I can”t believe that it’s been over a month since I last wrote here. I began my last post with, ‘There’s no denying the shift in the seasons at the moment…’ and, a month on, the season has well and truly moved into autumn, while nudging us ever closer towards winter. The colder days and dark evenings are firmly upon us, and while I dread the latter, I love these cooler days. I love wrapping up and going for bracing walks. And as we’ve now shifted into different routines – the routines that come with less daylight hours – I’m ready to get back to writing more again.
And this apartment felt like a good way to return to this space. It’s a little different, and with a few highlights that caught my eye.
Located on the 3rd floor of a Modernist building on Calle Girona, in the Eixample area of Barcelona, I spotted this place while scrolling through properties on Fantastic Frank. Sometimes it’s one detail that grabs you, right? Here, for me, it’s the tall doors that open between the living and dining space and this light-filled ‘gallery’, as it’s referred to in the property details. I love the height and scale of these doors.
First thought: that gallery must surely overheat in summer (even with blinds), but the apartment has air conditioning, and on summer evenings, or indeed through the cold months when you’re just longing for natural light, this space must come into its own. I love the informality of this area and can imagine friends clustered round this rustic dining table (remember the days when we could do this?) or quiet weekend mornings curled up with a book on the bench seating in that glazed corner nook.
And yes, the rest of this apartment is also striking, from the period detailing – particularly those tiled floors and the decorative cast iron radiators – to the cool interior styling that’s peppered with statement pieces, not least the lighting. The kitchen has a slightly industrial look that really complements the graphic tiled floor, while the master en-suite bathroom is another highlight with its balcony overlooking Calle Girona, and with a freestanding bath set against the crisply detailed marble. In the photo below in particular, I’m really drawn to these contrasts of materials, and to the interplay of traditional and contemporary details.
See more of this apartment on the listing on Fantastic Frank.
All photography via Fantastic Frank.
