Fifteen years ago, Joan and John Gallagher decided it was time for an adventure. Joan had always dreamt of living abroad, and after her elderly mother passed away, she and her family took to the road for the summer. En route, they discovered that the Spanish lifestyle would suit them best, and decided to make their new home in or near Barcelona.
Coming from Boyle, a small town of 2,500 inhabitants in County Roscommon, Ireland, it was obvious to them that Barcelona was too chaotic, so they made a trip to Sitges to check it out as an alternative. Two days later, they returned and bought a house. These were pre-crisis boom days, both in Ireland and Spain and, being in the property business, Joan and John didn’t hesitate.
But it wasn’t just their own lives that were about to change. Their four sons, then aged between eight and 15, suddenly found themselves in a local Catalan school, with no language skills, a long way from home. The idea, initially, was to stay for a year and then return home. However, Joan and John soon became fond of their new life and, although reluctantly at first, the boys found their feet in time.
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Photo by Michael Mawson Photography
Exposed brick, stone, timber and floor tiles reveal the original character of the building
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Then the crisis hit, and a number of ambitious projects that they had invested in around Catalunya stopped dead, forcing the couple to find alternative ways of generating income, from teaching English to hosting lodgers. “There was nearly a moment when we thought, ‘Should we go back to Ireland?’” remembered Joan. “But then we pulled ourselves together and made a plan.”
As the property sector has gradually started to pick up over the last few years, some old projects are showing signs of life, and some new dreams have been born—namely, Joan and John’s ideal retirement pad in central Sitges. A combination of having a grown-up family, together with a general change in their lifestyle (influenced by the local culture) has led the couple to feel more comfortable in a smaller space. “When we first moved here, I thought I wanted exactly what we had in Ireland, so we bought a big house with a garden outside town. But within two months of living there, we realised it was a mistake,” admitted Joan. “We are very happy now living in a small space with no garden and no car, although it must have a nice terrace—we love eating outside.”
At the beginning of 2015, they were on the lookout for somewhere convenient and central. So, when John came across an abandoned property in the old town—one floor of a building dating from 1821—he couldn’t resist. But its decrepit state left a lot to be desired. Night after night, John visited the space, envisioning how it could be transformed. In some areas, the roof had to be replaced. This stripping back of the building’s fabric allowed John to consider the space from first principles, and to peel off layers of materials, tapping away at the walls and floors to catch a glimpse of what lay underneath.
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Pre-renovation state
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He came up with a master plan of dividing the space into two apartments—one for themselves, facing the interior of the block with a spacious terrace, and one for their visitors and family members, which faces the street. There’s even an annex in the attic (once the porter’s accommodation) that makes for an excellent self-contained guest bedroom. Each apartment, curiously named after the couple’s favourite singers, comprises an open-plan living area and kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and mezzanine snug. They are sociable spaces with a homely feel, due to both the thoughtful design and exposed original materials.
Every detail has been carefully designed and crafted by John and a select team of local joiners, and with each apartment measuring just 45 square metres, every square inch counts. “When the project started, there wasn’t a concrete set of plans—the project evolved as we were working on it. It was magic,” recalled John.
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Photo by Michael Mawson Photography
The open-plan living area leads to a spacious terrace, ideal for outdoor dining
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Photo by Michael Mawson Photography
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Photo by Michael Mawson Photography
When it comes to fixtures and fittings, upcycling and recycling are evident throughout the apartments. The old wooden beams that were removed from the roof, for example, can be spotted supporting a breakfast bar in the kitchen, cut in two to create a staircase for mezzanine access or hanging from the ceiling as a bookcase.
Although only recently completed, both apartments embody a strong sense of home. Every piece of furniture has a story, like the old wash stand that came from Westport, Ireland, a dresser that once belonged in a Roscommon convent, a Le Corbusier-designed chaise longue that they inherited from an American writer, and a series of Alessi display cabinets salvaged after a local shop closed down. John has a soft spot for art, and many pieces that adorn the apartments are the work of Sitges-based, Madrid-born artist, Andres Landin Ysasia.
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Photo by Michael Mawson Photography
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Photo by Michael Mawson Photography
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Photo by Michael Mawson Photography
An emotional Joan recalled that she has seen John rekindle his creative passion for building through this project. “It has been tough for many years, and we never thought that John would get the opportunity to do something like this again,” she said proudly. Now this labour of love is complete, he has once again caught the bug, and may not be putting down the tools just yet. “There’s another building close by that’s for sale. It would be a fantastic project,” exclaimed John.
Downsizing will probably come as a blow to Joan and John’s extended network of family and friends, both local and international. One Irish trait that they have been particularly successful in exporting to Spain, is a warm, welcoming home—a hub of activity with characters and craic to beat the band. But they’ve already tested out the potential for gatherings at their new, more modest-sized retirement pad, and were happy to report positive results.
If you have made yourself an interesting home from home and would like to appear in our Place of My Own feature, please send an email to editorial@barcelona-metropolitan.com.