A modern family apartment with original elements preserved

Location: Barcelona (The Antiga Esquerra de l'Eixample neighborhood)
Who lives there: A family with two children
Area: 84 m2
Works done: Complete renovation and furniture
Highlights: Functionality, comfort, space optimization, and the restoration of some original elements of the home

The apartment in this project belonged to the family. After being rented out for some time, the owners decided it was time to reclaim their Barcelona home and tailor it to their current lifestyle and preferences. The project aimed to restore the character of this historic 1895 apartment, retaining the distinctive features typical of Eixample homes—such as high ceilings, exposed beams, original brickwork, and tall balcony doors—while reconfiguring the layout and introducing modern decor elements.

The layout was completelyredesigned to suit the family of five. The daytime living area integrates the kitchen, living, and dining spaces into one open, connected zone, enabling the family to spend more time together. A standout feature is the large dining table, perfect for hosting long, leisurely dinners. This open-plan design marks a significant departure from the apartment’s previous layout. To make it possible, the original beams running through the space had to be reinforced.

The apartment includes two bathrooms: a spacious family bathroom with a bathtub and a smaller guest toilet. Additionally, the hallway leading to the bedrooms has been optimized to create extra storage space.

In the nighttime area, the children's bedrooms were designed to offer ample room to play now and to serve as study spaces in the future. We opted for pull-out beds from the brand Tegar, allowing these rooms to easily double their sleeping capacity when needed.

When it came to decorating, a key focus was creating a balance between elements that should seamlessly blend into the space and those we wanted to highlight. The kitchen cabinetry is a prime example of this approach. We chose to match its finish with the surrounding wall paint to minimize its visual impact, ensuring that original features like the exposed brickwork and striking beams draw immediate attention. Similarly, the hallway closet and entryway shoe rack were designed with subtlety in mind. In contrast, the bedroom closets, finished in anthracite, were given a more prominent role to visually differentiate the nighttime area from the rest of the home.

Finally, significant improvements were made to the apartment’s energy efficiency, largely thanks to the installation of zoned ducted air conditioning and the addition of thermal insulation in the ceilings, with the terrace situated just above.