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Issue 4 of Never Too Small Magazine is bursting with bold design, clever small-space ideas, and a vibrant mix of colour and culture. Don’t miss out — get your copy now! https://www.nts-store.com/

Italian interior designer Rocco Bibbiani of NOT A STUDIO has transformed this once traditional 1911 apartment in Barcelona’s El Poble-sec neighbourhood into a curvy space full of soft colour, history, and Bauhaus spirit. With a limited budget, Bibbiani retained much of the original layout while uncovering and restoring historic details like the vaulted Catalan ceiling, plaster walls, and wooden bedroom closets. Bauhaus inspired bold colour blocks and curved transitions define zones and add volume. Playful yet practical interventions include a patterned 70s wallpaper at the entry, a custom shelving wall that conceals utilities, and a serpentine floor detail that links parquet with microcement in unexpected ways. The kitchen—built from customised IKEA cabinetry—features circular pulls, floating shelves, and integrated appliances to maintain an uncluttered feel.

00:00-00:40 Introduction
00:40-01:19 Location
01:19-02:59 Floor Plan
02:59-03:10 Entrance
03:10-04:14 Living Area
04:14-04:28 Dining Area
04:28-05:58 Kitchen
05:58-06:48 Bedroom
06:48-07:20 Bathroom
07:20-07:31 Guest Bedroom
07:31- 08:06 Conclusion

Read the full article about this apartment here: https://www.nevertoosmall.com/post/bauhaus-meets-barcelona

#smallapartment #architecture #interiordesign

Ep 234
Project Name: França Xica
Architect: https://www.itsnotastudio.com/

Produced by New Mac Video Agency
Creator: Colin Chee
Producer: Lindsay Barnard
Director: Nam Tran
Assistant Director: Julieta Duchovni
Cinematographer: Alejandro Fabbi
Editor: Sebastian Tibbs
Music: Artlist.io
Enchanted Woods - Instrumental Version by Dawncall
Gnomon by REW
Last Day of Summer by SVDKO
Winter Magic by Aves

Teddy Sofa by OMHU - https://omhucph.com/products/teddy
Transcript
00:03The design idea was to honor and highlight the apartment's home history.
00:10The inspiration for this project was a clear nod to the Bauhaus movement.
00:15We placed colors in large areas to define spaces and add volume to the design.
00:21It helped us create a thoughtful and playful design while staying within budget.
00:28My name is Rocco Bibbiani, I'm an interior designer and the founder of It's Nota Studio.
00:43The apartment is located in Poblesec neighborhood, in Barcelona.
00:49The original building was constructed in 1911.
00:55Our client had been sharing an apartment for several years and was ready to take the big step and purchase
01:01his own place.
01:04We wanted to uncover and restore some of the original features, such as the vaulted Catalan ceiling, the plastered walls
01:13and the bedroom closets.
01:18For this project, the priority was to find a place that didn't need tearing down walls or anything big, as
01:25we were working with a limited budget.
01:28It had two bedrooms and a large kitchen, bathroom and living area, all separated by doors, so it felt closed
01:36and small.
01:38The initial layout remained almost entirely intact, which really simplified the process.
01:43We shifted the walls between the bathroom and the kitchen.
01:47It allowed us to create a new, spacious kitchen, with even more storage.
01:57As you enter the apartment, to complement the paint color, we covered the door in a patterned wallpaper, from the
02:0570s.
02:08At the end of the hallway is the living room.
02:10The first thing you notice when stepping through, are the typical Catalan vaults.
02:16To rebuild them, we removed the dropped ceiling in the area.
02:21To contrast the ceiling, we choose to install parquet flooring.
02:26To create a smoother transition, we curved the walls.
02:31We installed three industrial air conditioning vents.
02:35We choose them for their round shape.
02:39In this apartment, we uncovered the cement walls and layers of plaster, from over the years.
02:46We thought it was a beautiful way to tell the story of the apartment,
02:50so we framed it out with paint as another piece of art in the space.
02:56For the living area, we choose a deep green sofa, from the brand OMU.
03:02It is a modular design, that can easily be turned into a bed and adds playfulness and functionality to the
03:09room.
03:11The dining table and chairs are from IKEA, while the crowning jewel above the table is a 70s Nordic ceiling
03:19lamp.
03:20From the iconic second-hand store, El Recibidor.
03:24To highlight the smooth transition between the living area and kitchen, we mirror the curved walls on the floor.
03:31A serpentine shape connects the parquet flooring and the micro-semen in an unexpected way.
03:37In the transition space between the living area and the kitchen, we installed a building shelving system.
03:45These shelves are key elements in the design.
03:48They not only function as decorative shelves, but also house hidden doors, concealing the router and the main electrical panel.
03:58The kitchen reflects the backhouse influence.
04:02A utilitarian space brought to life by playful shapes.
04:07We built the kitchen using IKEA cabinets, that we customized using laminate doors and countertops from Kubro.
04:14They are inexpensive and very durable.
04:17An integrated fridge, dishwashers and laundry machine are hidden to keep the kitchen feeling less cluttered.
04:24We decided to contrast the geometric grid by adding a circular door pulls to the cabinets.
04:32We decided to install floating shelves instead of upper cabinets, in order to make this place feel lighter.
04:41On the other side of the kitchen, we installed a large building cabinet, that holds the pantry and a cleaning
04:49supply closet, and hides the water heater as well.
04:54You enter the main bedroom through the closet of balcony, which gives the room a sort of entrance nook.
05:02It also gives more separation between the living area and bedroom.
05:08Both the wooden panels and wardrobe were original elements of the apartment.
05:14We lovingly restored them, sanding, filling and repairing them.
05:19We designed a custom bedside table, that fits right into the nook of the wardrobe.
05:26The bed can lift up to reveal even more storage.
05:31The owner asked us to install a shelf for his projector.
05:36We decided to paint the walls here in a half white color, so that he wouldn't need to install a
05:43bulky projector screen.
05:47The bathroom is strategically located in the apartment's central core.
05:52To match the kitchen, the vanity is also IKEA and Kubro, but instead of using the blue for the fronts,
06:00we decided to use it on the walls.
06:06We installed a large walking shower, with a comfortable shower bench.
06:11It is made out of the same micro-sement of the floors.
06:17The guest room is immediately next to the door, so we placed a large closet there, for coats and shoes.
06:29Designing small spaces truly excites me.
06:33It allows us to enjoy developing increasingly ingenious and fun projects,
06:38where the challenge is to create space where seemingly none exists.
07:00It allows us to make space for a single-segment in a small space.
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