Seventies Style Mid Century Pad in Barcelona

We’ve settled back in Sitges, near Barcelona, after a couple of years in Brighton, and I’m excited to share my seventies-style mid-century pad with you, replete with a copy of the iconic Camaleonda sofa. While we brought many of our belongings and furniture with us in a van, we decided to leave some of the larger items behind and start afresh. Somehow, I found myself drawn to the louche 70s aesthetic, with hints of the 60s thrown in for good measure. The result is a fun mishmash of old and new that reflects our journey and style. Let’s break it down and show you how to get the look if you’re feeling a little louche yourself.

The most striking feature in the space is clearly the gigantic modular sofa. This is a copy of the Camaleonda Sofa designed by Marco Bellini in 1970. Despite its early success, the Camaleonda was only available on the market for eight years, from 1970 to 1978. So it doesn’t get more seventies than this wonder of Italian style. I love that it can be positioned in myriad ways due to its modular design. Although I think my husband may be a little tired of helping me shift it around every few weeks on a whim!

Here are three configurations of the Camaleonda sofa. Which do you prefer?

One of my favourite elements is the family portrait we had commissioned for my mid-century birthday! Painted by the fabulous Nancy Jack who lives here in Sitges, we wanted to copy the style of the “House of the Future”; a series of illustrations by Charles Schridde to envision Motorola’s technology in futuristic homes. His artwork, featuring breathtaking landscapes, dramatic cantilevers, and other imaginative elements, showcases lavish structures that blur the line between architecture and science fiction. We inserted ourselves, a Sitges skyline, and a few of our personal items into the tableau. Oh and a teenage daughter on a mobile phone! Need a little realism in the mix!

I know they say less is more but why have a boring corner when you bring it to life with some great vintage design? The cocktail corner was created from a haul we found at a flea market in Barcelona called Mercat dels Encants, a few years ago. The soda-syphon is a classic bit of 1960s BarceIona design. I think the drinks trolley was a bargain at around 60 euros. And we didn’t struggle to fill it with the contents of our booze collection on a mirrored tray. The set of vintage posters advertising a tailoring expo in the 1960s cost about the same. I love the vivid colours and the mid-century style graphics. They were clearly influenced by the designer Saul Bass, best known for his design of motion-picture title sequences and posters for directors including Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Billy Wilder, and Otto Preminger.

And that brings me neatly to the cut-out of The Man With The Golden Arm, which was indeed designed by the legend himself, for the movie of that name, directed by Otto Preminger. We made this homage ourselves from plywood using a jigsaw. We must have been feeling far more crafty than usual! Still wondering if we could make these to sell. Would you buy one? A couple of artificial plants (we are very bad at keeping real ones alive), and a lamp we bought in Morocco, completes this corner nicely.

The dining area brings a hint of the 1920s, featuring Marcel Breuer’s Cesca chairs and Bally pictures, both iconic designs from that era. However, these classic chairs made a notable resurgence in the 1970s, so they still resonate with the overall feel of the room. The table was an Ebay find that only cost £60. The pendant lights were from Maisons du Monde in Barcelona, which is sadly no longer trading in the UK (another Brexit casualty I think!)

Remember to add a Flokati rug for the full shagtastic 70s vibe.

Last, but definitely not least, the TV unit was commissioned by my Dad. He was an architect and he designed it for my flat-roofed modernist childhood home which he also designed and built in 1962. I cherish this item the most of all.

To re-create this seventies-style mid-century pad for yourself, browse all the products below. And remember to keep it louche!