Egue y Seta, Un-lofting Almogavers

The creative duo Daniel Pérez and Felipe Araujo from Catalan-based multidisciplinary design firm Egue y Seta have crafted an interior in Barcelona where the open space makes room for a more private division.


When we look at interior design projects on internet portals and in magazines, our eyes often get hooked by large lofts, open spaces preferably in a post-industrial style, where life unfolds in a single place and the bed - or even the bathroom - are also spectacularly integrated into the sequence of living areas. And yes, it all looks great but what is it actually like to live in a place like this where you can never close a door? Let's be honest, apart from being able to slam doors whenever it fits the occasion, just being able to enjoy cosier, more private spaces is almost a physiological need for people, whether it's the in-thing to do or not.
A very interesting topic that the Catalan-based multidisciplinary design firm  Egue y Seta led by Daniel Pérez and Felipe Araujo addressed in Barcelona. Here a couple who own an apartment of approximately 83-square-metre expressly asked for an “un-lofting” intervention, as the designers call it.
The whole thing stems from the couple's desire to create a private zone that is completely separate from the public part of their home, which years earlier they had decided to turn into a loft-style unit, with an industrial feel marked by exposed metal parts. A great challenge for Egue y Seta, which of course the designers handled with their usual aplomb and creativity, coming up with a response that in no way adversely affects the lovely flow of the living areas that were crafted with the typical layout of an open space design.
The specific interventions have brought out the honesty of the materials and of the natural finishes with richly coloured fabrics and indoor plants, giving the home a more intimate feel where the clients can feel relaxed and at ease. Underscoring the division into functional zones and playing with the decor, apart from adding a wall, Daniel Pérez and Felipe Araujo have, on the one hand, crafted the much desired and clear separation of the private spaces from the living zone, and on the other they have managed to retain that visual permeability, spaciousness and versatility that we have all come to expect in contemporary homes.
Because it's no easy feat to be able to assure a roomy feel in quite a small apartment, which is, of course, why the clients originally opted for a loft style, knocking down walls everywhere to give it all a new spatial perception. The fact is that they also experienced the huge discrepancies between the visually eye-catching effect of this kind of home and real, everyday life. 
With “Un-lofting Almogarves” Egue y Seta show us that there is a middle way a perfect compromise between the much-lauded sharing style and the private, down times that we all really need. And it's all done without sacrificing the typical light and spatial flow of lofts that have taken root in the home.

Christiane Bürklein

Project: Egue y Seta - http://www.egueyseta.com/
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Year: 2018
Images: www.vicugo.com