Architects Turn Small Barcelona Apartment into Bright Flexible Home 45sqm 484sqft

The main goal was to give multiple functions to the common and social areas of the home and add flexibility everywhere else we could. We saw a lot of potential in the apartment, especially because of the large amounts of natural light. I am Cristina Portadia and I'm Patrick Boner. We are co-founders and architects of Atelier PBO. The clients are a young professional couple who are very into minimalism and they both like to enjoy the city and host tapas nights and parties at their home. The apartment is located in Barcelona's Clot neighborhood. El Clot is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Barcelona with medieval origins as an agricultural area known for its orchards and mills. The building was built in 1930. Since its construction it was used as a residential building. A few days after they purchased the place, we started scraping the walls and opening holes in the ceiling to find the hidden treasures of the apartment. Luckily, the Catalan vaults and brick walls were in perfect condition. There were four small rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a combined living-dining area. The bathroom was also extremely small. The first thing we decided to do in this space was to create one large main bedroom. This gave us the opportunity to build a brand new bathroom, an office area and a laundry area. The rest of the space was turned into one large open space that holds the kitchen, living and dining room. We love small things that make a big difference and the light soy portable lamp from Heliograph is exactly that. It looks like a soy sauce fish but it's a playful and practical lamp made from 75% ocean bound plastic. It's beautifully made too with USB-C charging, touch control dimming and plastic free compostable packaging. Thoughtful design from the inside out and we're giving away five of them. Subscribe to the Never Too Small magazine by You enter the apartment directly into the connecting hallway. We created a niche for a shelving system that provides space to lift keys and outdoor accessories as well as space on the bottom for shoes. We left the wall in its raw brick to give this space an industrial vibe. We installed a slim three-piece hanging pendant to light the space softly and uniformly. The clients use baskets to organize small things in similar categories. The social area of the apartment follows an all-in-one concept. It is where the Catalan vaults can be better appreciated. The kitchen is made up of three main pieces. We agreed that there wasn't a need for upper cabinets. Instead we added a simple pine open shelving that they use for the plates and serve ware. The kitchen is built using IKEA cabinets customized with high pressure laminate Kubra fronts and countertops. We installed the sink, a hidden dishwasher, the gas hob and lots of storage for pots, pans, cutlery and serve ware. On the counter facing the window we installed the under counter fridge and the freezer as well as the oven. We kept the entire surface free to be used as a long stretch of prep space or a buffet for when the clients host dinner parties. On the window that connects to the office area we added a small ledge that they can use to rest drinks, pass things around from the kitchen to the office and decorate the space. For the third piece of the kitchen we decided to do a wooden veneer that makes it feel more like part of the living room. Inside it they store most of their dishware, their pantry and their bar. When they want to create a large uninterrupted dance floor for parties they move this piece to the empty corner. The dining area is at the center of the large open space. The large table can comfortably sit up to six people and from time to time is moved to the corner of the apartment. It was important for us to leave the kettle and wall ceiling as untouched as possible, therefore we decided to add a simple panel light from Creative Cables. The living room is another of these transforming spaces. There were a lot of different things the clients wanted from this room. A lounge area with a sofa, spaces to store and display records and personal items. In the space carved out by the kitchen we installed a set of heavy duty hooks that hold up the hammock. It can easily be removed, allowing this space to become a place to work out or meditate in. The small sofa is on the other side of the room. Above it a set of shelves of varying length is filled with the owner's personal items. The most upper shelf spans the entire wall of the living room and is high enough that it blends away into the ceiling and reduces visual clutter. The clients decided to use a stylish projector instead of a tv which feels more like a decor piece than a bulky tech piece. The flooring in the apartment is a neutral gray micro cement that stays cool during Barcelona's hot summers. The apartment has a slim balcony facing the street that can be accessed from both windows. The office is located at the very end of the box. It is designed to transform and accommodate two contrasting functions, office and guest room. We place the desk facing the window so that it connects this space to the large open area and visually extends it. The office desk can be moved to the living space when guests stay over. The clients bring in two foldable mattresses to be used as bedding for guests. From the office there is access to the upper storage above the bathroom where the clients store more of their seasonal items. The large doors are made out of pine wood which is what we used for all the wooden structures in the apartment. When not in use the laundry can be completely covered with the big sliding door from the office space. Around the water heater we added shelves on the walls and above the washing machine for the laundry supplies and cleaning tools. We designed the bathroom based on a simple two-color concept. The vanity is a piece from Roca. It is wall mounted so it also frees up space below to allow the clients to tuck away their hampers where they store their towels. For the shower we chose deep terracotta tiles. The wall that hides the plumbing serves as a shower shelf while still allowing natural light to flood this corner. The main bedroom is a simple compact space. One of the things that makes it feel more spacious is the large opening we created of the door. In the nook carved out by the entryway the clients have installed a wardrobe system that they created using a few IKEA pieces. Their bed can lift up using a gas lift system to reveal even more storage. They keep all of their seasonal clothes in labeled baskets as well as bed linens, towels, rarely used shoes and suitcases. Above the bed a discreet set of doors hides the storage room we created above the bathroom, although the clients usually access it from the office. In popular cities like Barcelona the housing problem is caused by the amount of space we need these days or think we need. If people can think through their day-to-day needs and reduce them to the essentials they can realize that even 45 square meters is plenty of space for a couple and even three people. Sign up to our newsletter for subscriber only content and exclusive offers. Visit nevertosmall.com slash subscribe