Spanish-style homes or those with a Barcelona-inspired design can be found all over the world, and it’s not surprising why.
When all the elements of Spanish design are perfectly put together, what you get is a piece of property with a relaxing ambience and aesthetic appeal like no other.
You can enjoy a cup of coffee in your own courtyard after a quick siesta. Or perhaps you can go for a small entertainment area where you and your friends can also enjoy a Friday jamon, vino, and tapas night.
If you’ve been to Barcelona and fallen in love with the place, that may have driven your desire to incorporate its unique qualities into your home.
The architectural and visual features you can opt for are entirely up to you. If you’re after a cleaner look, you can add small details here and there.
If you’re slightly more adventurous, you can hire Barcelona street artists and graffiti artists to create an eye-catching mural anywhere on your property.
Another idea is to get local knickknacks every time you go on a trip to Spain and use those to decorate your home one corner at a time.
With that said, here are other ways you can achieve your goal of having a Barcelona-inspired home:
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1. Have Small, Open Windows
Don’t hide your windows behind thick curtains.
The weather in Spain can be quite hot, and that’s precisely why many Barcelona homes have small windows that are usually open.
If you need curtains, go for thin, white ones that are almost transparent, or you can have some made of lace.
Spanish windows are also sealed with iron, usually in black, like French or vintage-style windows.
So if you think your home needs new windows, those in particular can be a good change.
Shutters are also quite common, usually made of dark-colored wood.
2. Incorporate a Lot of Colorful Tiles
Tiles are everything in Spain. You can see this in how vibrant and playful the tiles they use are.
And those aren’t just limited to the floor. You can let your imagination run free.
Aim for a full accent wall with Spanish-style tiles or only a portion of it.
Also, Spanish-style tiles don’t have to be for indoor spaces alone.
They’ll look just as amazing if you have a veranda or an outdoor entertainment area.
3. Go for Exposed Wooden Support Beams
Gone are the days when ceilings had to be plain, flat, or closed.
It’s a common design element in farmhouse-style homes today to have the wooden support beams exposed.
Unknown to many, that feature is borrowed from older Barcelona-inspired or Spanish-style homes.
Apart from being a design element, the exposed wooden beams in Barcelona homes serve a functional purpose.
They’re made to support the roof, which is of course quite heavy.
You may want to adopt that kind of style in your own home, too, but if your home doesn’t require support beams, you can ask a contractor to build faux beams for you to recreate the look.
4. Create an Inner Courtyard
A practice of Spanish people you may have observed in Barcelona is that friends and families love to gather whenever possible.
Those get-togethers don’t take place in restaurants and tapas bars only but in homes as well.
It’s common to invite loved ones over for dinner or an afternoon snack, hence the presence of inner courtyards in many Barcelona homes.
Historically, the inner courtyard was constructed so that cooking can be done there, and steam and smoke can escape into the open air without a problem, which is especially ideal when there are guests over.
Today, inner courtyards are made solely for entertaining purposes.
5. Add Wrought Iron Accents
Spanish homes are also rich in wrought iron accents. You can place these on windows, doors, and even stairs.
If you have a multistory home, you can nail that Barcelona-inspired design even with simple changes.
The stair landing should be made of hardwood, with each of the steps featuring a tiled backsplash.
Meanwhile, the railing has to be made of wrought iron.
The result is gorgeous, elegant stairs, and the tile backsplash provides that ornamental detail also prevalent in many Spanish homes.
6. Use Warm Colors
If you’re looking to repaint your home, it’s advisable to focus on warm colors.
Warm neutrals make the perfect canvas on which you can mix and match the intricate details characteristic of a Barcelona-inspired home.
That way, you can upgrade the look of your home without ending up with an overwhelming or overly busy result.
The Spanish want their houses to be so inviting that they’ll always look forward to coming home.
Right when you walk into your Barcelona-inspired home, you should feel comfortable and relaxed and know that that’s where you belong, that the entire property is your home.
You can achieve this through warm colors that are soothing and pleasing to the eyes and the mind.
7. Bring in Organic Elements
No Spanish home is ever described as a minimalist home. That’s what sets Spanish-style houses apart from other types of European architecture.
So to recreate that Barcelona vibe in your home, it’s a good idea to bring in some organic elements.
Start with plants, particularly a garden. However, they should never just be for the exteriors.
Place plants in your bedroom, the kitchen, the dining area, the living room, and the courtyard.
The whole purpose should be to meet that standard of being able to return at the end of every day to a restful home.
Apart from getting plants, play around with design elements such as wooden details, rattan home goods and mats, and wooden or rattan furniture.
Conclusion
Ornamental accents, a playful mix of colors and wooden elements, indoor and outdoor plants, and arches and vintage windows—these are only a few of the distinctive features of a Barcelona-inspired or Spanish-style home.
While a trip to Barcelona may not always be possible, you can experience the atmosphere in that city by recreating it in your property’s interior and exterior spaces.
If you’re like many who’ve been captivated by the stunning homes there, try any of the ideas above.
Take it one change at a time until you finally have your very own Spanish abode.
