A Place of My Own: Creative Reuse in Poble-sec

Amy Lincoln’s love affair with Spain started when she was a child and enjoyed regular family holidays in Granada. Enamored of Spain’s rich culture and the intricate Arabic architecture, Amy decided to study Spanish at university and later moved to North India, where Arabian-inspired architecture is prevalent. After many years of working in fashion journalism in London and Mumbai, Amy was ready for a change and opted for Barcelona as her new home. “It’s funny how much of an influence my childhood holidays have had,” she mused.

Accustomed to the dynamic city life of London and Mumbai, Amy was looking for a vibrant, culturally diverse area to settle in when she arrived in Barcelona two years ago. “I immediately fell in love with Poble Sec because it has lots of personality and a strong sense of community,” she said. Once Amy realized that Poble Sec was the barrio for her, it wasn’t long before she stumbled upon her current two-bedroom apartment. Although the Seventies decor and dated fittings left a lot to be desired, Amy spotted the potential. 

“I’ve decorated and furnished several homes over the years, so I felt I could take on the challenge,” she explained. “I didn’t have the luxury of time or a big budget so I had to rely on my own vision, which was daunting.” She decided to gut the entire apartment and reconfigure the layout to make better use of the modest space and expose the original features. Amy recalled ripping up the flooring to find that only five original hydraulic tiles remained. “I felt I owed it to the flat to use them but I couldn’t think how,” she said. When she finally moved in four months later, Amy discovered La Capgirada (Ricart 26), a local furniture restoration workshop, which inspired her to learn how to revamp old furniture herself. Her first project was an old wooden chest found in a junk shop for a couple of euros. With help from Jaume, the owner of La Capgirada, Amy set the hydraulic tiles into the top of the chest and transformed it into a statement piece which sits proudly in the guest bedroom. 

Amy’s passion for upcycling is evident throughout the apartment. In the living room, an old chair, which Amy found on the street, has been stripped and re-upholstered to give it a new lease of life, and the bookshelves, which she found in a vintage furniture shop, are made from three old doors mounted on a cast iron frame. In the kitchen, two old sewing machine bases have been joined together to create a dining table. In the same vein, Amy has transformed her grandmother’s kettle, which dates from the Twenties, and two salvaged mannequins, into lamps. “I love the idea of changing an object’s function,” she said. What started out as a hobby has evolved into a mini business for Amy, who now spends two evenings a week at La Caprigada making bespoke pieces from unwanted items found on the streets.

When it comes to her interior design style, Amy complements the apartment’s Modernista elements with an eclectic mix of pieces she accumulated during her time in Mumbai and London. “I like my home to look unique, so when the inevitable Swedish bargain does sneak in, it’s well-hacked,” said Amy.

Throughout the apartment, there is an eye-catching blend of colorful cushions and throws made from saree fabric, ornate Indian lanterns, Moorish tile patterns and quirky artwork. “I hate tasteful beige and, like Diana Vreeland, I believe ‘too much good taste can be boring’!” laughed Amy. Taking in the vibrant space, it’s fair to say that Amy’s Poble Sec home has character and soul.