See Inside a Renovated 550-Square-Foot Barcelona Apartment

This Small Barcelona Apartment Had “Zero Character and Style” but Is Gorgeous After a Reno

published Dec 17, 2024

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Square feet

550

Sq ft

550

Eszter Takacs, an artist, graphic designer, and interior designer, has owned this 550-square-foot apartment for two years, and while it was in an “okay” state on move-in day, it “had zero character and style.”

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“I bought the apartment in the summer of 2023, and I renovated it entirely myself! It was quite a challenging project, because I was new in Barcelona, didn’t speak the language at all, but it was also so much fun, and I am very happy with the results!” Eszter explains.

Credit: Eszter Takacs

"My favorite room in my living room, because it is literally bathing in light throughout the majority of the day, which puts me in such a great mood, and makes me inspired easily! And of course I love my furniture and the 'Parisian-style wall' there a lot!" Eszter writes.

She explains that she designed EVERYTHING herself in this space. “I made professional drawings to the workers of every single step of the renovation, in order to avoid any misunderstanding due to the language barriers.”

Credit: Eszter Takacs

"I personally love that all my kitchen utensils, and equipment are hiding behind the beige curtains, and this way I get to have art works on the countertop in my small kitchen, instead of having to use that surface to store plates, knives and spices..." writes Eszter.

“I wanted to combine classical and modern elements, so on one hand I exposed the original ceiling (called ‘volta catalana,’ typical in Barcelona), and added Parisian/Hausmannian elements: I put natural oak chevron parquet, designed a custom-built wall with built-in cabinets and shelves, and a dismantled marble fireplace with big gold mirror,” Eszter describes of her home’s style. “And on the other hand I chose modern/contemporary furniture pieces — such as the sofa, armchair, two round tables, as well I added some design classics, for example, Eames chairs, and Pierre Jeanneret chairs.”