In the heart of Barcelona's Eixample, a grand early twentieth-century building holds within it an extraordinary testament to Catalan modernisme: wrought iron doors with brass fittings, carved friezes, ceilings painted in fresco with floral garlands and gilded acanthus mouldings. It is within this exceptional historic setting that Verónica Mimoun Studio signs the complete renovation of a 120 m² apartment, transforming it into a contemporary and functional home without sacrificing for a single moment the character of the building that contains it.
Upon entering the apartment, at the far end a clean, contemporary kitchen; in the foreground, the bronze ornament of a century-old door. That tension between past and present is the essence of the project.
The Kitchen
The kitchen is resolved with handleless, continuously lined cabinetry lacquered in matt taupe grey, with white worktops. The large-format central island, also in white, doubles as a breakfast bar and informal dining table, with chrome-framed bar stools with white seats that complete the composition with effortless lightness. The Siemens stainless steel appliances are integrated into a tall technical column alongside the American-style fridge-freezer, while the gas hob and flush-mounted sink are set into the work surface.
The microcement floor in the kitchen zone gives way to oak parquet in the rest of the open-plan space, subtly marking the transition between the different uses without interrupting the visual continuity.
The living room
In contrast to the restraint of the kitchen, the living room bursts with chromatic energy. A large corner sofa in mid grey is layered with mustard yellow and anthracite cushions, while a square ottoman upholstered in deep yellow velvet serves simultaneously as a coffee table and a bold gesture of colour. The composition rests on the light oak parquet that runs throughout the daytime zone.
The large windows with white louvred shutters and the modernist balconies flood the space with light. From within, the wrought iron lattices frame the city like living paintings: a decorative layer that the building offers freely, and one that the studio's intervention has known how to integrate as a leading element.
The television unit, lacquered in white, is resolved with the same discretion as the rest of the project: functional, clean, present without imposing itself.
The home office
Integrated within the same open-plan space, the home office is articulated around a large-format white work table with a black metal frame, equipped with multiple monitors. Two ergonomic chairs complete this working corner that coexists with the living room without friction, thanks to the chromatic coherence of the overall composition.
The Primary Bedroom
The very pale grey-blue walls and white ceiling wrap the bedroom in a serene and fresh atmosphere. The bed, with a grey upholstered headboard, is dressed in white bed linen and a striped blanket in neutral tones. A white ceiling fan, a practical nod to the Mediterranean climate, completes the space with the same discretion as the rest of the intervention. Soft grey curtains filter the light that enters through the window overlooking the street.
From the bedroom, direct access leads to the en suite bathroom, whose white-framed door anticipates the change of register that awaits on the other side.
The Bathroom
The en suite bathroom is, perhaps, the most striking space in the project. Walls and floor clad entirely in mid-grey microcement create an enveloping, mineral atmosphere. The wall-hung unit in anthracite with a white worktop and integrated basin is accompanied by a large-format mirror and simple side wall lights. The shower, defined by a frameless glass screen, features matt black fixtures, a rainfall overhead shower and a wall-mounted shower set, that contrast with precision against the grey microcement backdrop.
The Building
The project cannot be understood without its container. The photographs of the building's doors, ironwork and ceilings are not a documentary appendix: they are part of the proposal. The main wrought iron door with burnished brass handles, the geometric black and white friezes on the entrance hall walls, the staircase balustrade with organic scrollwork, and the fresco-painted ceiling with peony garlands and gilded acanthus mouldings form an artistic heritage that Verónica Mimoun Studio has chosen to celebrate rather than ignore.
The dialogue between the renovated interior and the historic soul of the building is, ultimately, the true project.
