A place of my own: Tranquil city haven

From an early age, Graham Collins was inspired by his elegant spa hometown of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. It was the town’s buildings and nature that influenced him to pursue a career in design, setting up his own interior design business. In 1996, he moved to London, and in 2004, after spending eight successful years in the city, he was ready for a change of pace. Initially planning to move to Miami, a visit to Barcelona for a friend’s birthday inspired him to move here instead. He originally planned to come for a short amount of time and learn Spanish, but ended up falling for the city. After six months, he realised it was home and decided to buy his first property here.

Thirteen years on and Graham has renovated and designed countless houses and apartments in the city, both for himself and for his clients. When he arrived, one of the first things he noticed was the amount of missed opportunities when it came to space utilisation in the buildings around Barcelona. “There's a lot of inspiration in the city, whatever kind of artist you are, and yet, when you go into people’s homes, many have no idea how to take advantage of the space,” he explained.

As a designer, finding a property with the ‘wow-factor’ is of utmost importance to Graham. Three years ago, he stumbled across a run-down apartment in a narrow Born side street and was enticed by the large graffitied wooden door, which opened onto a palatial courtyard entrance and winding staircase. The rotting beams and floors, along with crumbling walls, presented the perfect opportunity for Graham to exercise his creative vision from scratch. “When you are designing a home, you have to ask: what is the flat telling me?” he explained. “This space felt very relaxed, somewhere that could provide serenity in the city.” His use of natural materials, such as reclaimed wood floors, also helped to maintain a sense of calm in the apartment.

Entering the apartment, the desired sense of serenity can be felt straight away. On the left, the master bedroom, provides a peaceful private space, slightly secluded from the rest of the property. To the right, a guest bedroom, leading to a spacious kitchen that opens up into the airy living room. Graham explained that he wanted the two most used rooms to be situated in the part of the house that would receive the most light. Well thought-out details, such as a collection of painted wooden frames on the wall and soft linen furnishings, pull the eclectic design of the house together, offsetting and softening the roughness of the exposed masonry.

Working strategically with the natural light that flows through the apartment, Graham has created a tranquil city haven, using fine details to add an element of interest and fun, as well as being practical. The sliding door between the kitchen and living room, for example, features a hand-painted palm tree by French designer Maison Levy, transforming it into a piece of art. “These small features are how you can add character to the apartment.” The master bedroom, however, contains the apartment’s biggest surprise: the middle doors of a set of wardrobes open up to reveal a stunning hidden bathroom featuring local hand-painted tiles.

The renovation of the apartment also revealed one of Graham’s favourite features. When removing plaster from one of the walls, he discovered a masonry wall behind that gave him an insight into the history of the building. The wall contains wooden beams, showing where the original roof of the building once stood, dating back to the 1700s, and is composed of a mishmash of stone and brick, some of which likely originates from the old Roman walls and Montjuïc.

Graham emphasised the importance of using a design feature as a focal point in the room, something which can be challenging in Mediterranean houses. “Where I’m from, every house has a fireplace, which becomes the main feature, but that is very uncommon here,” he explained. “Here, you can generally use the view or, in this case, the wall.”

Now, Graham continues to seek out interesting properties throughout the city for his clients and redesign them in a way that suits the character of each building. Having been through it himself, he understands the ins and outs of buying a property here, and guides his clients through the process.