I’m currently putting together a selection of pretty and (mostly) eclectic flats in Barcelona, so I was browsing the website of Spanish interior design magazine El Mueble, when I found this flat, and for a few days I kept the page open in my browser, because the place is just so beautiful, and I couldn’t get it off my mind. Finally I decided it deserves an entire post dedicated to it.
According to the article, the place is housed in a 1900’s building, and its owner, Mónica, decided to preserve the modernist feel of the place, including the 4.5-meter high ceiling, the original woodwork, and the mosaic floor which required elaborate restoration and was carpeted when she purchased the property (and it’s hand-painted, not hydraulic tiles!). The original floor was made to stand out and shine on the backdrop of beige-painted walls and white upholstery. And the presence of natural wood was reinforced with numerous pieces of furniture, and I absolutely love the result. The place transmits such tranquility and harmony, as if it was a country estate and not a flat in the middle of a bustling city such as Barcelona. I don’t even care that there are hardly any non-neutral colours other than on the floor, the place is just perfect as it is.
The highlight of the flat is the dining room. I play the piano myself, and I really hate not having one in Barcelona. Well, this family has a piano, and it’s an antique one, made of walnut wood and with ivory keys. And the chaise longue is another piece of furniture I’d love to have someday. The chairs are cool too, same as the coffee table in the sitting area, both were sourced from a shop I didn’t know, it’s called India&Pacific, and they have shops in Madrid, Barcelona and Girona.
The modernist style wooden framework separating the dining space from a little library is just to die for. It’s all these details that add so much charm and character to the place – the antique piano, the gorgeous chandelier purchased in Provence, the wooden framework, the paintings most of which are works of artists from Mónica’s own family – Julián Grau Santos, Ángeles Santos Torroella (whose works can also be found in Madrid’s Museo Reina Sofía), and Antonio Santos. The article also makes an emphasis on the fact that the owner had no help from a professional designer, so all I can say is Chapeau to Mónica!
I love how everything in the house, all the spaces, are connected through woodwork, mixing new stuff with old, such as this bench in the entry hall, which was purchased at Barcelona’s best vintage market – Mercantic or the bureau you will see below, from Merc&Cia. And there is such harmony to all these natural shades. I just hope you like this place as much as I do!
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