Arago Street Apartment by Miriam Barrio
Colour Saturation
It takes courage to use bold colours at home. There are myriad pitfalls: half-hearted attempts at "accent walls" often create disjointed design schemes, whilst letting the paint roller loose with too much gay abandon risks creating a vibe that screams "theme park" rather than "character". This light and airy apartment in Barcelona is a masterclass on how to do bold colours right.
Designed by Barcelona-based interior designer Miriam Barrio, this substantial (140 square metres) apartment benefits from high ceilings, generously proportioned rooms, original mouldings and a beautiful wooden herringbone parquet floor, all bathing in light streaming in through the large windows. The designer emphasised the classic good looks of the space with sleek contemporary furniture, clever design touches such as the use of mirrors behind the bookshelves and, above all, bold yet judicious use of colour.
The walls and ceiling of the kitchen and dining area are painted in a seductive shade of Cerulean blue, in cool contrast to the light white living space which adjoins it. The walls and shelves of one bedroom are painted in coral pink, a romantic match for the cream coloured bed, headboard and curtains. The bathrooms range from Cerulean blue to pistachio green and shiny gold. The latter is a recurring detail which ties the design scheme together across the whole apartment, from the gold coloured handles in the kitchen, light fittings throughout and, most indulgent of all, splashed across the tiles and fittings in the bathrooms. The end result is stimulating and sophisticated, with definitely no need for sunglasses.
Links
Shop the Style
Product Inspiration
Lift the mood and supercharge the ambience with a few pieces of statement furniture in bold colours, such as the Simone sofa from Missana, the Mathilda chair from Moroso and the Baobab coffee table from Moustache.
Simple, sculptural shaped lights in bright colours is another way to inject colours into a room. Try the Escape suspension light from LZF, the Elma floor light from Incipit and the Chantilly table lamp from Moustache.
For accessories which stand up to bright colours, go for gold. Check out the Ema & Lou vase, the Butterfly coatrack and the Florida bowl, all from Ghidini 1961.
You may also like:
HMS Owl in Tain
When Justin Hooper and Charlotte Seddon came across a derelict air control tower just outside Tain in the Scottish Highlands, they couldn't resist the temptation to take on this renovation challenge.
Constant Springs Residence by Alterstudio
What better way is there to embrace nature than to wrap your house around the trees? The architects at Alterstudio took this inspiration to heart and designed a house which incorporates mature oaks on the site as a key design feature.
Styling Your Home With House Plants
One of the easiest ways to refresh your space is to add a dose of green with house plants. The variety of shapes, colours and sizes make plants a versatile design element that can be styled to suit any taste.
