Andrea Arqués transforms a 1970s apartment in Barcelona, highlighting light and color

In Barcelona, a 150 m² apartment built in the 1970s regains new life thanks to the intervention of A Studio, led by architect Andrea Arqués. The starting point of the project was to eliminate the barriers that prevented light from flowing through the home. To achieve this, the daytime area was opened up, connecting living room, dining room, and kitchen in a single spatial sequence. “The goal was for natural light to cross the apartment from the façade to the heart of the home, where the entrance is located,” explains the architect. This seemingly simple gesture reconfigures the experience of inhabiting: what were once isolated rooms are now transformed into a fluid and vital space.

The living room and dining room form one continuous area, with large windows filtering light onto a seamless microcement floor. Furniture with pure lines and soft tones coexists with walnut paneling that brings warmth and visually organizes the space. In Andrea’s words: “We wanted the house to convey serenity without becoming neutral. Walnut introduces a warm pulse that humanizes the space.”

The kitchen integrates into this daytime zone with an open character, yet defined by clear and practical volumes, with a central island that structures daily life. Light finishes combined with wood touches ensure continuity with the rest of the project.

The protagonist of color

Without a doubt, the true protagonist of the project is the study with its intense green hue. A space designed for working, reading, or meditating, it responds to new ways of living, where the home is also an office, workshop, and place of creation.

Beyond the sum of its rooms, this project builds a global atmosphere: serene, balanced, and attentive to every detail. Materials—microcement, walnut, brass, natural textiles—are combined with light and color to create an experience that accompanies daily life.

Project: NV20.
Location: Barcelona.
Area: 150 m².
Completed: 2024.
Interior design: A Studio. Andrea Arqués.
Photography: Claudia Mauriño.

Andrea Arqués

Andrea Arqués is an architect and interior designer. Trained at ETSALS in Barcelona, she began her career in renowned studios such as Jean Nouvel in Barcelona and GCA in Shanghai. Back in Barcelona, she collaborated with WIT Architects and Katty Schiebeck, where she deepened her interest in detail and interior design. In 2020 she founded her own practice, A Studio, with the aim of bringing the professionalism of large firms to a client-centered approach throughout all stages of design.

Arqués works with the conviction that spaces are not mere containers, but living organisms that shape the emotional lives of those who inhabit them. Her practice rests on two essential pillars: geometry as the invisible structure that orders, and materiality as the language that surrounds and communicates. Every form, every color and every texture has a direct impact on people, and in that interaction lies the meaning of her architecture.

At A Studio, the goal is to build in a harmonious and sustainable way, creating atmospheres that convey well-being. The design process is conceived as a journey from emotions to personal space. For Andrea, what matters is not only the final image of a home, but also the proportions that define voids and solids, giving each space its own vibratory code. A Studio specializes in residential projects, offices, and new builds.

Alongside her professional practice, Andrea has taught at Universitat Ramon Llull, La Salle, leading a course focused on residential architecture and how it evolves over time.

Source: A Estudio. Decomunica Jana Milá.

Project by Andrea Arqués