This Rental Has Dopamine Meets Retro Vibes and a Genius IKEA Hack
Adrienne Breaux
·4-min read
"I bought almost everything on Wallapop (Spain’s equivalent to FB Marketplace)," begins Júlia of the 675-square-foot rental apartment in Barcelona's El Prat de Llobregat neighborhood. "I found some stuff on the streets, and people gave me things they were not using anymore." Credit: Júlia SegarraCredit: Júlia Segarra
Júlia says this photo really defines her style. "In a single corner there are things that apparently don’t match each other: a disco-ball, the tiled coffee table I made, this weird window on the corridor… but there is something that somehow ties it together. Also, there is the TV and the music system (I love cinema and music, so I couldn’t live without them). In a lot of home tours these items are not featured as they are not the most 'aesthetic,' but I love what they represent and also this is my home I live in every day, not some magazine-prepared space." Credit: Júlia SegarraCredit: Júlia Segarra
"Here you can see the lipstick mirror I found on Wallapop, which has quite a story," she begins. "At the beginning I had another mirror, but my Roomba cleaner, as it works with a sensor and doesn’t understand mirrors, broke it. It was almost 2 meters tall so the mess was incredible! Sad and frustrated, I started scrolling Wallapop, until I found this marvel for just 30€ and I couldn’t believe it, so I ran to the car to go pick it up." Credit: Júlia SegarraCredit: Júlia Segarra
Júlia says the living room is one of her favorite spots in the home "because of the light, and because it has a lot of unique items that define me: a disco ball, my favorite surfboard (that I myself designed), my grandpa’s badminton rackets, and all the plants I rescued." Credit: Júlia SegarraCredit: Júlia Segarra
"I did not like any of the coffee tables I could afford, so I went to IKEA and bought the cheapest one," she explains. "Instead of following the assembly instructions, I cut some wood and assembled it differently. Then I took some shower tiles, and I covered the whole thing, and it became one of the most loved items in my living room." Credit: Júlia SegarraCredit: Júlia Segarra
Júlia didn't like the difference in ceiling height between the dining area and the living room, so she "painted this black and red ornament and now it brings much character to the room and helps me separate the 'dining room corner' from the 'living room corner.'" Credit: Júlia SegarraCredit: Júlia Segarra
She explains that she keeps her bedroom area more neutral and calm, "as it is a resting space, but still personal. Since platform beds were very expensive, I bought a bed structure at IKEA bigger than the size of mattress, so it looks like a platform bed but much affordable!" Credit: Júlia SegarraCredit: Júlia Segarra
"Try to buy secondhand to find unique pieces, and don’t buy anything that you don’t absolutely love, just because it fits your space’s vibe," Júlia advises. Credit: Júlia SegarraCredit: Júlia Segarra
This is the first home Júlia has lived in on her own. “Moving out of your parent’s house at this age is not very common in Spain because it is extremely expensive, but I consider the best-spent money every month [to be] my rent,” she begins of the 675-square-foot rental apartment in Barcelona’s El Prat de Llobregat neighborhood.
Credit: Júlia SegarraCredit: Júlia Segarra
“This means I did not have all the budget I’d like to spend on furnishing and decor, but that doesn’t mean I can’t create a home I absolutely love. I buy secondhand, I DIY IKEA pieces, and I spend a ridiculous amount of time searching for every item, and this allowed me to create a space I love spending my time in,” she continues of the space she describes as “dopamine, personal, retro, energetic.”
Credit: Júlia SegarraCredit: Júlia Segarra
Júlia says people ask her what her home style is and which “rules” she follows to make all the different things in her home since “it’s a mix of styles, colors, and weird items. I always answer: I just buy things that I love, and that is what they have in common. I just find the way to place them together, and it always ends up looking good and interesting. However, as it’s a small house, I have always to keep in mind functionality and not over-cluttering.”
Credit: Júlia SegarraCredit: Júlia Segarra
Resources
Bed — IKEA
Dining chairs — Street find
White locker — From dad’s old office
Rackets — Inherited from grandpa
Lipstick mirror — Wallapop
Thanks, Júlia!
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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