At Brott Barcelona

Marta and Marc open the doors of their home in Manresa, a flat that they found thanks to Monapart and that they refurbished with care and success, also for the happiness of the furry ones in the house.

"We can't get it into our heads not to have dogs".. Marta Huguet and Marc Velasco would not be who they are without Nela, Brot and Penny, the greyhounds that have marked their personal... and professional lives. Necessity led them to create Brott Barcelona (2010), a lifestyle and accessories company for dogs, with collars being the most recognisable products in its catalogue, which boosted the brand.

"We adopted Nela, our first greyhound, and we realised that, in the sector, there was no product that was cared for in terms of image and quality. Nor was it sustainable or of proximity. We set out to offer them the best and with that motivation we looked for a comfortable, designer and top quality collar for them".explains Marta. Brott manufactures all its products in Barcelona, by hand. Without rushing, taking care of every detail.

Both have their hearts divided between Barcelona and Manresa. Marta was born in the capital but has lived since she was a child in central Catalonia with part of her family. And Marc is a lifelong Manresa native. As design professionals, they love Barcelona as a source of cultural and urban inspiration.

"We have always had a thorn in our side about living in Barcelona, for someone from Manresa, because of the opportunities offered by such a big city. And one day, looking for a flat to buy, we saw on the Monapart website that they had one... in Manresa! We couldn't believe it, the real estate agency we felt identified with had a flat waiting for us in our city"!remembers Marc. Both have been monaparters since our beginnings 10 years ago.

"Manresa is a small city, but it has everything and good road connections. By having a design studio -dosidesign-Apart from Brott, we value being well connected to our customers and, of course, we value being able to walk to work (laughs)... On the other hand, the price of housing is more affordable and we have a lot of mountains around us, so it's easy to take a break and have contact with nature".Marta considers.

They open the doors of their home to us and explain how they made it theirs after a successful renovation. Marc is an interior designer and has designed a home adapted to their needs with very open spaces. "We love having friends and family over and cooking for them. The kitchen is designed as an entrance hall and next to the dining room there is a 50m2 room to enjoy with Brot and Penny".says Marta. A single room in a 110m2 space was planned to have a good dressing room and an office that allows them to work from home, if necessary. Light has been key in the renovation and from the beginning an opening in the back façade was planned to have a 10m2 terrace that allows them to live outside.

The result is as aesthetic as it is functional. For everyone, including greyhounds. "They make do with very little. A good sofa, food and love, lots of love!"

According to Marc and Marta, it is not them who adopt their dogs, but rather "Honestly, we think they adopt us". "Nela left us a year ago and now we have adopted a new earthquake, Penny. Both to keep Brot company and to give a chance to a little dog who needed a home".explains Marta. They are dog lovers and have always been surrounded by their furry friends. Brott Barcelona's motto is "Dog's lifestyle from Barcelona" and they really live it to the quintessence. "To tell you the truth, they are more than a way of life... they are our life!"

According to Marc and Marta, it is not they who adopt their dogs, but "honestly, we think that they adopt us".

Having dogs and living with dignity in the city is, according to them, a matter of adapting and finding the right spaces. "We have never felt that we can't be close to nature or find good parks in Barcelona. We think it's more a question of responsibility than whether or not they are made for the city or the mountains. We have a better quality of life for them in smaller cities, naturally, although our dogs are very urban, they come to Barcelona with us whenever we can".they explain.

And they give us some essential tips on how to welcome them at home: "A dog adapts to the lifestyle and space it is given, as long as it has its basic needs covered: walks, some training, more mental (tracking, searching or playing in the house) than physical, as it helps to tire it out a lot, so they don't need so much activity on the outings. The best thing is to rely on a good ethologist to give basic guidelines on how you have to manage the animal's learning from the moment it arrives home".

Judging by Brot and Penny's vitality, they seem to have found their true home in this flat.

Short questions:

• A typical Sunday morning? A cup of coffee, a good breakfast and press or good design blogs to get lost in.
• Favourite place to go for a walk? We love the sea and morning or evening walks on the beach.
• Favourite music? Indie, pop and some rock. 
• Favourite restaurant? We like to vary and get to know new places. But as long as they are #dogfriendly, so the whole family can go! 
• Moment that you especially remember in your new home? The first days when there was already a sofa and they came in skidding, jumping on the sofa... barking... This is home!