Design is part of everyday life: we live with it even if we don't always know how to recognize it. It's in the way a room invites you to stay a little longer, in how a workspace promotes concentration, or in the decor of a coffee shop where it's easy to feel comfortable without quite knowing why. From this philosophy, that of understanding that design is not something alien or reserved only for specialists, Ecléctica Barcelona is born, an exhibition project that, for ten days, will transform the Círculo Ecuestre into a house open to the public, where twelve rooms are reinterpreted by creative duos of eclectic profiles —from cinema to gastronomy— alongside local designers and architects.
The idea, promoted by Barcelona natives Pia Capdevila, interior designer, and Patricia Pérez, founder of the AMT Comunicación agency, arises from a shared passion and a common way of understanding the city and design. "First we connected as friends, then as professionals, and finally we saw that we shared the same concern: for Barcelona to be a culturally vibrant city again," explains Pérez. Both, passionate about interior design and decoration, began to shape a joint proposal that revolved around that passion.
But it was the celebration of the World Capital of Architecture in Barcelona that finally accelerated the idea and turned it into a real project, which will finally materialize from June 4 to 13. It is a project that seeks to transcend the limits of a conventional design and interior design festival: the intention is to open it to new audiences and ideas, moving it away from a format reserved only for specialists. The ambition is, in fact, to gather between 12,000 and 14,000 attendees during the ten days, with tickets around 20 euros.
With the aim of reaching an eclectic audience —the name of this new format is no coincidence— and diverse, its promoters conceived that the creative process itself should also reflect that plurality: personalities from different disciplines, in many cases unrelated to design, working alongside interior designers and architects to generate unexpected crossovers between different aesthetic and formal sensibilities. "Transversality was key," defends Pia Capdevila. "We wanted design not to remain in a niche, but to be able to reach even those who do not consider themselves interested in it," adds Patricia Pérez, the other promoter of the project.
Precisely the encounter between different worlds, which when entering into dialogue generate new and unexpected ideas, is one of the foundations of Ecléctica. It is also about profiles that know well the spaces they intervene in —either because they work, spend many hours in them, or because they are part of their philosophy—, a fact that reinforces the idea of a "real home" rather than an ephemeral installation. With that objective in mind, the project is structured around twelve rooms, without fictitious routes —as usually happens in other interior design exhibitions—: a single bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen… recognizable spaces that seek to inspire diverse audiences.
The result is a journey where worlds that, apparently, would not have to meet, coexist. In the living room, the cinematographic gaze of Isabel Coixet dialogues with the interior design of Lázaro Rosa-Violán. In the library, the writing of Javier Cercas crosses with the sensibility of Asun Antó. In the kitchen, the gastronomy of Albert Raurich meets interior designer Bárbara Aurell, while in the office it is Risto Mejide who intervenes in the space alongside Jaime Prous. In the suite with dressing room, the name could not be other than Juan Avellaneda, who designs the space alongside Ricard Trenchs.
In the dining room, the presence of model and communicator Martina Klein mixes with the vision of Pia Capdevila, co-founder of Ecléctica, while in the club room the music of Queralt Lahoz translates into architecture alongside the studio L35 Architects. The tour continues to a sensory bathroom conceived by yoga instructor Xuan Lan alongside interior designer Sara Folch; a gym and suite space created by digital creator Coco Constans (known on social media as ffitcoco) alongside interior designer Adela Cabré; a laundry room signed by professional organizer La Ordenatriz —who has become popular on social media, where she is already considered the local Marie Kondo— alongside Agata Samons; and a bar conceived by renowned chef Nandu Jubany with interior designer Olga Pajares.
Gym and bedroom: the duo for integral well-being
With less than a month to go until the inauguration of Ecléctica, the creative duos are finalizing the details of each of the rooms they have been working on for months. "It has been a very natural and easy co-creation process, although at first glance it might not seem so, because two different disciplines —pilates and interior design— and even two different generations come together," explains Cabré. "That mix is what has led us to create a space that is also hybrid: a bedroom combined with a gym," summarizes the interior designer founder of the Adela Cabré & Son studio, who has worked on this room alongside the instructor of fitness and content creator Coco Constans (@ffitcoco on social media), known for her home workout routines with her ffitpilates method.Both have connected precisely from the same philosophy: one that understands well-being in an integral way. For this reason, they have conceived the gym as part of the bedroom, eliminating physical barriers between both rooms. "Well-being should not be understood only from sports; rest is also important. It is as important to stay physically active as it is to eat and rest well. It is no longer just sport, it is a philosophy and a lifestyle: a way of understanding global well-being, encompassing body and mind."
A conception of well-being that they have also wanted to express through aesthetic experience. "If a space excites, if it smells good, if it is well lit, everything contributes to transmitting this idea," says Cabré. For this reason, they have designed a functional space, equipped with everything necessary for training, but also cared for from an aesthetic and beauty perspective. "I train from home and for me it is fundamental to take care of that space: home is your base, where you take care of yourself in every sense. A place for leisure, cooking, sleeping, training... In short, to feel good."
From process to experience
For Ecléctica Barcelona, the creative synergies that emerge during the process —such as the one formed by Coco Constans and Adela Cabré— are an essential part of the project. "We don't want to focus only on the final result, but on the different phases and ideas that appear during the process, to inspire even those who are not familiar with the sector," explains Capdevila. For this reason, each encounter between profiles has been documented, turning the process itself into narrative content. Visitors will not only see a kitchen or a suite, but will also be able to understand how an idea materializes and how the personality of each of those involved is expressed.All this eclectic and creative process will materialize in a space that also invites to be surprised by the aesthetics: the Círculo Ecuestre de Barcelona, a historic and modernist building from 1910 —the old Casa Pérez-Samanillo, work of the architect Juan José Hervás Arizmendi and decorated by Joan Esteva— where every corner dazzles, from the imposing marble staircase to its high painted ceilings. A place that, in itself, is already a mix of tastes, eras, and styles.
As it is a private club, a usual meeting point for politicians and business executives, the Círculo Ecuestre is not open to the general public, except on specific occasions such as the 48H Open House architecture festival. Ecléctica's intervention will, therefore, allow it to be discovered from within, even if only through two of its floors. The objective, explain its promoters, is to generate an impactful experience. "We want people to leave with a wow effect," defends Pérez.
But beyond the immediate surprise, the project advocates a fundamental idea: that design is present everywhere, even if it is not always visible. This philosophy is also transferred to the way the exhibition is toured. Each exhibited object can be acquired through QR codes, so that visitors can bring the inspiration of the space to reality. Although this will be its first edition, its promoters are confident that it will not be the last, managing to consolidate a new format in the city.