Designer Marta Castellano worked her magic on a once-sombre Barcelona apartment to turn it into an ultra-bright family home, full of inspiring industrial-luxe ideas.
That’s the brief that Monica and Stefan Ferri sent interior designer Marta Castellano. It might sound like the prescription for a chillingly minimalist interior, devoid of personality, but Marta, who is used to decoding the desires of even the most opaque patrons, knew exactly what the couple had in mind for their Barcelona apartment. ‘Monica and Stefan run a global business and spend most of their time travelling the world for work,’ she explains. ‘They wanted me to create somewhere that contrasted sharply with their everyday lives: a family home that’s modern and clutter-free, but also inviting… A bit Zen.’
A quick scoot around the apartment shows that she’s fulfilled the brief to perfection. Located on the first floor of a turn-of-the-century building, the open-plan space strikes that requisite contemporary but convivial balance. Sofas are low and slouchy and there’s a long, rustic table for family meals. A cosy reading nook is framed by pillars recalling the building’s 19th-century roots. ‘When Monica and Stefan bought the place, it was still two separate flats occupied by a firm of tailors,’ says Marta. ‘It was a mouse house of small, dark rooms with damask wallpaper, wood beams and chandeliers – typically bourgeois Spanish.’
Esta historia es de la edición May 2017 de Living Etc Magazine.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición May 2017 de Living Etc Magazine.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Rooting For Change
The concept of the 'environmentally healthy' garden is something we should all be embracing - and top designers have the intel on how to get it right
courtyard gardens
THESE COMPACT AND CONSTRAINED OUTDOOR PLOTS CAN FEEL LIKE URBAN OASES IF THE RIGHT DESIGN CHOICES ARE MADE
NEXT BIG THING
Our favourite designers pick aname on their radar that ought to be on yours, too. This month: interior designer Hollie Bowden introduces a London-based furniture and lighting studio
global outlook: interiors report
OUR NEW YORK EDITOR KEITH FLANAGAN UNCOVERS THE US LAUNCHES AND DESIGN NEWS MAKING WAVES OVER HERE TOO
colour decoded
There’s nothing subtle about this scheme, says Livingetc’s Amy Moorea Wong – it’s a celebration of the pure joy of colour
Blazing a trail
Perhaps you know her from her incredible ceramic wall mural or her activism either way, Malene Djenaba Barnett is a groundbreaker in the truest sense of the word
sky high
Harnessing natural light is a goal for every home and the sophisticated skylights seen today are using modern tech and design to ace that objective
PLAIN SAILING
This converted boathouse in Copenhagen provides carefree days on the waterfront for its architect owners
MADE TO MEASURE
Inside and out, the bespoke and crafted elements of this Lisbon abode make for a home like no other
ZEST FOR LIFE
With its palette of sunny sorbet shades and space-enhancing design, this Milan apartment is full of good vibes