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Houzz Tour: A Cleverly Designed Open-plan Loft in Barcelona
This once vast empty space has become a comfortable, flexible home with ingenious moving walls and hidden storage
“Unconventional. Fun. Original. Innovative. Amazing. Sober. Austere. Versatile. Playful. Natural. Full of life. Reversible. Home and work.” This is the list of words that owner Claudia Misteli and her partner sent to Soto-Lay Studio Architects.
The site, which is in Barcelona, is a 1960s printshop in an industrial building with a great view. But the space was “[a] shambles”, according to the owner. “There was a hole in the façade that was so large, you could see the Besós chimneys [the iconic chimneys of a decommissioned power station] through it. Putting aside the state of the property, we saw that it had potential,” says Claudia, who is a designer and journalist.
It took six months to transform the premises into a “flexible and pared-back” home, as Charmaine Lay – who manages Soto-Lay Studio along with partner Santi Soto – describes it now.
The site, which is in Barcelona, is a 1960s printshop in an industrial building with a great view. But the space was “[a] shambles”, according to the owner. “There was a hole in the façade that was so large, you could see the Besós chimneys [the iconic chimneys of a decommissioned power station] through it. Putting aside the state of the property, we saw that it had potential,” says Claudia, who is a designer and journalist.
It took six months to transform the premises into a “flexible and pared-back” home, as Charmaine Lay – who manages Soto-Lay Studio along with partner Santi Soto – describes it now.
“We were excited to build a space from scratch that serves as a home and also welcomes Contrallum, a creative project that aims to facilitate an intersection between landscape, communication, art, design and culture,” Claudia says. She’s pictured here at the bar that separates the kitchen from the rest of the space.
“The kitchen brings structure to the space around a large worktop. It’s totally open and you can see other parts of the home from there,” Charmaine says. The furniture is made of wood. The multi-purpose worktop is used for cooking, as a table, bookcase and storage, which responds to the need for flexibility – one of the main themes of this renovation.
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“The kitchen brings structure to the space around a large worktop. It’s totally open and you can see other parts of the home from there,” Charmaine says. The furniture is made of wood. The multi-purpose worktop is used for cooking, as a table, bookcase and storage, which responds to the need for flexibility – one of the main themes of this renovation.
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The platform is made of Galician pine wood and the floor is microcement. “We chose wood as the material for the platform to not only provide a raised view of the home, but also to contrast the industrial hardness of the concrete and mortar used throughout the rest of the premises,” Charmaine says.
The owners are design aficionados and collectors of recycled objects. “They chose the light fixtures and most of the furniture. The bolted-down and built-in furniture, as well as the bed, were designed by the studio,” Charmaine says.
The owners are design aficionados and collectors of recycled objects. “They chose the light fixtures and most of the furniture. The bolted-down and built-in furniture, as well as the bed, were designed by the studio,” Charmaine says.
Before Photo
The window height was one of this project’s biggest challenges. “Windows are normally 130cm above the floor. The ones in this home are 180cm above the floor, because they were designed for industrial use,” Claudia says.
The solution was to install the wooden platform that raised the space to give it a more human scale and, in this way, re-establish contact with the urban landscape. “The platform is the same height as a chair [45 cm], which makes it a comfortable seat when the central area is used as an exhibition space,” Claudia says.
The solution was to install the wooden platform that raised the space to give it a more human scale and, in this way, re-establish contact with the urban landscape. “The platform is the same height as a chair [45 cm], which makes it a comfortable seat when the central area is used as an exhibition space,” Claudia says.
On the right of this photo, you can see a spot for enjoying the view from the windows, made up of an armchair and a raised bed placed as a continuous unit.
“From the windows we see the ‘B-side’ of Barcelona, the part that looks towards Poblenou and Besós. On clear days, you can see the snowy silhouette of Montseny [mountain range],” Claudia says.
“From the windows we see the ‘B-side’ of Barcelona, the part that looks towards Poblenou and Besós. On clear days, you can see the snowy silhouette of Montseny [mountain range],” Claudia says.
The home offered some advantages from the point of view of sustainability as well: the studio says that its location, with only one façade and a small rear courtyard, makes it very energy-efficient with excellent cross-ventilation.
“A strategically placed biomass stove was chosen for the winter. Additionally, the team minimised demolition and waste materials by using wood as the main construction material and, generally, choosing materials that can be put in place dry [and are simpler and cleaner to install],” Charmaine says.
“A strategically placed biomass stove was chosen for the winter. Additionally, the team minimised demolition and waste materials by using wood as the main construction material and, generally, choosing materials that can be put in place dry [and are simpler and cleaner to install],” Charmaine says.
The viewing point is the space the owners enjoy most. They’ve nicknamed it the ‘festejador’. “The nickname is inspired by the festejadors of the old Catalan farmhouses, where lovers would meet to talk and get to know each other better,” Claudia says.
This space can also be used as a bed, a lounger, a place to read or simply as a vantage point from which to stop and take in the city views.
This space can also be used as a bed, a lounger, a place to read or simply as a vantage point from which to stop and take in the city views.
So what are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a loft space with so many uses? “The advantage is being able to enjoy an open-plan space with infinite possibilities. One day it can be used for watching films; another day, for a cooking workshop,” she says.
As for the downsides, Claudia notes the acoustics and the difficulty in finding spots to enjoy silence or privacy. “And not every overnight guest is used to sleeping without walls,” she says. “The issue of privacy is something to consider before moving into a loft. Make sure you think about how comfortable you are living in a space with limited privacy.”
As for the downsides, Claudia notes the acoustics and the difficulty in finding spots to enjoy silence or privacy. “And not every overnight guest is used to sleeping without walls,” she says. “The issue of privacy is something to consider before moving into a loft. Make sure you think about how comfortable you are living in a space with limited privacy.”
Before Photo
“Normally, industrial locations are built in an elongated shape with very little light, because they have such a small front in relation to the total space. But this place was flooded with natural light, so we saw great potential in it,” Claudia says.
The cylindrical bedroom is surrounded by sliding curved doors. The goal was to avoid completely isolating the space, creating a sense of continuity instead.
“It’s one of the most impressive features of the home,” Claudia says. “As the bed has wheels, you can easily move it and use the cylindrical space for something completely different. One day, for example, we projected a documentary inside the cylinder and arranged chairs like in a cinema.”
“It’s one of the most impressive features of the home,” Claudia says. “As the bed has wheels, you can easily move it and use the cylindrical space for something completely different. One day, for example, we projected a documentary inside the cylinder and arranged chairs like in a cinema.”
Here, the curved doors have been drawn together to create a private bedroom cocoon.
“These circular sliding doors don’t touch the ceiling or the surrounding walls, making it the best solution for creating privacy without compartmentalising the space,” Charmaine says. “The doors have their own geometry that’s different from that of the rest of the space. The best solutions often arise from seemingly contradictory requirements.”
“These circular sliding doors don’t touch the ceiling or the surrounding walls, making it the best solution for creating privacy without compartmentalising the space,” Charmaine says. “The doors have their own geometry that’s different from that of the rest of the space. The best solutions often arise from seemingly contradictory requirements.”
The bathroom is elegantly pale.
“In the project plan, we recommended installing two sets of sliding circular doors (two bedrooms) and two fixed cylinders (bathroom and storage). During construction, it was decided to only build one cylinder for a bedroom. But, perhaps they will do it later,” Charmaine says.
Before Photo
The loft was originally a completely open space.
The renovation successfully created a space with an open and flexible layout.
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What do you like about this converted loft space? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Tell us…
What do you like about this converted loft space? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Who lives here? Claudia Misteli, her partner, and their dog, Tres
Location Poblenou, Barcelona, Spain
Size 180 sq m
Architect Charmaine Lay of Soto-Lay Architects
Photos by Jordi Folch, ©Houzz España 2022
Of the owners, Charmaine says, “They were good clients. They were clear about what they wanted and, at the same time, gave us total freedom. They were looking for an open place to live, work, and host events and meetings.”
As this photo shows, the loft is on two levels. The kitchen is on the platform, as is the leisure and work area next to the windows. The lower central space has been kept open for meetings and debates.