Based in Spain, Chilean interior designer Jaime Beriestain based the look of his Barcelona home around his art collection. He explains to Sona Decor Singapore why he decided to make these changes.
![jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_07-2-1024x683-1 The art take centrestage in every room of the house.](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_07-2-1024x683-1.jpg)
Eixample Neighbourhood, Barcelona
In the heart of Barcelona, Spain, the Eixample neighbourhood is where interior designer Jaime Beriestain — from Chile — feels at home. On one side, this area of the city is quiet; on the other, it has design and fashion shops, charming hotels and restaurants, and art galleries on every corner.
White is used as a canvas for bringing the other accents in this home to life.
![jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_26-1024x683-1 White is used as a canvas for bringing the other accents in this home to life.](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_26-1024x683-1.jpg)
Jaime was immediately seduced by the height of the 135 sqm apartment where he has lived for the past decade. He was also attracted to the several internal patios, which allow for an abundance of natural light.
![jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_19-731x1024-1 Bold strokes of colour helm the look of each room.](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_19-731x1024-1.jpg)
Previously an Office Space
Before moving in the space — which was previously an office — the interior designer led an extensive renovation, demolishing everything except the original windows of the façade.
The result was a white box with colourful and bold elements such as the rugs and reupholstered vintage chairs. Jaime, however, recently felt he needed a change.
![jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_31-731x1024-1 The Charles Ramos two-seat sofa upholstered with the Romeo & Giulietta Chine fabric by Dedar anchors the look in the sitting room.](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_31-731x1024-1.jpg)
Lived Here for 10 Years
“After living in the apartment for 10 years, I decided to do a second makeover, more in line with how I’ve evolved both personally and professionally”, he says. “I had reached a certain time in my life (at 50 years old) when I needed a metamorphosis in my vital space.”
Since the first days in his dwelling, Jaime’s art collection has been a key element. This recent renovation gave him the opportunity to focus on it even more than he has in the past. The Chilean reorganised his flat around the artworks before decorating the spaces.
![jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_32-731x1024-1 Close-up of the coffee table designed by Yves Klein.](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_32-731x1024-1.jpg)
Close-up of the coffee table designed by Yves Klein.
The unique texture of the statement wall adds to the edgy and provocative ambiance in the home.
![jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_34-731x1024-1 The unique texture of the statement wall adds to the edgy and provocative ambiance in the home.](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_34-731x1024-1.jpg)
Didn’t Resonate with Previous Home
“In a way, it was like a change of skin”, he confesses. “I didn’t identify myself anymore with my initial concept and I wanted to redesign a home that would correspond to me.” Jaime purchased new furniture and artworks from the likes of Galeria Miquel Alzueta, Side Gallery and Lifra.
“I changed the lighting; I created new rooms that didn’t exist before; I built new perspectives and new viewpoints”, the interior designer says. “The result implies a new lifestyle in the apartment.”
![jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_11-730x1024-1 The straight lines running throughout the home are softened by the use of pastel hues.](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_11-730x1024-1.jpg)
Famous Artists’ Artworks
Charlotte Perriand, Jean Prouve, Eero Saarinen, Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Sabine Marcelis, Vasa Velizar Mihich, Noh Sang Kyoon and Bosco Sodi are some of the big names showcased in the project.
![jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_09-731x1024-1 In the bedroom, the artwork “Untitled” (1995) by Jason Martin combines with the Green Candy Cube by Sabine Marcelis (produced by Side Gallery in Barcelona), which acts as a nightstand with a Taccia table lamp by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni on it.](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_09-731x1024-1.jpg)
New Home, New Me
“This apartment is the new me: sleek, peaceful and bright”, Jaime says. “My DNA runs through it.”
Passionate about art, which he describes as “a form of expression that inspires me, calms me down, transports and teaches me”, Jaime chose works with different materials and techniques around themes such as reducing the art to the essentials, glare and reflections (thanks to natural light), and portrait and identity.
![jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_04-731x1024-1 Soft furnishing in the bedroom balance out the boldness of the art.](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_04-731x1024-1.jpg)
He then organised the pieces by colour: blue in the living room, with a Charles Ramos two-seat sofa upholstered with the Romeo & Giulietta Chine fabric by Dedar, an abstract painting by Yago Hortal and the blue Yves Klein coffee table; gold in the Bulthaup kitchen, which was reinvented with brass sheets in order to create a visual connection with the Bosco Sodi artworks in the dining room; black in the dining room, where a big black wall was done by artist Alejandro Jaler.
![jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_13-1024x683-1 Creative ideas abound throughout the home.](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/jaime-beriestain_renovacion_manolo-yllera_13-1024x683-1.jpg)
“Many of my projects were inspired by an artwork”, Jaime says.
“I think that art is underestimated in our daily lives. I believe it’s a cultural component that gives us a lot, in addition to being a mirror of our collective memory and a social tool.”
Photos by Manolo Yllera.