With its boho-meets-Med spirit, this Barcelona new build makes a serious design splash
ROOFTOP POOL
From here you can see the sea beyond the city and a special landmark – the Sagrada Familia. The mural, by the home’s designer Carlos Pujol, celebrates the church. ‘The mural goes to the bottom of the pool. I thought it would be amusing to extend the Sagrada Familia by adding the tentacles of a giant octopus,’ he says.
TERRACE
The custom table matches the indoor one. ‘The mosaics of the two tables, which are on wheels, form a fresco when joined,’ says Carlos. ‘The idea is to move them at convenience, sometimes outside, sometimes inside, for a lunch with more than 16 people for example.’
You might say interior designer Carlos Pujol had a blank slate with this Barcelona new build, but he also had stiff competition. With startling views over the city, sea and the famed Sagrada Familia church, the airy abode has the type of outlook that could easily overshadow any interior. Creating a home that lives up to such surroundings is no easy feat.
Surprisingly, the starry location wasn’t even the first choice. The clients – afamily of six comprising three young boys, one girl, plus a dog – originally hoped to reimagine an existing historic structure, but the city’s rigid urban planning gummed up the process. Landing instead on this scenic plot in the green-flecked Horta Guinardó suburb, they were committed to creating a space rooted in the Mediterranean spirit. ‘They are cool, open to the world,’ says Carlos, noting the family’s interest in what he calls ‘bohemian chic’ interiors.
Mixing organic and eclectic designs, Carlos turned the family’s vision into colourful reality over the course of two years, forging their bold intentions with stripped-back, industrial materials such as concrete, wood and metal. Flooded with light, thanks to the building’s southern exposure, a bright mood permeates the home, adding to the uninhibited spirit that vibes with the brilliant landscape.
For Carlos, who prides himself on custom designs, emphasis was placed on handmade details. ‘For every project that we carry out, we design tailor-made furniture so that each one is ergonomic, individual and unique,’ he says. From room to room, the interiors are warmed up with tactile details such as the colourful zellige tiles, porcelain doorknobs and wooden beaded curtains. ‘All the cupboard doors, for example, were made from salvaged and treated wagon floors,’ says Carlos, who upcycled the material and used it throughout the house. Everywhere you look, traces of nature weave through the finishes (the coffee tables in the living ro
