A place of my own: Pocket penthouse

Although spread over just 24 square metres, this remodelled pigeon-hole loft in the Born is nothing short of surprising.  Austrian-born Christian Schallert invites us to take a closer look at his pocket-penthouse.

“I grew up by Lake Constance in Austria”, explains Christian. “My initial inspiration came from the boats on the lake. I also did a lot of research into Japanese living, and knew from the beginning that less is more. To turn my crazy ideas into a reality I of course needed a professional, which is where my Italian architect and friend Barbara Appollini came in.”

It’s the use of storage which makes Christian’s creation so impressive. Although just one small room, with the use of click-open cupboards (60cm in depth) and pullout/pulldown features, he has been able to incorporate a fully functioning kitchen, dining room, bedroom, living room and bathroom into the space.

“I guess it’s a big mix of everything adapting to the tiniest space possible to live in. As I have a big work studio, I didn’t have to worry so much about office stuff and photo equipment. I basically thought about all the bits and pieces I had in my previous flat, from t-shirts to DVDs, and that’s how I divided up the cupboard space. Every square metre has a function. There are two terraces, one 5m2 (which the bed slides under), the other is a 20m2 roof terrace where I have a seating area and a bath, with an amazing 360-degree view of the city. There’s nothing quite like having a bath in the open air with a view of the Sagrada Familia.”

This was the first project of its kind undertaken by Christian and, having learned so much and discovering a real passion for renovation, he has since refurbished and decorated numerous other apartments around the city.

Christian explains that the key to living in such a small space is to “stay organised and keep things in their place. The trick is using the walls as much as possible and to keep the centre free for moving things around.”

If you’d like to discover more of Christian’s recent creations in Barcelona, visit his website:

www.cocoflats.com.