Valencia historic apartment renovation by Balzar Arquitectos, showing worn Nolla mosaic floors and lime plaster walls.

Balzar Arquitectos Lets 1890 Nolla Mosaics and Lime Plaster Show Their Wear in Valencia

User avatar placeholder
Written by Seth Sebastian

2026-11-10

This valencia historic apartment renovation by Balzar Arquitectos takes place in an 1890 residential building in Valencia’s Ciutat Vella, the historic center. It treats the past without turning it into a display to freeze. The original fabric became the starting point for how the home works.

Old fabric as the working plan

The interior renovation retained and restored several original elements. These include Nolla mosaic tile floors, wrought ironwork, decorative ceiling moldings, solid timber doors, and surviving polychrome wall fragments.

According to the project description, these features guided the layout and the spatial rhythm of the rooms. In this renovation, the aim was a home for contemporary life, not a museum of the building’s history.

Renovated Valencia apartment interior with lime plaster walls, ceiling moldings, and historic architectural details.
all images ©David Zarzoso

Historic interiors often succeed when the original architecture drives the plan, as seen in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Renovated Eppstein House in Galesburg, which shows how a landmark home can be restored for modern use.

Wabi-sabi through surface and light

The design follows a wabi-sabi philosophy, which values material patina and natural imperfection. Texture carries the visual weight here, while color plays a secondary role.

Ciutat Vella apartment, restored 1890 residence in Valencia, Spain, by Balzar Arquitectos.
Ciutat Vella Apartment is a restored 1890 residence in Valencia, Spain, designed by Balzar Arquitectos

The material palette is deliberately limited. Lime plaster, unfilled travertine, and timber sit alongside linen and wool. Daylight enters through the building’s historic openings and reaches the interior in diffused form.

Historic craft beside modern pieces

The furnishings mix eras. Vintage pieces come from Nekonato Gallery, and artworks come from CLC Arte. Balzar Arquitectos designed the custom joinery for this home.

Intricate geometric Nolla mosaic tile floor across a living space.
intricate geometric Nolla mosaic tile floors form the primary decorative foundation across the living spaces

Stone also plays a central role in revitalizing older buildings, and Revitalizing an Amsterdam Icon with Antolini Stone offers a useful comparison for anyone interested in how natural materials age inside a renovation.

Contemporary additions include seating by New Works and luminaires by Venicem. The result pairs 19th-century craft with modern minimalism, and neither side overrides the other.

Ornamental ceiling moldings meeting newly applied lime wash on a renovated wall.
architectural detail showing the interface between ornamental ceiling moldings and newly applied lime wash

Where this valencia historic apartment renovation sits in the practice’s work

Balzar Architects was founded in Valencia in 2018 and works across architecture, interior design, and landscape. Its website lists the Ciutat Vella Apartment as a 2025 interior in Valencia, alongside more than 30 projects in its archive.

The same archive includes Balzar Studio, a 2022 interior also in Valencia. Both are listed as interiors in Valencia. The original feature carries the credit ©David Zarzoso.

Renovated room pairing 19th-century architectural details with contemporary, comfortable furniture and layout.
the renovation balances 19th-century architectural heritage with contemporary residential ergonomics

The project makes a practical case. Old mosaics, ironwork, and plaster do not need to be sealed behind glass to matter. When they set the layout, they keep doing their work every day.

Smooth matte lime plaster walls softly diffusing daylight across an interior room.
smooth lime plaster walls provide a soft, matte backdrop that diffuses daylight through the interior
Restored carved timber double doors framing a historic threshold in the apartment.
original carved timber double doors have been restored to preserve historical threshold alignments
Marble and timber floors meeting at the threshold between two connected living spaces.
architectural detail showing the connection of marble and timber floorings between two living spaces
Light beige bedroom with bed, wooden nightstand, small lamp, and framed artwork against dark wood.
light beige bedroom with a bed, a wooden nightstand, a small lamp, and a framed artwork against a dark wood wall dark wood paneled hallway with a light beige bed in the foreground and a dark wood chair on a chevron floor
Dark wood paneled hallway with a light beige bed in the foreground.
light beige bedroom with a bed, a wooden nightstand, a small lamp, and a framed artwork against a dark wood wall dark wood paneled hallway with a light beige bed in the foreground and a dark wood chair on a chevron floor
Light beige bedroom with bed, wooden nightstand, small lamp, and framed artwork against dark wood.
light beige bedroom with a bed, a wooden nightstand, a small lamp, and a framed artwork against a dark wood wall dark wood paneled hallway with a light beige bed in the foreground and a dark wood chair on a chevron floor
Dark wood paneled hallway with a light beige bed in the foreground.
light beige bedroom with a bed, a wooden nightstand, a small lamp, and a framed artwork against a dark wood wall dark wood paneled hallway with a light beige bed in the foreground and a dark wood chair on a chevron floor
Light beige bedroom with bed, wooden nightstand, small lamp, and framed artwork against dark wood.
light beige bedroom with a bed, a wooden nightstand, a small lamp, and a framed artwork against a dark wood wall dark wood paneled hallway with a light beige bed in the foreground and a dark wood chair on a chevron floor
Valencia historic apartment renovation by Balzar Arquitectos, showing worn Nolla mosaic floors and lime plaster walls.

H/T designboom.com

Frequently asked questions

Which original features were kept in the Valencia historic apartment renovation?

The renovation retained and restored Nolla mosaic tile floors, wrought ironwork, decorative ceiling moldings, solid timber doors, and surviving polychrome wall fragments. According to the project description, these features guided the layout and spatial rhythm of the rooms.

What design philosophy shapes this 1890 Valencia apartment renovation?

The design follows a wabi-sabi philosophy, which values material patina and natural imperfection. Texture carries the visual weight, while color plays a secondary role.

What materials make up the palette in this Ciutat Vella apartment?

The material palette is deliberately limited and includes lime plaster, unfilled travertine, and timber, alongside linen and wool.

Where and when was Balzar Architects founded?

Balzar Architects was founded in Valencia in 2018. The practice works across architecture, interior design, and landscape.

More in

Architecture

All Architecture

More like this

Lavishly renovated Danieli Hotel lobby with chandeliers, representing danieli hotel renovation by Pierre-Yves Rochon.

Venetian Elegance Revitalized: Inside the 2026 Transformation of Danieli by Pierre-Yves Rochon

Zagreb apartment renovation reveals raw concrete walls, exposed steel beams, and an open, light-filled living space.

Simple Architecture Exposes Concrete and Steel in a 1960s Zagreb Flat

Hallway in Rome apartment with vivid yellow neon ceiling, creating a unique ambiance.

Vibrant Neon Ceiling Transforms Historic Rome Apartment into a Modern Marvel

Detailed view of the Vienna Stadttempel renovation, showcasing intricate design elements and historic architecture.

Vienna’s Stadttempel: An 1826 Synagogue’s Detailed Renovation Preserves History and Modern Functiona...

A revitalized Madrid home showcasing oak warmth architecture, complimented by a recycled aluminum facade.

Casa Castelar Revitalizes Madrid Home with Oak Warmth and Recycled Aluminum Facade

Rooms by this marseille interior design practice mix salvaged finds, warm textures and bold colour across Marseille and Paris homes.

Betyle Studio Hunts a Talisman in Every Marseille and Paris Interior

Menu