This 538-Square-Foot Barcelona Rental Is Packed with Budget Decor DIYs
Bo was six months pregnant when she moved into this 538-square-foot rental apartment five years ago, and painting and decorating while heavily pregnant was her biggest challenge to making this space her new home.
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Because she was coming from another flat, she says she didn’t have to buy a bunch of new furniture. And, built in the 1930s, the home came with lots of architectural character. Still, she wanted to put her stamp on the space. And she didn’t have a ton of budget.
“I love the high ceilings, the brick walls, the high doors, the industrial beams, and the typical Spanish tiles on the floor,” Bo writes. “As it’s a rental apartment, I’m not allowed to make big changes, so I’m very happy with the character this apartment already has even without any furniture/decor.”
She went secondhand for anything else she needed to buy, like a lot of baby stuff. And she also has gotten incredibly creative with DIYing things, too. “I love creating things at home on a budget. Painting is my form of meditation. Even if something is cheap, the result gives me such a rich feeling!”
She’s made a vase out of a Pringles can and also one out of poster package tube. She’s made a wall plant holder from an empty shower gel bottle. She’s even used a curtain rod as wall decor, hanging plant and prints.
She completely transformed a cheap IKEA table and turned it into a rustic wooden dining table with a rubber painting tool. She turned a dog pen into a baby pen, and made a baby gym out of wooden tools. And she turned an old IKEA shoe rack into a very cool kid’s play kitchen.
It’s a home that’s full of creativity not only for Bo, but also for her son Benjamin, who’s 4 years old now. You can follow along with Bo’s past and future DIY projects on her Instagram and her YouTube channel.
Resources
PAINT & COLORS
- Amalie Prager paint from Amazon is what Bo uses; US residents can find similar products on Amazon.
ENTRY
- Cuckoo clock — Street find painted with chalk paint
- Mirror on wall — Leroy&Merlin
LIVING ROOM
- Coffee table — H&M Home (not available anymore)
- Everything else — Secondhand, either bought in a shop or through either Wallapop or Vinted (2 apps very popular in Spain)
DINING ROOM
- 2 metal bookcases — IKEA, painted. Bought them maybe 14 years ago, at that time they were about €10.
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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