Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

A Renovated Barcelona Flat Glows With All-White Interiors and Restored Brick Ceilings

A Renovated Barcelona Flat Glows With All-White Interiors and Restored Brick Ceilings

Allaround Lab completely revamps an 800-square-foot apartment, uncovering original barrel-vaulted ceilings and installing custom cabinetry from front to back.

Well-traveled couple Lucia Marengo and Julian Kraan felt right at home when they discovered the Gràcia district in Barcelona. The village-esque neighborhood had great food, and with the city’s mediterranean climate, was the perfect place to ride bikes. "We sometimes wondered whether we accidentally went on holiday," says Julian. And while everything felt idyllic for the couple, the flat they bought there was far from perfect.



Chosen for the view it provided, and its location on a quiet and car-free street, the top-floor apartment they purchased had low-ceilings and felt cramped. With nine different rooms across a single floor of about 800 square feet, it wasn’t exactly the wide open space the couple had wanted. Architect Noelia de la Red of Allaround Lab soon stepped in, addressing that primary desire head on. "We literally threw out all the partitions," says de la Red.

For the new layout, Allaround organized the apartment with four distinct spaces that run lengthwise. Since Lucia loves to cook, and the couple loves to entertain, the kitchen was placed at the middle of the bar-shaped floor plan, and is open to an adjacent living and dining area. "[The kitchen] is right in front of you when you enter the apartment, and it’s in sight from all parts of the home," says Julian. On the other side is the laundry area and bathroom space, through which is the couple’s bedroom. On the opposite end of the home-next to the living area-is a small garden terrace.



"It’s used as a winter garden," says de la Red, "an intermediate space between the interior and the exterior." Positioned for sun, the space helps collect heat for the home during colder months, and is used as a terrace in the warmer ones. The plants, carried over from Julian and Lucia’s previous flat, provide a welcome hit of green.

In gutting the flat, Allaround Lab discovered that the apartment’s unusually low ceilings masked an original barrel-vaulted brick and iron-beam ceiling. By exposing it, the firm not only added volume to the interiors, but also enhanced it visually. The cleaned and restored brick provides a warm, rosy tint and rough-hewn texture throughout the apartment.



The rest of the home’s interior palette is neutral, with very slight variations to define each of the four distinct areas. The larger living and sleeping areas, both in white, feature micro-concrete floors and wood detailing; the garden area and the bathroom/laundry area, which divide the other spaces, are each colored in what de la Red calls a "pinkish" tone. Each features gray-tiled flooring and metal window frames.

For storage, Allaround installed a wall of built-in cabinetry from IKEA that runs the length of the apartment-"so that we can hide away our stuff," jokes Julian. The cabinetry, customized by Cubro, seamlessly integrates appliances like the refrigerator, dishwasher, and laundry machine into the home. In another custom touch, speakers are slotted into the benches in the living room.



Each section of the long stretch of cabinets divides the flat aesthetically while also providing a secondary function to storage. The living room cabinets are lowered to double as seating for guests, while in the kitchen, the cabinet countertops feature a metal finish. In the bedroom, the open shelving provides space to display personal effects.

Julian, who’s a UX/UI designer, says he leans toward unfussy design. His slant matches nicely with Allaround’s motto of "simple solutions to complex problems," but the firm also has a penchant for playful elements. A good example is in the bathroom, where pale-rose subway tile provides a backdrop for a custom, floating terrazzo vanity from Huguet that resembles a thick slice of Turrón candy studded with jeweled fruit.



In another playful moment, the home’s entry doors close to blend seamlessly into the walls. The colors a perfect match, and the frame retreats into the built-in guide on the false ceiling. In contrast, the glass doors and windows at either end of the flat demand attention-especially, says Julian, "when the morning sun streams in through the gallery arches, and later, in the evening, when you can watch the sunset from the bedroom."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×