To add light and space to a cramped 60 square meter flat (645 square feet), Laura Bonell knocked down most of the walls to leave everything open except bathroom and bedrooms and used a furniture wall to divide the remaining space.

To keep the remodel affordable, she used MDF (medium-density fiberboard) to build a pop-out kitchen, including a refrigerator, pantry, and coffee/smoothie bar. The backside of this furniture houses the couple’s clothes closets and partitions space for an entry room.

To add height to the Barcelona apartment, Bonell and her partner Daniel López-Dòriga removed the false ceiling to expose Catalan vaults (brickwork arches). They painted the brickwork white to add a reflective layer and lighten the home.

At the far end of the flat, they added eight tall and narrow windows in two-toned wood which can be opened and closed separately and frame the courtyard – and neighbors – in a style reminiscent of Hitchcock’s “Rear Window”. To carve out a “room” near the view, they added a bench and shelving, creating a reading – or viewing – nook.

The MDF furniture continues throughout the home beginning with a key shelf by the front door and curving to frame the bathroom, add a table to the kitchen, and supply couches to the living room. At one end of the space, the MDF is used to create a music room with a desk and shelving from the material. The owners are both musicians who work from home, and often teach students, so having designated “rooms” is imperative.

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