The project begins with a sensitive interpretation of globalization — not as an accumulation of references, but as an everyday practice in which constructive gestures, material choices, and ways of inhabiting intersect. The design is shaped through connections between cultures, spaces, and textures, creating a narrative that balances tradition and contemporaneity. Handcrafted pieces dialogue with precise interventions, while the fluidity of the environments guides both circulation and the use of space.
Materiality and earthy tones lead the project’s narrative. Walnut panels envelop the interiors with warmth and texture, while Travertine marble flooring establishes a timeless and understated foundation. At the center of the living area, a brown island-style sofa organizes the integration between spaces. One side faces the media room, the other the living space, dissolving the idea of separate compartments and creating a continuous, organic, and welcoming flow.
The furniture takes center stage, revealing an emotionally driven curatorial approach. Icons of Brazilian design, such as the Beg armchairs by Sérgio Rodrigues, coexist with the modernist lightness of the Cité armchair by Jean Prouvé. Brazilian identity is further expressed through the Tijuco sculptural vases by Domingos Tótora, handcrafted in his studio in Maria da Fé, in the Serra da Mantiqueira, using recycled kraft paper and graphite powder, as well as through the zinc-on-blue-wood sculpture by Marcos Coelho Benjamin, which punctuates the space with color and artistic expression.
The original floor plan underwent significant transformations. The balcony was incorporated into the living room, expanding the social area, while part of one of the suites was integrated into the main living space. The existing bathroom was converted into an extension of the primary suite, which now also accommodates the walk-in closet. In the kitchen, the reconfiguration introduced greater functionality. Access to the laundry area now occurs through the china cabinet area, optimizing the millwork and freeing up space for a casual dining counter.
This dialogue between the handcrafted and the industrial, the past and the present, is translated into a precise composition imbued with emotion. Each piece carries its own story and, together, they construct a new narrative of living.
At the end of the renovation, the apartment came to include two suites and a powder room, with one of the suites currently functioning as a home office. The client’s primary residence reveals a way of living that values time, use, and permanence — a space where aesthetics emerge from comfort and presence, and where memory and contemporaneity coexist in balance.
Team:
Architects: Marcela Penteado
Photography: Fran Parente
