8 minute read
My Space | Quintana Partners
LOCATION Barcelona, Spain DESIGN Quintana Partners PHOTOGRAPHY Montse Garriga Grau INTERVIEW Sophie Lewis
In the foothills of Barcelona, interior design studio Quintana Partners transform a home into their workspace. Co-founder Benito Escat shares how the pair have manifested their modus vivendi.
Quintana Studio is located in the foothills of Barcelona. What attracted you to the home to make it your studio space?
When I first saw the house, it felt like discovering a hidden sanctuary. The setting immediately captured my heart—the gentle slope of the hills with views of the city below and the lush greenery framing the property. The architecture was another striking feature, with large windows inviting the outdoors in. The light-filled spaces also created an immediate sense of warmth and possibility. It was as if the house had been waiting for us all along.
You describe Quintana Partners as a modus vivendi, a way of life where work and personal passions intertwine. How does this ethos play out at Quintana Studio?
At Quintana Studio, this ethos is reflected in every detail of our space and daily rhythm. The studio is not just a workspace; it’s a living, breathing extension of who we are. The objects and materials we surround ourselves with are often the starting points of our ideas, and the studio becomes a laboratory where design concepts are tested and refined. It’s a space where the energy of creation is constant, whether we're hosting clients, brainstorming as a team, or simply living in the environment we’ve shaped.
How does your design intervention balance responding to the home’s heritage with ensuring the space is a laboratory for creativity and experimentation?
Respect for the past is our starting point—we delve into the project's story, understanding its architectural roots, cultural significance and original craftsmanship. From there, we seek to preserve and restore key elements that anchor the space in its history, such as original beams, stonework, or decorative details, ensuring they remain central to the design narrative.
Simultaneously, we infuse the space with a spirit of modernity and adaptability. To create a "laboratory for creativity," we incorporate flexible design elements—open layouts, multifunctional areas, and unexpected materials that encourage exploration and change. Each intervention is an experiment in contrast: aged wood might meet polished concrete, or a minimalist aesthetic might frame an ornate, historic feature.
Your work is characterised by a respect for original materials, which you like to enhance and ‘rehabilitate’. This can be seen through how you’ve recovered the walls in your living space. What are other examples of this approach in Quintana Studio?
Our approach to enhancing and rehabilitating original materials is reflected in many of the choices we’ve made throughout the space. Just as with the restored walls in our living area, we aim to uncover the inherent beauty of the materials while preserving their authenticity and character.
Another example is the way we’ve treated the original floors. Rather than replacing them, we embraced their imperfections, carefully cleaning, repairing and finishing them to reveal their natural texture and patina. We’ve also preserved original woodwork, such as beams, doors and cabinetry. We meticulously stripped back years of paint and varnish to expose the grain and natural tones of the wood.
Even with the furniture and decor, we prioritised rehabilitation, sourcing vintage or antique pieces and giving them new life through subtle restoration, imbuing the space with soul and history. This philosophy—of enhancing rather than replacing— allows Quintana Studio to be a constantly evolving environment.
The interiors ‘mix and match’ objects, artwork and unique furniture pieces you have collected. Could you share the story behind one or two pieces?
One of my favourite pieces is an antique wooden cabinet we found during a sourcing trip to Mallorca. The cabinet was dilapidated, its paint peeling and hardware rusted, but it immediately caught our eye. We saw its potential and spent weeks carefully restoring it, stripping back layers of paint to reveal the wood's natural grain and replacing the hardware with salvaged antique pieces. It sits proudly in the studio, housing design samples and sketches.
What ideas have you experimented with in your studio space that you have yet to explore with a client?
In our studio space, we see an opportunity to test ideas that may one day find their way into client projects. One such experiment is our exploration of unexpected material pairings. For example, we’ve combined raw, industrial metals with organic, tactile materials like untreated wool or handwoven rattan, creating a striking balance between warmth and edge. While these contrasts bring depth and personality to our space, we haven’t yet fully introduced this bold approach to a client’s project.
Another area of experimentation is the use of adaptive furniture that serves multiple functions. In the studio, we’ve custom-designed modular pieces that transform depending on our needs—a low shelving unit that doubles as seating during informal gatherings or a movable partition that can function as both a design display and a privacy divider. We're eager to integrate this focus on flexibility and adaptability into future client spaces, particularly for urban homes where space efficiency is key.
We’ve also played with the idea of wabi-sabi-inspired imperfection by intentionally leaving elements unfinished or slightly asymmetrical. In the studio, this is evident in hand-plastered walls where slight variations in texture and tone add character and warmth.
You have worked on several hospitality and hotel projects. How does your hotel design work inform your residential interiors?
Hotels are designed to create immersive experiences, and we bring that same intention into homes, focusing on lighting, texture, and layout to evoke a sense of comfort and luxury. For example, we often integrate subtle lighting schemes inspired by hospitality spaces, using layers of light to set different moods throughout the day. Similarly, the sense of flow and zoning we employ in hotel projects translates to homes, where we ensure each space feels intentional and connected.
Conversely, residential design informs our hotel projects by grounding them in warmth and authenticity. Hotels can sometimes feel impersonal, so we draw on the lived-in quality of homes to create inviting and unique spaces, often incorporating handcrafted elements, vintage pieces, or locally sourced materials, much like in a private residence.
You founded Quintana Partners a decade ago in Menorca. How does the island continue to inspire you and your creative output?
Menorca is more than just the birthplace of Quintana Partners; it’s a constant source of inspiration that profoundly shapes our creative vision. The island’s natural beauty—from its rugged coastlines and crystalline waters to its rolling countryside dotted with ancient stone walls—is a daily reminder of the importance of harmony with the environment. This connection influences our use of organic materials, earthy tones, and designs that feel rooted in their surroundings. The island is home to skilled craftspeople who work with materials like wood, stone and textiles, and collaborating with them allows us to incorporate a sense of place into our projects, inspiring us to experiment and celebrate craftsmanship.
Menorca is steeped in tradition, with its architecture reflecting centuries of cultural exchange. From the simplicity of its rural farmhouses to the historic villas, the island teaches us that beauty often lies in the balance between restraint and character. This philosophy underpins much of our work, where we strive to respect the past while bringing a fresh, contemporary perspective.
Menorca keeps us grounded and connected to what truly matters: authenticity, sustainability, and a deep respect for history and nature. It’s a place that continually reminds us to slow down, observe, and create with intention.
