Houzz Tour: An Apartment Designed Around the Barcelona Skyline
A cross-cultural collaboration results in a luxe vacation home that plays up light and views
A London-born entrepreneur and writer who had been living in Minsk, Belarus, for several years wanted to buy an apartment in a sunny European city. He chose Barcelona as the city combines interesting architecture and proximity to the sea with convenient infrastructure and transportation links to Belarus. The capital of Spain’s Catalonia region also has more sunny days than rainy London or even Minsk.
The airy and spacious atmosphere is due to the designers. The original layout divided the apartment into small rooms, which Stepanova and Koshcheeva combined to create three bedrooms and a spacious kitchen-living room.
“Everything in the interior is made to facilitate sunlight entering the house: crystal and stainless steel, mirrors, minimalist decor and elegant furniture standing on slim feet. Even the lamps don’t cast shadows in here,” Stepanova says.
However, the project also allows for protection from the sun when necessary: Blinds are built into the windows, and sliding shutter panels are installed around the terrace (see below). The terrace offers stunning views at any time of the day.
“Everything in the interior is made to facilitate sunlight entering the house: crystal and stainless steel, mirrors, minimalist decor and elegant furniture standing on slim feet. Even the lamps don’t cast shadows in here,” Stepanova says.
However, the project also allows for protection from the sun when necessary: Blinds are built into the windows, and sliding shutter panels are installed around the terrace (see below). The terrace offers stunning views at any time of the day.
“At the request of the client, we merged the bedroom with the bathroom. The glass shower element juts out slightly into the bedroom. Transparent glass allows sunlight to enter the washroom, and lets the owners admire the horizon and the view of the city. Standing naked in front of a huge city is an unusual sensation,” Stepanova says. As shown on the floor plan, there is also a second bathroom in the apartment.
The Azul Macaubas granite on the accent wall is reminiscent of a waterfall.
The owner placed no restrictions on color. Stepanova and Koshcheeva chose shades that correspond to the view from the windows: Sky blue and pure white are reflected in the interior palette.
Outside, the wind turned out to be a challenge. In winter, it’s so strong that you wouldn’t want to go out on the terrace. That’s why the team chose elegant but heavy and durable furniture. Besides that, there is often no central heating in Barcelona, so when it gets cold and wet, a heating unit warms up the rooms.
Overall, there were few technical difficulties, but the designers had to get used to the local culture. For example, hardly any of the Spanish subcontractors or salesclerks spoke English, so it was sometimes hard to communicate.
“Sure, we didn’t immediately get used to the work rhythm,” Stepanova says. “Besides a two-hour lunch break, there is also a 30-minute breakfast break. On Sundays and holidays, nobody works. Once I came for a week to solve some problems related to the project, and four days out of the seven turned out to be public holidays.”
Overall, there were few technical difficulties, but the designers had to get used to the local culture. For example, hardly any of the Spanish subcontractors or salesclerks spoke English, so it was sometimes hard to communicate.
“Sure, we didn’t immediately get used to the work rhythm,” Stepanova says. “Besides a two-hour lunch break, there is also a 30-minute breakfast break. On Sundays and holidays, nobody works. Once I came for a week to solve some problems related to the project, and four days out of the seven turned out to be public holidays.”
“In Moscow, everything is different. Workers can live and work in the building site to speed up the process and save money; here, everything is ordered and life is pleasant. As a result, the renovation took half a year,” Koshcheeva says.
“We … merged the kitchen and living room, at the owners’ request, into a single huge space with a fully equipped kitchen. The owners love homemade food and cook with local products,” Stepanova says.
Lamps: Victo and Octo, Secto Design
Lamps: Victo and Octo, Secto Design
At first, they had planned a different color for the kitchen. However, finding this delicate shade, which looks as though it were painted with the rays of the setting sun, was the jumping-off point for the whole concept.
“All the materials in the apartment are natural, expensive and often just gorgeous: stone, wood, marble and glass. The work of the Spanish artist Jon Errazu decorates the wall,” Koshcheeva says.
They tried to buy ready-made furniture as much as possible, but often showrooms of European and Spanish designs didn’t have anything suitable. So it was necessary to select from photos and samples, and some of the furniture was custom-made.
“Neither the suppliers nor the furniture manufacturers or builders work under signed agreements, as they do in Belarus and Russia. They simply fix a deadline and work based on trust,” Koshcheeva says, smiling.
“Neither the suppliers nor the furniture manufacturers or builders work under signed agreements, as they do in Belarus and Russia. They simply fix a deadline and work based on trust,” Koshcheeva says, smiling.
The architects made a guest bedroom and a media space out of two adjacent rooms.
“Many Spanish people don’t have a television in the living room, since they prefer chatting with friends and family there, and watching football or movies in another, smaller room. We organized the space accordingly and unified it with the guest room,” Stepanova says.
“Many Spanish people don’t have a television in the living room, since they prefer chatting with friends and family there, and watching football or movies in another, smaller room. We organized the space accordingly and unified it with the guest room,” Stepanova says.
Oddly enough, the most difficult thing was not securing approval for the renovation as a whole, but rather for placing the hot tub on the terrace. “In Spain, the terrace is considered a shared territory, even though only the owner has access to it,” Koshcheeva says. “The effort was worth it, though: Now, lying back in the Jacuzzi, you can watch the sun go down. The sunsets here are fantastic!”
Barcelona in the evening is seen from the master bedroom.
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Houzz at a Glance
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Who lives here: A British entrepreneur-writer and his wife when on vacation
Size: About 1,380 square feet (128 square meters), with a terrace of 560 square feet (52 square meters)
Designers: Maria Stepanova and Lilya Koshcheeva
The owner entrusted two friends from Minsk — designers Maria Stepanova and Lilya Koshcheeva — with the design of the interior of his apartment, located next to Diagonal Mar Park. This is one of Barcelona’s largest parks, designed by Catalan architect Enric Miralles.
This turned into a difficult but inspiring project for the two women. “We met with the owner in Belarus. His work allows him to travel a lot, and once a month, he comes to Barcelona with his wife. Now he will have his own comfy apartment here,” Koshcheeva says.
The designers nicknamed the apartment The House of Sun. Since it has windows on three sides, it’s possible to watch the sun rise and set from inside.