Sustainable Design and Reclaimed Materials in a Historic Barcelona Apartment

In Barcelona’s vibrant El Born neighborhood, just moments from Parc de la Ciutadella, stands a thoughtfully restored apartment that offers a fresh perspective on historic city living.

Overlooking Carrer de la Princesa, the apartment has been lovingly transformed by its owners, the Swedish-South African design and sustainability duo behind MAD Studio, whose work has taken them around the world.

Rather than pursuing a conventional renovation, they approached the apartment as an ongoing restoration, carefully revealing its original character while creating a warm and healthy home for modern life.

Occupying 64 square meters, the apartment has an intimate yet surprisingly spacious layout with two bedrooms. Three French balconies line the home, opening both sides of the building and filling the interiors with natural light while connecting the home to the lively streets of El Born.

The renovation sets this apartment apart. Instead of removing everything and starting from scratch, the owners embraced the building’s history, preserving original features wherever possible and carefully introducing reclaimed materials throughout the interiors.

Every decision was guided by a commitment to sustainability and craftsmanship, with natural, breathable materials replacing synthetic alternatives to create a healthier living environment.

In the kitchen, the walls are covered in mineral paint and egg-oil tempera, paired with a clay-lime countertop and cabinet doors treated with organically dyed wood fiber.

A restored marble sink stands in the corner while the tilework in front of the cooking area has been reclaimed from local renovation projects. The cutting boards are made from travertine slices gifted by a nearby construction site, upcycled skateboard ramps, and a local oak cutting from a nearby carpentry workshop.

The original tiles were excavated from beneath layers of sand, gravel, and soil, becoming the focal point in the kitchen.

During the renovation, traces of the apartment’s original color palette emerged beneath later layers, inspiring many of the finishes seen today.

Rather than rushing the process, each room was revisited again and again, with colors, materials, and proportions refined until the spaces felt balanced and complete.

In the living room, recycled TV benches and kitchen cutoffs form the base of the five-meter-long built-in sofa.

The textiles are made from hemp, vegetable silk, jute, linen, bacterial leather, and mycelium.

In the bedrooms, the walls are treated with egg-oil tempera paired with clay-lime built-in shelves, organic cotton textiles, and furniture sculpted from paper pulp.

Restored glass doors offer privacy while allowing natural light to flow into the small bedroom space.

A chair found on the street has been coated with sculpted paper pulp.

The apartment feels layered rather than polished to perfection. Its interiors celebrate age and craftsmanship, allowing every restored surface and reclaimed object to contribute to the home’s unique identity.

In the bathroom, a reclaimed terrace fountain has been repurposed as the sink, while restored tiles made from recycled ceramics salvaged from nearby construction sites and recovered stonework add texture and a sense of continuity.

A shared rooftop terrace offers sweeping views across Barcelona’s rooftops toward the Sagrada Família, Montserrat, and many of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.

For the owners, this apartment represents an important milestone. It became the first project in which they could fully explore their ideas about restoration, reuse, and sustainable design within a home of their own.

That experience has since shaped their creative direction, with new and larger restoration projects already on the horizon.

The apartment is listed for €413.000 at Fantastic Frank Barcelona.