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A luminous marriage of old and new, the renovation of a 1930s apartment in Barcelona celebrates the building’s original charm by preserving the patterned tile floors and barrel-vaulted ceilings. The architects from local firm Atzura Arquitectura decided to keep the bedrooms small and give priority to the consolidated common space—a light-filled open area anchored by a modernized plywood kitchen.

The iron clawfoot tub found by Trish and Andrew adds a resonant period vibe but is not original, and had to be carried up the stairs by special movers.

Bathroom on the upper floor.

The double high ceiling in the main social area.

Rather than adding a lot of big windows—a lot of glass runs counter to passive house principles of keeping the heat in—the design team carefully placed the vantage points to frame vignettes and bring the outside in.

Raising the cabinet height and installing new color-blocked Richlite counters and full-height backsplash help the kitchen feel larger.

Lin specified the String shelving across the walnut panel wall and had it surround a restored Paul McCobb credenza that the couple found at a garage sale twenty years ago. “Almost everything in our apartment has a story,” says Kitty.

The large rooftop deck features a firepit and wraparound bench as well as an adjacent lounge.

The upper cabinets were removed and replaced with a wall of blue-green handmade tile, with a glaze that reflects the sunlight.

There are now two entry points at the rear of the building, and the couple is working on the backyard this year, which was the former parking lot for the store.