Núria Selva creates a domestic oasis on Barcelona’s Gran Vía, proving that calm can also inhabit the heart of the city

On Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, one of Barcelona’s longest and most intense arteries, the interior design project signed by architect Núria Selva proposes a serene gesture: transforming the epicentre of urban noise into a place of retreat, a home where the accelerated pulse of the city is left behind in favour of calm. To achieve this, Núria Selva articulates a contemporary yet timeless interior, where natural materials, soft tones and a carefully modulated palette create an atmosphere of balance. Touches of colour appear in a measured, almost intimate way, subtly narrating the personality of those who inhabit the home without disrupting the harmony of the whole.

The dark parquet flooring, in a muted and deep tone, runs throughout the entire apartment like a guiding thread. Its visual continuity unifies the two wings of the home and brings a sense of cohesion and repose. In contrast, walls and ceilings are finished in a delicate stone hue, amplifying the light and reinforcing the project’s overarching pursuit of serenity.

The day area: a fluid space

In the day area, the living room, dining room and study are visually connected through framed openings, generating a sequence of spaces that dialogue with one another without losing their individual identity. Curtains filter the natural light and disperse it evenly, wrapping the rooms in a soft clarity that invites a slower rhythm.

The living room is organised into two clearly differentiated environments. On one side, the relaxation area, presided over by a long suspended shelf and an L-shaped sofa, where the ochre tones of the cushions converse with the wood, adding a contained warmth. On the other, a more introspective reading corner, with an armchair and a fireplace set against a deep green background that introduces depth and character.

The dining area continues this narrative of balance. A wooden table and natural-fibre chairs are accompanied by two suspended luminaires that bring order to the space. Here, chromatic neutrality is enriched by the honesty of the materials, creating an atmosphere that feels both welcoming and precise.

The study: a shared place

The study is conceived as a shared space, designed for work and concentration for the entire family. A large central table structures the room, accompanied by bespoke furniture — a low unit and continuous shelving — painted in the same tone as the walls. Everything is integrated, fostering an atmosphere of functional calm.

On the terrace, the project opts for continuity with what already exists. The original ceramic flooring is preserved, and the furniture is restored through a careful wood treatment, reinforcing the idea of discreet sustainability and respect for the memory of the place.

On the other side of the home, the night area

The long, silent corridor articulates access to the kitchen and secondary bathroom, and further on, to the night area. The kitchen, resolved in a warm grey, maintains the serene language of the rest of the home. Light-coloured cabinetry, a wooden table and wallpaper that adds texture and colour in the laundry area compose a functional yet welcoming space, designed for everyday use without renouncing aesthetic sensitivity.

The secondary bathroom introduces a contemporary note through the vertical arrangement of pink tiles, the oval mirror and the wall-mounted lighting. Once again, wood appears in the vanity unit as an element of continuity and warmth.

The night area brings together the main suite, which naturally integrates the walk-in wardrobe, and the children’s bedrooms. In the suite, the wooden headboard and bedside tables construct a welcoming scene, while the deliberately asymmetrical lighting introduces a slight dynamism that avoids rigidity.

The en-suite bathroom stands out for its spaciousness and the use of indirect lighting through LED strips, which gently shape the space. Organised on two levels, the lower one extends the general flooring of the home and is dedicated to the dressing area; the upper level, clad in light grey tones, combines white and wooden furniture to enhance brightness without losing warmth.

Personal universes for the children

The children’s bedrooms become small personal universes. One is bathed in pink tones, with a velvet upholstered headboard that structures the space and dialogues with the chair and rug, while soft greys in the lighting and textiles balance the composition. The second bedroom evokes the colours of nature: oak carpentry frames the space, and the greens and yellows of the furniture and lighting recall a terrestrial, close and vital landscape.

Thus, Núria Selva’s project builds a home that responds to the real needs of a contemporary family, without losing sight of emotion or attention to detail. A domestic oasis that, from Barcelona’s Gran Vía, demonstrates that calm can indeed inhabit the centre of the city.

Materials and furniture

Wall and ceiling paint NCS S 1502-Y50R. Wallpaper by Arte International.

Furniture: Berlin sofa by Pilma. Armchair by Taller de las Indias. Bok table by Ethnicraft. Pey table by Mobles 114. Rugs by Papiol. Otto bench by Ondarreta. Verdana chest of drawers by Kave Home. Bob XL Trineo chair by Ondarreta. Hari chair by Ondarreta. Nedra pouf by Kave Home. Coffee table, sofa table and pouf by Taller de las Indias.

Lighting: Ledtube wall lights by Marset. Grain pendant lamp by Muuto. Flowerpot VP3 desk lamps by &Tradition. Wall light by Faro. Tanit by Bover. Cestita battery lamp by Santa & Cole. Babel by Santa & Cole (courtesy of Carolina Amorós). TMM by Santa & Cole (courtesy of Eléctrica Balmes). Funiculí study lamps by Marset.

Styling, props and textiles: Suite cushions by Taller de las Indias. Suite throw by Azul Tierra. Living room cushions by Azul Tierra. Children’s bedroom textiles by Textura.

Project: Gran Vía.
Location: Gran Vía de les Corts Catalanes. Barcelona.
Completed: 2024.
Interior design: NSV Arquitectura & Experiencias. Núria Selva Villaronga, arquitecta.
Photography: María Pujol.
Styling: Mar Gausachs.
Kitchen and bathrooms: Enedós.
Wood carpentry: Rafa Sánchez de Ebanistres.
Paint: Silvia Pascual. (Colores de Interior)
Furniture: Graó.
Lighting: Eléctrica Balmes y Graó.
Curtains and upholstery: Marcasal.
Artwork: Alicia Gimeno, Carolina Amorós, Kris del Baño + Mar Gausachs, Mariona Espinet.

Núria Selva

Núria Selva’s architecture is shaped from an intimate and conscious place, forged from childhood within an environment where creativity and design were part of everyday life. An architect, like her father, her mother and her partner, she was educated at the Barcelona School of Architecture, and her professional path reveals a constant pursuit: understanding how spaces influence people, and how architecture can accompany, care for and transform daily life.

From the very beginning of her career, Núria Selva has developed a diverse practice encompassing new-build projects, refurbishment and interior design, always guided by a sensitive approach attentive to the human context. After an initial period working independently, she co-founded two studios in Barcelona that marked her professional evolution. In 2009, DS Architecture & Design, a practice specialising in hotel architecture and interior design alongside Sandra Dachs Surís, with whom she developed projects for more than a decade; and Loox Architecture & Design, founded in 2012 together with Laia Baylina Verdaguer, focused on a transversal architecture open to design and experimentation. These experiences consolidated a way of working grounded in collaboration, technical rigour and a close attention to the real use of spaces.

In recent years, her training has been enriched through specialised studies in neuroarchitecture and experience-based spatial design, integrating knowledge related to perception, the nervous system, emotions and corporeality. This approach translates into projects that seek to generate balance, calm and connection, where light, materials and proportions engage in dialogue with those who inhabit the space.

In 2020, Núria Selva began a new professional chapter by founding her own studio, NSV Arquitectura & Experiencias, through which she articulates a more personal and mature vision of architecture, aligned with her current concerns and with a deep understanding of emotional wellbeing. The studio works from an integral approach that combines architecture, interior design and emotional accompaniment, understanding each project as a shared and conscious process.

Beyond offering traditional architectural and interior design services, the studio stands out for placing user experience at the core of each project. Every space is conceived through listening, addressing not only functional needs but also the emotions, rhythms and vital dynamics of those who inhabit it.

It is within this framework that Home Feel – Home Coaching Online emerges, a pioneering service that brings architectural accompaniment into the digital realm. Through personalised sessions, Núria Selva helps individuals understand their relationship with domestic space and transform it from within, without the need for major interventions, focusing on wellbeing, coherence and personal identity. This service encapsulates the studio’s philosophy: architecture as a tool for self-knowledge and the improvement of quality of life.

The projects developed by NSV Arquitectura & Experiencias are defined by a serene and timeless aesthetic, a conscious use of materials, a carefully considered relationship with natural light and meticulous attention to the human scale. These are spaces that seek to accompany—quiet architectures that leave room for life.

In a context where architecture increasingly gravitates towards immediacy and image, Núria Selva’s work reclaims time, reflection and experience as essential values, placing people once again at the centre of the architectural project.

Project by Núria Selva