Isern Serra designs Barcelona apartment as "living gallery"

Spanish interiors studio Isern Serra has renovated an apartment in Barcelona, introducing monochrome micro-cement surfaces and collectible design pieces to create a gallery-like atmosphere.

The revamp focused on opening up the previously compartmentalised home in the seaside neighbourhood of Barceloneta, creating a connection between spaces through material consistency and natural light.

Originally divided into a series of small rooms, the apartment was stripped of its internal partitions to create an open-plan layout that connects the living room, kitchen and dining area.

The layout of the space was shaped by Isern Serra's desire to maximise natural light and connect the living space to the sizeable balcony.

"The apartment already had large windows that welcomed the morning sun," studio founder Isern Serra told Dezeen. "From the start, I knew the main room and the kitchen had to be where the light enters and brings the space to life."

Micro-cement was applied to the floors, walls and ceilings throughout the apartment to create visual continuity. The same finish was used to clad custom furniture, including a built-in sofa, kitchen island and shelving.

"We wanted to create a sense of continuity – a material language that flows through the entire space," Serra explained.

"The use of one single material surface gave the space a soft yet grounded quality, connecting everything like a thread that holds the home's soul together."

With the exception of the green guest bathroom, a neutral colour palette was incorporated throughout the apartment to create a gallery-like backdrop for a curated selection of vintage and contemporary design.

"The apartment is a quiet colourblock designed to contain and elevate the pieces we had carefully chosen," Serra explained, comparing the apartment to a "living gallery".

"We love the contrast between the container and content – a serene, warm canvas that allows unique pieces to emerge," he added. "It's in this tension that the space finds its balance."

Among the classic pieces Serra selected for the home are Philippe Starck's Dr. Sonderbar Chair and several Lotek lamps, created by Dutch designer Benno Premsela in 1982.

These rub shoulders with limited-edition furniture and objects by emerging designers such as Tipstudio and Paul Coenen, whose hefty metal coffee table was procured via Barcelona gallery Vasto.

"We're passionate about collectible design and we often collaborate with galleries," Serra explained.

"We are drawn to the delicate line where design becomes art as well as unique objects that breathe character into a space – objects with a more industrial soul yet still carry that layer of craftsmanship."

In the kitchen, curved walls and rounded edges were introduced to soften the space and create a sense of tactility.

Accompanied by timber joinery, these curved elements serve to make the space feel "more human and gentle", according to the designer.

Serra has completed a slew of interiors projects across Barcelona since founding his eponymous studio in 2008. Among them is a modelling agency office designed as a "landscape" for taking photos and a concept store with an all-pink interior.

The photography is by Salva Lopez.

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