“It’s my happy place,” is how Olga Friauf describes what it’s like walking into her 750-square-foot home. It’s a cheery living space, full of pops of color throughout, mixed with tons of natural light that floods in through the main living space and her bedroom. Though, it wasn’t like that in the beginning. When she moved into the home, it was outdated and needed a lot of work. But after undertaking a renovation, she realized she had both a knack and passion for designing with color—so much so that she created her own blog. “Colour Your Casa” is where Olga focuses on interior design and all things she finds inspiring, from the local shops of Barcelona to the online community. “Colors have always been the starting point for me. Style-wise, I’m still learning and exploring, so my home will probably be evolving,” says Olga.

Originally from Moscow, Russia, Olga purchased her home five years ago because the city holds beautiful memories for her. She remembers many summer holidays spent in Barcelona with her family and thinking it was her favorite place in the world. Those memories, coupled with a strong desire to live by the sea, were enough to get her to uproot herself to the Catalan coast. Located in the neighborhood of Poble Nou, her home is literally a 10-minute walk to the beach, so Olga’s likely making beautiful memories in Barcelona again.

My Style: I’m not sure… artsy and uplifting? Cheerful Mediterranean vintage? It’s a mix!

Inspiration: Colors have always been the starting point for me. Style-wise, I’m still learning and exploring, so my home will probably be evolving. Right now, I’m obsessed with several design bloggers from the U.S., whose style is a mix of bohemian and Palm Beach chic: @bohoshineco and @candycoloredhome to name a few.

Favorite Element: The vintage-style record player. It’s super cute, although it only pretends to be vintage. It’s a pretty modern device with a built-in CD player, radio, Bluetooth, and etc. I also can’t get enough of my headboard; it’s a custom upholstery by our local up-cycling genius @lashendadeco.

Biggest Challenge: The bathroom. Not only is it tiny, but the floor is on two levels—very uncomfortable. It’s also the only room which I decided to keep intact during the big renovation five years ago because it looked relatively fresh. I’m hoping to finally renovate it this year and level out the floor.

What Friends Say: They say my place is a “delightful mix of color and light,” definitely maximalist, but the pure colors make it very gleeful and cozy.

Biggest Embarrassment: I’m embarrassed by the number of plants I’ve killed over the years. On the other hand, I’m relatively new at this. Back in Moscow, my mom was the person who furnished my place with plants and she actually had to remind me to water them twice a week.

Proudest DIY: I gave an IKEA chest of drawers in my bedroom a makeover with toucan print self-adhesive wallpaper, and it came out pretty nice!

Biggest Indulgence: The portrait of my mom in the living room. I had it painted by Joe Bezer, a young English artist living in Barcelona. It’s based on a photo I took of her when the two of us were on holiday in France two years ago. She kind of hates it though; the vibrant pop-art style doesn’t sit well with her.

Best Advice: Don’t play safe and low-key unless you are 100% sure that it’s exactly what you want. Otherwise, dive into Pinterest or home design books explaining different styles (“Styled” by Emily Henderson is a great example, it even includes a style quiz!), and find out what REALLY inspires you.

ENTRANCE

• Coat rack — Maisons du Monde
• Yellow Ottoman — IKEA
• Small Vintage Bench — Thrift find I had re-upholstered.

• Yellow Desk — From a small shop of up-cycled furnishings that no longer exists.
• Green Sideboard — From a small shop of up-cycled furniture that no longer exists.
• Chair — Mercantic
• Floor Lamp — Westwing
• Art — Mercantic
• Bedding — Maisons du Monde
• Cushions — A mix from H&M Home, Maisons du Monde and Gancedo

• Dining Table — Inherited from previous owners of the flat.
• White Chairs — IKEA
• Blue Area Rug — Westwing
• Pink Lamp — Llavavintage
• Record Player — Amazon
• Cat Lamp — Purchased on Westwing, but it’s from Really Nice Things
• Wooden Russian doll — A gift from my mom.
• Ceramic of tall woman in Pink — El Corte Ingles
• Rustic table with tiles — Found on Wallapop. The guy selling it offered a wide selection of tiles. I actually wanted it as a coffee table in front of the TV, but the result wasn’t quite what I expected, the tiles look too dark and uneven.

• Sofa — IKEA
• Coffee Table — IKEA
• Area Rug — Westwing
• Side table — Westwing, I embellished it with colored strings.
• Art on wall — Encants Market

• Bedding — Custom-made in Morocco, found on Etsy
• Magazine Rack — Found at Palo Alto Market, made by Banana Collection
• Mini Shelf — ASOS
• Head Board — Custom upholstered for me by Shenda. The fabric cost me 4 euros at Encants Market
• Side tables — Westwing, I embellished them with colored string.
• Round Stool — Maisons du Monde. I had it reupholstered by Shenda
• Closet — Conformama
• Wooden Tucan — Thrift find
• “I woke up like this” Print — Punkhaus

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