Bonba Studio has transformed an office in Barcelona's Eixample district into a two-bedroom flat featuring traditional vaulted ceilings and multi-hued surfaces.
Casp21 is a 170-square-metre double-height apartment, located on the first floor of a five-storey block dating back to the late 19th century. The building had been used as offices since the 1980s.
A spacious master bedroom and a bright open-plan living space are situated at opposite ends of the home. A mint-green, timber-lined corridor links them, and also provides access to a guest bedroom, bathrooms and a laundry room slotted in between.
"Arranging these volumes on either side of the corridor acts as a central axis to connect the sleeping area to the living area," said Bonba Studio, which is based locally.
Original features had been concealed when the space was used as an office, including the vaulted brick ceiling – known locally as a Catalan arch.
But the designers wanted to re-expose these details – in a similar way to other apartment renovations in the area, including one by Laboratory for Architecture in Barcelona and another by Cavaa Arquitectes.
They removed the old drop ceiling to create four-metre-high ceilings in the bedroom and living room, and widened doorway openings to allow light to filter through the entire home.
"The reform, which has achieved a very personal ambience, fulfils the wishes of the client, who wanted the flat to become his place of disconnection and relaxation," said the designers.
The open-plan living space includes a kitchen and dining area, although these two spaces are set back into the green-panelled section that frames the corridor. Terracotta tiles contrast with oak floorboards, making a clear transition between the two spaces.
A breakfast bar with a marble base and oak top is accompanied by grey bar stools, the same chairs that accompany a dining table and desk in the living area.
Two tall windows allow light to flood into the predominantly white-painted lounge space. They also open the room out to a terrace with additional seating.
At the opposite end of the apartment, the bright and spacious master bedroom also boasts clean white walls and oak floors, and also includes a walk-in wardrobe and an en-suite bathroom.
This wet room is recessed into the corridor and fronted by a glass translucent sliding door. It features the same terracotta tiles and marble seen in the kitchen, as well as matching dark grey tiles.
The guest bedroom and bathroom introduce a new colour – pale yellow tiles cover the walls in the bathroom.
Photography is by José Hevia.