During the first decades of the 20th century, Valencia experienced an intense urban transformation driven by the city’s growth and the development of new residential typologies. Many homes built in the 1920s combined traditional structural systems with construction solutions that today form part of the architectural identity of Valencia’s historic urban fabric: vaulted ceilings, brick load-bearing walls, tall carpentry and a longitudinal organisation that allowed ventilation between two façades..
In many cases, later renovations concealed these elements beneath suspended ceilings or partitions that diluted their original character. Recovering this latent architecture has become one of the most compelling challenges in contemporary rehabilitation. Architect Anabel Soria retrieves this constructive memory in Casa Bóveda and turns it into the starting point for a contemporary home.
The intervention seeks to recover the architectural character of the property and reinterpret it through a contemporary lens. High vaulted ceilings, beams and exposed brick walls —elements that had remained hidden or diluted over time— become the true protagonists of the renovation.
The owners, a young creative couple linked to the world of image and graphic design who decided to settle permanently in Valencia after several years living in London, were searching for a home with identity. They did not simply want a renovated apartment, but a place capable of expressing their way of living, working and relating to the objects that have accompanied their personal trajectory.
The chosen house offered precisely that potential: a dwelling with a longitudinal structure, cross-ventilation between two façades and a system of vaults that gave the space a distinctive architectural presence.
Transforming by connecting spaces
In its original state, the dwelling had a highly compartmentalised layout that limited the entry of natural light into the central areas. The renovation proposed by Anabel Soria reorganises the interior by eliminating unnecessary corridors and turning the living room into the true axis of the house.
From this central space, all the rooms are organised: the dining area, the kitchen, two work studios, the main bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and a guest bedroom. Doors and access points are carefully designed to reinforce this spatial continuity while preserving the intimacy required in each room.
Some openings are resolved through arches accompanied by curtains that allow the relationship between spaces to be modulated; others are discreetly integrated into continuous panelling or reinterpreted through glass partitions with black metal frames that evoke traditional solutions present in the original house.
The result is a home where spaces can open up or become independent depending on the needs of daily life, allowing a fluid coexistence between work and domestic life.
An architecture that respects its origin
The intervention is committed to preserving the structural elements that define the character of the building. The original vaults remain visible throughout much of the house, while exposed brick is recovered in several areas —such as the dining room, one of the studios and the main bedroom— adding texture and depth to the interiors.
The material palette is simple and warm. Wood introduces a serene domestic atmosphere, while black metal frames bring contrast and a contemporary note to the historic base of the dwelling. Herringbone flooring visually unifies the different rooms, reinforcing the spatial continuity of the project. Textiles in intense tones such as terracotta introduce subtle chromatic accents that balance the neutrality of the overall palette.
Living room, dining room and kitchen: the heart of the home
The main space of the house brings together the living room, dining area and kitchen in an open layout that organises everyday life.
The ceiling vaults coexist with black metal beams and an exposed brick column that introduces a subtle industrial note into the ensemble. Integrating the climate control systems without altering this original architecture was one of the project’s main challenges. To solve it, a perimeter false beam was designed to conceal the ducts while preserving the continuous reading of the historic ceiling.
The kitchen is located behind a half-height partition that establishes a light visual separation from the living room. It is organised through two opposing work fronts and combines wooden cabinetry with grey veined porcelain countertops and small metallic details that add precision to the composition.
The dining area, positioned between the living room and the terrace, is organised around a large wooden table illuminated by a vintage lamp. Around it, chairs recovered from different family origins coexist, reinforcing the mixture of personal memory and contemporary design that defines the entire home.
A home that is also a place of work
For the owners, who develop their professional activity from home, having independent working spaces was essential. The interior designer therefore created two different studios. The first opens towards the main façade and connects visually with the living room through a glass enclosure with black steel frames. Curtains allow privacy to be modulated when necessary, while opening the doors completely transforms the space into an environment that expands the perception of the dwelling.
Taking advantage of the room’s height, a raised bunk structure is incorporated, sharing volume with the adjacent main bedroom —a solution that introduces an unexpected use of vertical space.
The second studio is located next to the dining area and is visually connected to it through a large interior window that allows light to circulate between spaces. Inside, open shelving, work tables and pieces of art reflect the creative character of its owners.
Intimate spaces
The main bedroom is organised through a white dressing area that separates the sleeping area from the en-suite bathroom. A recovered brick wall acts as the background of the room, while an architectural niche in the headboard area creates a sense of shelter and calm.
The guest bedroom, meanwhile, is accessed through a panelled door fully camouflaged within the wall —a solution that maintains visual continuity and emphasises the formal clarity of the project.
The bathrooms are conceived as small refuges within the home. Inspired by the atmosphere of a cave, they combine ceramic cladding with painted walls in enveloping tones that reinforce a sense of intimacy. The main bathroom adopts a palette of greens paired with brass fixtures, while the guest bathroom introduces a warm orange tone with copper details.
A home built from stories
Beyond architecture, Casa Bóveda is also shaped by the objects and memories of its owners. Pieces brought from their previous home in London, vintage or recovered furniture, artworks created by the couple themselves and everyday objects coexist with contemporary furniture in a composition that reflects their personal biography.
In this way, the house reveals itself as a space in constant evolution, where architecture, design and everyday life intertwine naturally.
In Casa Bóveda, Anabel Soria demonstrates that the renovation of a historic home can go beyond a simple functional update. When a project arises from attentive listening and respect for the existing architecture, the result is a place capable of preserving its memory while opening itself to new ways of living.
Project: Casa Bóveda.
Project phases: Reforma integral, interiorismo y decoración
Location: Valencia.
Surface: 92 m².
Finished: 2025.
Architecture and interior design: Anabel Soria Arquitectura e Interiorismo.
Architect and interior designer: Anabel Soria.
Photography: AM Studio.
Source: Pilar Navarro Comunicación.
Anabel Soria
La arquitecta e interiorista valenciana Anabel Soria pertenece a una nueva generación de profesionales que entienden la arquitectura doméstica como una herramienta para mejorar la vida cotidiana. Formada en la Universitat Politècnica de València, donde obtuvo el grado en Arquitectura, completó parte de su formación en la Università degli Studi di Genova, una experiencia que amplió su mirada sobre la cultura arquitectónica europea y el valor del patrimonio construido.
Tras sus primeros años profesionales colaborando en distintos estudios y empresas del sector, en 2021 decide emprender su propio camino fundando Anabel Soria Arquitectura e Interiorismo, un estudio que actualmente desarrolla proyectos principalmente en Valencia y Madrid.
Desde sus inicios, su trabajo se ha caracterizado por un enfoque cercano y profundamente atento a quienes habitan los espacios. De esa relación directa nace una arquitectura doméstica precisa y sensible, pensada para acompañar nuevas etapas vitales y adaptarse al entorno y al modo de vida de sus propietarios.
Su lenguaje proyectual se construye a partir de una base serena —a menudo dominada por tonos neutros, materiales honestos y soluciones arquitectónicas claras— que se enriquece con contrastes cromáticos, piezas recuperadas y detalles cuidadosamente pensados. Esta combinación entre equilibrio y carácter permite que cada proyecto mantenga una identidad propia sin renunciar a la funcionalidad y la versatilidad del espacio doméstico.
Con frecuencia los proyectos de Anabel Soria consisten en la rehabilitación de viviendas existentes, muchas veces cargadas de memoria. En ellas busca rescatar elementos arquitectónicos originales —vigas, ladrillos, bóvedas o molduras— para integrarlos en una narrativa contemporánea donde tradición y vida actual dialogan abiertamente.
La interiorista concibe el hogar como un lugar profundamente personal, un espacio donde la arquitectura se mezcla con los objetos, las historias y los viajes de quienes lo habitan. No es casual que su propia vivienda —un piso de los años setenta transformado en refugio creativo— se haya convertido en un manifiesto íntimo de su manera de entender el diseño: espacios abiertos, luz natural, piezas vintage y una paleta tranquila animada por colores inesperados.
Hoy, desde su estudio, Anabel Soria desarrolla proyectos de reforma integral, interiorismo y decoración donde la arquitectura se pone al servicio de la vida cotidiana. Su objetivo es crear espacios equilibrados, funcionales y llenos de carácter, capaces de convertirse en el escenario de nuevas historias. Para ella, como suele decir, la entrega de un proyecto no es un final, sino el comienzo de una nueva vida para quienes lo habitan.
Project by Anabel Soria
