Contemporary Barcelona Home
Architect Yolanda Yuste’s customer wanted his apartment in the Gothic Quarter, Barcelona, to represent a modern spirit — not the conventional architecture typical of the town’s oldest district. “My customer wanted to maintain some original areas of the home, such as the vaulted beam ceilings and arches, but he also wanted a relaxed and totally modern place to live, entertain and work,” says Yuste.
As she began the redesign, Yuste concentrated on reinterpreting the arrangement as two areas: just open and societal and the other completely personal — a true place of retreat.
at a Glance
Who lives here: A young expat from England
Location: Gothic Quarter, Barcelona, Spain
Size: 1,399 square feet
Style challenge: Maintaining the traditional architecture of the Gothic Quarter Whilst reflecting an entirely new room and atmosphere
YLAB Arquitectos Barcelona
Customized touches were a necessary part of the house’s upgrade. The wall and ceiling are paneled with tinted pine wood slats built by hand. The slats’ horizontal placement and repeat, coupled with the sharp white walls from the walls, give the room a feeling of expansiveness.
YLAB Arquitectos Barcelona
Flushed kitchen cabinets repeat the rectangular form of the slats, but in a larger scale. The cabinets, countertops and dining table are completed in bronze, including sheen and texture.
YLAB Arquitectos Barcelona
Two big pendant lights lined in golden foliage add drama to the minimalist space, highlighting the house’s contemporary spirit. The stark black color of the colors contrasts with the white walls, concrete flooring and warm wood.
YLAB Arquitectos Barcelona
Yuste integrated much of the kitchen furniture and surrounding spaces with the wall paneling and simplified the geometry of the room. Large black claws (displayed flush against the panels) can fold down to cover the countertop and serve as a dinner table.
YLAB Arquitectos Barcelona
Black and white sliding doors signal a visual and physical transition in the dining room into the frequent location.
YLAB Arquitectos Barcelona
The warm wood tones are all but gone in the living room, only slightly recalled in the smaller accent pieces; whitewashed walls and beamed ceilings take its place, expanding the distance.
As the set of pendants adds drama into the kitchen, an oversize floor lamp stands guard by the archway transition and takes the place of an artwork piece.
YLAB Arquitectos Barcelona
“We changed the window frames to reflect a more modern design, yet they still fit within the traditional architecture,” says Yuste. The courtyard, shared by all the building’s occupants, is seen from this vantage point.
YLAB Arquitectos Barcelona
The mix of natural materials in the accent decor keeps the layout from feeling dull and cold. Earth tones and textures warm up the living area and elicit a relaxed and laid-back atmosphere.
YLAB Arquitectos Barcelona
As in the remainder of the apartment, storage space is hidden in the restroom behind boards with a high-gloss finish. “We wanted to own freestanding fixtures in the tub to enhance the feeling of spaciousness,” says Yuste.
YLAB Arquitectos Barcelona
An egg bathtub rounds out an area dedicated to “relaxation, intimacy and sensuality,” says Yuste. Translucent glass lightly conceals the bathroom and shower space, developing a contemporary, spalike feel.
YLAB Arquitectos Barcelona
Everything concerning this bedroom whispers casual: a shabby chic mirrored panel replaces a conventional headboard, beddings in natural fabrics add to the tousled look, along with a shag rug in mild brown remains well within the neutral palette of the room. Unadorned balcony doors let lots of light in.
But what catches the eye is a neat little niche that is left empty but for the ideal shade of grey.