Handmade Tale
Condé Nast House & Garden|August 2019

A Spanish designer’s loftrenovation becomes a gritty, authentic and carefully crafted tribute to life on the Med

Rocio Ley 
Handmade Tale

Seeing those grey and brown factories, their geometric forms stacked as if Juan Gris or Picasso had been charged with planning the skyline, takes me back to what first attracted me to this apartment,’ says Barcelonabased Spanish designer Gabriel Escámez. ‘I still take the time to contemplate them every morning when I wake up.’

Like many apartments in the El Poblenou district, the loft, which he shares with his partner Carlos and their pet bird, Bambino, is housed in a former factory building. An extensive yet until-recently abandoned industrial part of the city, El Poblenou has taken the route of gentrification à la Maboneng, becoming the embodiment of the gritty-urban brand of cool that siren calls tech start-ups, bob-cut gallerists and multidisciplinary designers, Gabriel himself not excluded. ‘This neighbourhood has not stopped transforming ever since we decided to move here last year,’ he says. As an art director and designer, Gabriel has his eye fixed on furniture pieces and lighting that resonate with a sense of Mediterraneanness, a feeling that has certainly come to define his own interiors and way of living.

Esta historia es de la edición August 2019 de Condé Nast House & Garden.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición August 2019 de Condé Nast House & Garden.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE CONDÉ NAST HOUSE & GARDENVer todo
Family First
Condé Nast House & Garden

Family First

Surrounded by mountainous terrain and a coniferous forest, Studio PLOW ensured this family home embraces its habitat, while offering a cosy and inviting family refuge

time-read
3 minutos  |
July 2023
Close to home
Condé Nast House & Garden

Close to home

While the sparrows flock to Europe in search of warmth in the winter, locals know that hiding in plain sight are hideaways ranging from safari stays to country cabins - that highlight the best parts of the cooler, quieter months of the year.

time-read
5 minutos  |
July 2023
Simply STYLISH
Condé Nast House & Garden

Simply STYLISH

A stylish update on decorating your home or redesigning your architectural space this winter

time-read
2 minutos  |
July 2023
Night at the MUSEUM
Condé Nast House & Garden

Night at the MUSEUM

In a collaboration between Investec Cape Town Art Fair and the Mount Nelson Hotel, Anelisa Mangeu has curated her second exhibition titled An Endless Night' celebrating the synergy between these landmark spaces

time-read
2 minutos  |
July 2023
NATURAL HABITAT
Condé Nast House & Garden

NATURAL HABITAT

Surefire tips to wow and whimsy with Dulux Colour of the Year 2023 Wild Wonder™

time-read
2 minutos  |
July 2023
Earth BOUND
Condé Nast House & Garden

Earth BOUND

Adam Court, director and designer at OKHA reveals the innermost workings of his creative mind and design process

time-read
2 minutos  |
July 2023
DOUBLE TAKE
Condé Nast House & Garden

DOUBLE TAKE

Part getaway, part meeting space, this Chelsea apartment by Hubert Zanberg Interiors hits every note for an out-of-town client

time-read
2 minutos  |
July 2023
VIEW FROM THE TOP
Condé Nast House & Garden

VIEW FROM THE TOP

Situated at the top of the iconic One&Only Cape Town resort, this penthouse boasts some of the best views of the Mother City

time-read
2 minutos  |
July 2023
CALL TO NATURE
Condé Nast House & Garden

CALL TO NATURE

The gardens and ephemeral planting palettes at Sterrekopje healing farm in Franschhoek are as much a reawakening of the senses as they are a connection to nature

time-read
5 minutos  |
July 2023
the SOFT LIFE
Condé Nast House & Garden

the SOFT LIFE

From lush gardens to sumptuous interiors, this beautiful home designed by Simone Katherine Interiors is all about comfort and a big focus on family

time-read
2 minutos  |
July 2023