Stepping into the home of Line (pronounced Lee-Nuh) Tiller is like stepping into a cozy retreat in the middle of the city. “Warm and cozy are the main ingredients of a Norwegian home because it’s cold in Norway,” says Line, originally from the Scandinavian country. “I just naturally ‘Nordified’ the space when I decided to do a complete gut renovation.”

Line works as a freelance travel journalist, which has taken her to 50 different countries around the globe. She has lived in four of them, most recently, the U.S., in New York City. Constantly on the go and living out of a suitcase for the past 10 years, she decided it was time to settle down. Her city of choice, Barcelona.

Speaking next to no Spanish, she purchased her new home two years ago in the neighborhood of El Clot. It currently looks nothing like it did the day she was handed the keys. But seeing the potential and having a big vision for design, she decided to do a complete renovation. “All of the rooms were completely closed off and tiny so I decided to reconfigure the entire flat by tearing down walls and creating open spaces… for example, Spanish kitchens are usually tiny, but now you could fit six of the previous kitchens into my new area reserved for food and fiesta.”

To get the job done, she enlisted the help of an architect to assist with the necessary permissions and hire carpenters, but she proudly admits that the design concept and layout were all her own idea. Her home now consists of an open-concept kitchen, living and dining room, two bedrooms, one small office space, and two bathrooms.

Once she was able to settle in, she was excited about furnishing and decorating the space. She also acquired some pieces left over from the previous owner, such as the vintage record player station, which she was happy to update with a fresh coat of paint and some hardware replacement. From her travels, she has also incorporated some signature pieces, such as the large Moroccan rugs featured in the dining and living rooms, giving the space a warm worldly charm she now calls home.

My Style: A balancing act of minimalist Scandinavian, eclectic Mediterranean, fun New York-y and spicy Indian, topped with ’70s vibes.

Inspiration: I dragged out memories from my travels all over the world. I have visited 50 countries, and lived in four, but hopping from one city to another, everything cool-looking was always “just look, no buy.” Now I could finally dig into flea markets and secondhand apps to explore my soft spot for mid-century furniture, while trying to stay away from developing my space into an Instagram cliché.

Favorite Element: My sunny kitchen! I did not want the TV room and sofa area to be the center of attention so I gave the food-related part of the home the main stage by knocking down every wall and making an open solution. I lived in New York City five years, so imagine my excitement when we found original red bricks behind the white wall plaster.

Biggest Challenge: Barcelona apartments are often quirky, dark, and filled with closed-off rooms so I had to be careful about where to place the new walls in order to make natural light and air flow as much as possible. I added two walls made from glass blocks so the windowless bedroom, as well as the hidden wine glass shelf, could get even more natural light. I replaced the balcony door with a different type that gave me thirty centimeters more of the morning sun, and I kept two original room separators, both well-kept 1970s doors with a big square of patterned glass in the middle.

What Friends Say: I would like to quote the 11-year-old son of my downstairs neighbor: “I didn’t think you had a cooler space apart from the kitchen until I saw your bathroom… when you decide to sell, call me first, okay?” As well as my niece Hedda (4): “This is nice, I would like to stay here until I die.”

Biggest Embarrassment: The walls in Spain can be quite thin, but although I never hear my neighbors, the walls between my en suite bathroom and the master bedroom are not of the noise-cancelling type.

Proudest DIY: It’s a tie between the practical desk/stand-up-desk/table/daybed I designed, which my handy father built in my new study, and the vanity I found on Wallapop for 60 euros which is now in my en suite bathroom. I painted it with waterproof dark purple paint and added a sturdier countertop with a hole for a sink. The actual sink is made from a copper pot used for cooking and is from a Norwegian farmhouse.

Biggest Indulgence: Even though I kind of Nordified my apartment with bright parquet and outlets in the ceiling for ever changing lamps, I wanted to keep “some of Barcelona.” One of the key elements of recognizing a true Barcelona home is by the exposed wooden beams across the arched ceilings. Mine were originally covered in white paint and felt hidden so I had the paint removed to bring out the original wood. I also had all of the walls smoothed out by removing the popcorn-like surface.

Best Advice: My apartment started out as a color craziness project until I realized I had to calm the place down. I originally wanted both fishbone flooring and intricate turquoise and orange kitchen tiles as well as a sparkly green fridge, but realized that any daring colors or patterns should be added later, with pictures, fabrics, and paint, while permanent stuff like tiles, floors, and countertops should wear a simple color palette.

Dream Sources: I believe in buying used, so I love apps like Wallapop or second-hand markets, especially for furniture. There is a great outdoor market called Encants near my apartment. You can find anything there!

LIVING ROOM
Sofa — IKEA
Leather Pouf — The souks in Marrakech, Morocco
TV Stand — Encants Market in Barcelona
Rug — The souks in Marrakech, Morocco
Hanging Ceramic Lamp — SuperStudio

DINING ROOM
Dining Table — Toca Fusta Ferro
Chairs — Wallapop
Rug — Shop in Marrakech, Morocco
Photos on Wall — From the Norwegian coast, taken by Line Tiller
Record Player — Fnac
The Record Player Unit — Acquired from the previous owner

KITCHEN
Bar Stools — Wallapop
Ceiling Lamps — SuperStudio
Sukker and Kaffe Containers — From a Norwegian farm
Cow Milk Dispenser — Encants Market in Barcelona
Marshall Speaker — Power

GUEST ROOM
Night Table — Encants Market in Barcelona
Dresser with Marble Top — Wallapop
Painting above the Dresser — Encants Market in Barcelona

MASTER BEDROOM
Bedspread — Maharani Art Exporters, Jodhpur, India
Ceiling Lamp — Second Hand Store, Gracia, Barcelona
Night Table — Mercantic Market
Rug — The souks in Marrakech, Morocco
Large Hanging Tapestry — Maharani Art Exporters, Jodhpur, India

MASTER BATH
Vanity — Wallapop for 60€
Sink — From a Norwegian farm
Ceiling Lamps — Designed by me, made by Raksolamp
Small Table in Shower — Acquired from the previous owner
Small Rug — Store that is now closed, in Barcelona

OFFICE
Desk — Designed by me, custom made by my dad
Green Lamp — Mercantic Market
Daybed — Closets acquired from the previous owner, made into bed by my dad and me
Chair — IKEA
Rug — Maharani Art Exporters, Jodhpur, India

⇒ House Tour & House Call Submission Form

See More:
⇒ Recent House Tours
⇒ House Tours on Pinterest