Before and After: Conversion of a Dairy Farm

April Kennedy April Kennedy
‘Rehbailitacion edificio en Gracia’, lluiscorbellajordi lluiscorbellajordi Salones de estilo moderno
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In the midst of Barcelona once lay a crumbling old dairy complete with a barn. The dairy farm was one of the cities many crumbling old architectural beauties, and in this lovely Spanish city by the sea, it was eventually bought by French architect Marc Mazeres who wanted to give the building a new life.

The dairy farm had become decrepit since it became illegal to house livestock within the very centre of the city. Although the building was in a sorry state of repair, at 274 square meters it was huge and just happened to be located in Gracia, now one of the trendiest bohemian barrios in the city.

Fortunately, the architect decided not to subdivide the property as many might have done and decided to convert it into a family home, complete with a garage and an exterior patio. With the help of local architect Lluís Corbella, the two went to work. Although they loved the original features, the building needed to be stabilised. So they kept the original brick facade and roof, but aside from a few original ceiling beams and a central supporting pillar, everything else was removed. Join us for a photo tour to see what came next.

Complete disrepair

Looking beyond the bricked up entrance, damaged walls and rotting timber beams and water damage, the potential for this space is clear. There are high ceilings and a beautiful front archway.

Bright industrial loft

What a lovely bright open plan living space. The walls, white modular sofa and bright ambience of the place are completely new. But at the same time a strong industrial feel has been created by featuring the original timber beams with distressed finishes and keeping to the original, vast proportions of the space.

Contemporary luxury

From the other end of the vast open plan living space, we come to the generously proportioned minimalist kitchen. One long, single kitchen bench stretches across the entire width of the place to create a single, unbroken line of sight. The sliding kitchen cabinets are unfussy and the aluminium lines of the ceiling simple accentuate the industrial feel and simple lines in the space.

Family area with fun seating

From the centre of the huge open plan living area we have a few of the fun seating options and family-friendly living room. There are three types of seating; a suspended chair, a dining area and a sofa. There's also a large, silver refrigerator, pinball machine and a couple of surfboards. This is a relaxing family home.

Suspended walkway

The removal of the first floor meant that the space was rather large and cavernous. The architects inserted metal beams to form a series of rooms, interconnected by this suspended walkway. The idea was to turn the home into one with three distinct living zones, one for the parents, another for their three teenage sons and a third space for them all to come together.

From above the walkway here, we have a close-up view of the suspended walkway with a low bookcase and of course, the beautiful, soft remains of the original brickwork and timber beams.

Master bedroom

The master bedroom possesses a luxurious glass-walled bathroom complete with a bathtub. A light, industrial feel has been achieved with the use of a light colour scheme, timber floorboards, original brickwork and a silver aluminium ceiling. It's an interesting combination of finishes and materials, but one that manages to convey the soft comforts so important to a bedroom, while maintaining the industrial connection to the rest of the home.

External patio

To finish up our tour we'll look at the external patio and small pool. The height of the building allowed for a high-walled patio. The area is minimally furnished with a few outdoor plants and a scattering of stones. The patio possesses a natural, relaxed ambience. Part of the patio has been covered in timber decking for the small, outdoor pool. In sunny Spain, this is one feature that's sure to be a hit with the whole family!

If you are interested in industrial interiors, you would love this Ideabook How to decorate with the industrial style.

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