says the firm.
“The access and position of the house provided only one facade, so the distribution [of the rooms] had to be open towards that facade,” the firm says. “By breaking the levels we could drag the light deep in the house.” As for interior lighting, the wall-mounted lamps throughout the house are from Faro, a Barcelona-based lighting company.
“The access and position of the house provided only one facade, so the distribution [of the rooms] had to be open towards that facade,” the firm says. “By breaking the levels we could drag the light deep in the house.” As for interior lighting, the wall-mounted lamps throughout the house are from Faro, a Barcelona-based lighting company.
This ground-floor study, adorned with IKEA’s Soderhamn sectional sofa, is located away from the facade to create some private space in the otherwise open house.
This ground-floor study, adorned with IKEA’s Soderhamn sectional sofa, is located away from the facade to create some private space in the otherwise open house.