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      Gold-leaf wall divides renovated Barcelona apartment by Raúl Sánchez Architects

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      Architect Raúl Sánchez has renovated a flat in a typical Barcelona apartment building, adding built-in cabinetry and furnishings in hues that echo the original mosaic flooring.

      The 85-square-metre flat was created following the subdivision of a larger apartment with aspects towards the Carrer d’Enric Granados on one side and a large internal courtyard on the other.
      Raúl Sánchez Architects has renovated a Barcelona apartmentSánchez’s studio was tasked with making the most of the available space, which is just six metres wide and needed to incorporate two bedrooms and two bathrooms along with a generous living area.
      Following the partitioning of the original apartment, this smaller flat was left with an entrance set within the building’s interior at one end and a gallery-like room overlooking the courtyard at the other.
      A wall covered in gold leaf separates the living area from the gallerySánchez chose to leave the main living area and gallery open to enhance the sense of space and connection with the view.

      The rest of the interior comprises private functions that are arranged along a hallway leading from the entrance to the living space.
      The gallery houses the dining room and overlooks the courtyard”I wanted to maximise the light throughout the apartment and make something special of the corridor that was necessary given the situation of entering at one end,” the architect told Dezeen.
      “Even though the apartment is small, there are different space situations like differences in height, materials, dimension or colour, which create a very rich experience inside the flat.”
      The kitchen features a pink marble splashbackThe hallway is lined with full-height cabinetry, incorporating doors that lead to the bedrooms on either side. Each bedroom receives natural light and ventilation from a window that opens onto an internal courtyard.
      Small annexes that serve as dressing rooms connect the bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, one of which is also accessible from the hallway. These spaces feature cabinets, shelves and handles made from water-resistant varnished MDF.
      The flat is styled with modern design pieces including a sofa from KragelundThe walls lining the hall feature a rose-gold finish, only interrupted by a pair of dark blue lacquered bookshelves roughly halfway along.
      Sánchez explained that the colour choices derive directly from the intricate mosaic floors, which were preserved and treated to restore them to their original condition.

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      Rooms where the mosaic had previously been removed now feature off-white micro cement floors.
      “Everything inside the apartment has a bit of that brownish-reddish-beige hue of the tiles,” he pointed out. “Even the blue of the shelves, which may seem a big contrast, can also be found in the tiles.”
      Full-height cabinetry lines the hallway of the flatThe hallway’s walls form a datum that extends through into the living space, where the original exposed ceiling beams create a differentiation in height that is emphasised by a subtle change in colour.
      The rose-gold hue used for the cabinets is echoed by a pink Portuguese marble splashback in the kitchen that was assembled from unmatched salvaged slabs.
      Small annexes connect the bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms from the hallwayAn existing structural wall separating the living area from the gallery space was covered with gold leaf in order to lighten its appearance and conceal its load-bearing purpose.
      “This imparts a more symbolic and abstract presence, serving as a connection element with the exterior, reflecting the light that falls upon it from the backyard,” said Sánchez.
      The flat’s furnishings echo the mosaic flooring of the original apartment designThe property is owned by a client based in Dubai, who will use it as a pied-a-terre as well as renting it out some of the time.
      It was styled with modern design pieces including a sofa from Kragelund, a chaise longue by Sancal and a cork stool from Vitra.
      Dark-blue lacquered bookshelves coexist side-by-side with the rose-gold cabinetryLocal gallery Víctor Lope Arte Contemporáneo provided the various artworks.
      Raúl Sánchez has lived and worked in Barcelona since 2005, where his studio takes on global projects across architecture, interiors, urbanism and design.
      The office was named emerging interior design studio of the year at Dezeen Awards 2022 and has previously completed projects including a townhouse with a four-storey spiral staircase and an apartment featuring a shiny brass wardrobe.

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      Isern Serra designs Barcelona modelling agency as a “landscape” for taking photos

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      Pale walls, sculptural furnishings and sunken plant features provide a striking backdrop to photoshoots taking place inside this Barcelona modelling agency, devised by Spanish studio Isern Serra.

      The Blow Models office occupies the ground floor of a 1920s building and its adjoining warehouse in Barcelona’s Sant Martí neighbourhood.
      Isern Serra designed its pared-back interior as “a landscape where the models can take pictures”.
      The Blow Models office centres around conversation pits and a sunken plant featureThe studio began by knocking through the building’s false ceiling and most of the partition walls to make the interior appear more open and airy.
      A long, rectangular skylight was carved out of the ceiling to allow for more natural lighting, and all surfaces were painted in a pale buttermilk hue.

      A long concrete desk accommodates staff computersAs the building doesn’t sit above a basement or car park, the studio took the opportunity to dig down into the site’s foundations.
      At the heart of the office, the floor is now punctuated by three holes. Two of these were turned into cushioned conversation pits while the third overflows with leafy tropical plants.
      “Light and vegetation becomes the centre from which the project is structured,” explained the studio. “[The] unusual and beautiful background is intended to encourage photography.”
      Steel stools were placed around another concrete tableTwo large concrete tables were placed on either side of the office – one functioning as a communal work desk while the other can be used for general staff gatherings, surrounded by steel stools.
      Steel was also used to create a sculptural prep counter in the office’s kitchen.
      The counter in the staff kitchen is also made from steelThe only rooms that are closed off are those used for meetings or by the accounting department.
      Plain white curtains were installed around their perimeter so that they, too, can serve as spaces to photograph models if necessary.
      Formal meeting rooms are closed off from the rest of the floor planTo maintain the office’s open plan, the toilets were tucked away beside the building’s stairwell. Here, an expansive picture window overlooks the street, bisected by a chunky concrete washbasin.
      There’s also a floor-to-ceiling mirror where visiting models can do their makeup.
      Picture windows in the toilets offer views of the streetThis isn’t the only workspace that Isern Serra has devised in Barcelona. Earlier this year, the studio designed a calming, minimalist office for eyewear brand Gigi.
      Back in 2023 the studio also created an office for digital artist Andres Reisinger, finishing its interior with quartz and stainless steel details.
      The photography is by Salva López.

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      Miriam Barrio creates “organic and natural” interiors for Barcelona curly hair salon

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      Barcelona-based Miriam Barrio Studios has transformed the interiors of a modernist building into Curly Lab, a curly hair salon incorporating curved shapes and copper-toned surfaces.

      Located at the base of a gothic and modernist building designed by Catalan architect Enric Sagnier in 1895, Curly Lab is situated at Diputación in the Eixample district of Barcelona.
      Miriam Barro has designed curly hair-informed interiors for Curly Labs salonMiriam Barrio Studios designed Curly Lab’s 65-square-metre-interior to convey an “organic and natural language”. The space, previously occupied by a real estate agency, now features rich textures that contrast the surrounding architecture.
      Continuous microcement surfacing was used across the salon’s light-toned floors and its terracotta-toned wall to create a distinct backdrop. This microcement was locally sourced and manufactured within the vicinity of Barcelona.
      Microcement was used for the light-toned floors and terracotta-hued wallsNew elements include curved shapes that form the structure of salon countertops, furnishings and lighting fixtures, creating pathways and routes across various workstations.

      “The organic shapes were a match because in the modernist world they symbolised beauty and were entirely aligned with the DNA of curly hair,” designer Miriam Barrio told Dezeen.
      Polished copper tiles decorate these countertop bases, coexisting with historical features also on display.
      Copper-toned tiles furnish the bases of workstation countertopsRemnants of the previous interior are still visible throughout the renovated space. They include exposed brick walls and a Catalan vault ceiling with original floral paintings, which the studio preserved in their current state.
      This process involved a thorough cleaning. The studio then unified the ceiling backgrounds using plain colours, followed by a matte and transparent patina application.
      “The colour of the original ceiling drawings, they were pure inspiration!” Barrio said.
      “A great find and a stroke of luck since there is nothing more natural and special than copper tones,” she added.
      “We wanted to choose a colour derived from the tones of the ceiling and make it the protagonist. It needed to be warm and deep at the same time, neither too feminine nor too masculine. Based on that colour, all the materials for the project were chosen.”
      Preserved features include exposed brick walls and a Catalan vault ceiling with original floral paintingsThe lighting in the space was arranged to highlight the interior’s key architecture and design components, creating an eye-catching display at night when viewing the salon from outside.
      “The lighting in the main space with high ceilings needed to serve two functions: technical lighting for work and decorative lighting to set the atmosphere and enhance the architecture,” Barrio said.

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      “They were positioned at mid-height to illuminate the ceilings from the same element. Curved track lights were designed to flow in the space in the same way as the other elements,” she added.
      Barrio used black metal for the majority of the fixtures besides lighting, including oval-shaped mirrors on dressing tables and Color Bar furniture. Other notable accessories include ceramic lamps and velvet sofas.
      Lighting fixture positioning accentuates the architecture and design of the space”I think it is important to feel beautiful in a salon, for the space to be a fitting companion,” Barrio expressed.
      “We want [consumers] to feel welcomed and inspired, close to feeling like they are in a special temple. In a place of care on all levels.”
      Curly Labs combines new and old shapes and colours to create an “organic and natural” atmosphereOther innovative salon interiors across the globe include the Buller and Rice in London designed by Anita Rice and Stephen Buller, Koda in Sydney by Arent & Pyke and Treadwell by Gin Design Group.
      The photography is by Salva López.

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      Tactile materials “accentuate the value of shadows” in Bolívar House

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      Spanish architect Juan Gurrea Rumeu used a palette of warm, textural materials and carefully positioned voids to create atmospheric living spaces inside this house he designed for himself and his wife in Barcelona.

      Rumeu and his wife, the Madrid-born artist Beatriz Dubois, decided to move to the architect’s home city for work after living for several years in Paris.
      Bolívar House takes up a narrow site on Barcelona’s Carrer de BolívarThey purchased a site occupied by a derelict storage building in the Vallcarca district that was affordable due to its northern aspect, narrow proportions and busy urban context.
      Bolívar House is located on the Carrer de Bolívar and is surrounded by buildings from various eras, ranging from early 20th-century art nouveau houses to industrial workshops and 1970s apartment blocks.
      Three square openings animate its street-facing facadeIn this chaotic and energetic environment, Gurrea Rumeu’s practice Gr-os – working with local architects Mercè Badal and Teresa Rumeu – sought to create a restful retreat defined by its considered use of space and light.

      “Despite its complicated urban setting, surrounded by taller buildings and heavy traffic, the interior atmosphere is surprisingly peaceful,” Gurrea Rumeu told Dezeen.
      “The position and scale of openings frames views and curates intimacy and light.”
      Dark wood was used throughout to create a sense of calmThe building itself comprises a monolithic grey box punctured by three square openings, which animate its street-facing elevation while defining views from within.
      A concrete plinth becomes a column that supports a visible steel lintel, which also acts as a recessed channel to hold utility cables as they pass across the simple frontage.
      One of the building’s structural steel columns is left exposed on each levelThe exposed beam provides a subtle ornamental detail that references the facade composition and, in particular, the decorative frieze found on a traditional residence across the street.
      The house’s exterior is rendered using a textured stucco that evokes rustic Catalan properties called masias. According to the architect, this finish adds a textural element to the otherwise minimal elevation that recalls an artist’s brushstrokes.
      The dwelling shares its long and narrow site with a multi-storey apartment building, in which Gurrea Rumeu and Dubois were able to add a studio on the basement level.

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      The studio is visible across a central courtyard separating it from the home’s kitchen and dining area, which also looks onto the lush tropical planting through a full-height opening.
      At the front of the property, a double-height concrete volume containing the garage and a stairwell provides an acoustic barrier between the living areas and the street.
      Three bedrooms and the main living room are accommodated on the first and second floors, with the bedrooms at the rear overlooking the tranquil courtyard.
      The kitchen opens onto a small courtyardDespite being a north-facing house, the design is not focused on capturing as much natural light as possible, Gurrea Rumeu explained, but rather on emphasising the moody atmosphere through careful material choices.
      “We decided to use honest and expressive materials which are pleasant for the senses and accentuate the value of shadows,” the architect pointed out.
      “In-situ concrete walls, dark walnut floors, white marble and glazed tiles create a rich atmosphere in which subtle changes of light become apparent throughout the day and the seasons.”
      Monolithic wooden staircases feature in the living room and the foyerGurrea Rumeu also used simple architectural interventions to amplify the sensorial experience within the home, with voids and openings allowing sunlight to illuminate the spaces in intriguing ways.
      Monolithic wooden staircases located in the entrance lobby and living room follow the home’s two main axes and add complexity to the circulation. Their bold presence helps to emphasise the volume of these double-height spaces.
      The majority of the building’s structure is left exposed, with services and false ceilings concentrated towards the centre of the plan.
      Concrete ceilings add a brutalist touchA central concrete core conceals the upper flights of stairs and supports the floor slabs, while one of the structural steel columns is left exposed on each level as a nod to the building’s construction.
      The columns become a feature in their respective rooms, becoming thinner higher up in the building as the load reduces.
      The property contains a limited and carefully curated selection of furniture including vintage pieces, bespoke elements and classic designs chosen for their special significance to the owners.
      Tiles complete the home’s tactile material paletteGurrea Rumeu received his master’s from the Royal College of Art in London before completing his Professional Practice diploma at the AA School of Architecture. He worked for firms in Beijing, Paris and Barcelona before establishing his own studio in 2020.
      Other recently completed homes in Barcelona include La Clara by CRÜ, which is set inside a former public laundry, and a brick extension to a 19th-century terrace house by H Arquitectes.
      The photography is by Max Hart Nibbrig.

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