Our main expectation was, for the first time, to live in an apartment with a kitchen truly integrated into the social area. We wanted a space where the kitchen, living and dining areas would connect with each other, allowing us to cook, host friends and move around naturally — something we had never experienced in our previous apartments.
Another major expectation was to have a generous walk-in closet, integrated into the master suite bathroom, that would truly meet our daily routine. In addition, for everyday life, we wanted a television room completely independent from the entertaining area. Our daily routine is very much centered around being on a comfortable sofa with our three dogs, watching television in a cozy environment, while keeping the social area reserved for hosting friends and family.
We also considered more intimate gatherings with fewer people, so we created a kitchen that works almost as an extension of the living area, with a table that allows us to have a glass of wine, enjoy a snack and stay connected to the house. All of this was resolved with a much more integrated, yet still zoned, layout, designed for both daily use and entertaining moments.
It was a complete renovation with a renewal of the interior design. Originally, the apartment had four bedrooms. Two of them were unified to create the master suite with a closet, and a third was transformed into a home theater integrated with the office.
In the social area, previously composed of a living room divided into three areas, we integrated this space with the existing breakfast room and the kitchen, resulting in a single large and fully connected environment.
In the service area there were two staff bedrooms. One was incorporated into the expansion of the laundry room, and the other gave way to a dry pantry with a wine cellar. There were also specific reversals of door openings to preserve privacy and enhance the flow of circulation throughout the project.
At the entrance, as it is a one-apartment-per-floor building, the two elevator halls were integrated, forming a single, larger and more fluid hall.
All plumbing was redesigned considering a new central heating system, sized to serve all bathrooms and hot water points simultaneously. The electrical system was redone from scratch, with a new panel, new circuits, and zoning compatible with current use, including automation in certain areas and greater lighting flexibility.
I also made a point of not using plaster ceilings in most of the social area, so all electrical distribution and lighting points were routed through the slab. This required more meticulous construction work but allowed us to maintain a more generous ceiling height. Another particularity is that I prefer lower outlet and switch placements, and we were able to adjust everything to the standard I consider more ergonomic and aesthetically interesting.
The inspiration came directly from the building’s architecture. It is a distinctive building within the Jardins context, with a glass façade, no balconies, aluminum frames, and an atmosphere that evokes a certain American interpretation of 1970s architecture. From there, I immersed myself in the universe of the 1970s and early 1980s.
I sought references in the space race, the futurism of that era, curves, darker woods, and deep earthy tones. The social area explores this denser palette, with dark materials, striking textures, and an almost scenographic atmosphere. The private area, on the other hand, reflects a language that is very much my own: predominantly white, but always with texture and relief — never a cold or flat white.
This project also represents a rupture from our previous apartment, which had a classical and French neoclassical influence, in dialogue with the building where we lived. Here, we practically let go of everything. We kept only a few mid-century pieces, which work well both with the past and the new context, but the main furniture was rethought. For example, we replaced the former curved sofa with a completely straight one, in a different color and texture, to align with this cleaner, more graphic seventies atmosphere.
I would say we had two very clear starting points. The first was the 1970s and 1980s as our reference universe. From there, we developed the color palette, materials, curves, the use of dark wood, and the idea of a certain futurism of that period.
The second starting point was the integrations we desired for our real life. An integrated kitchen and living area, but without losing the possibility of having a more secluded TV room. Clearly defined entertaining areas and everyday-use areas, even within an integrated layout.
By combining these two axes, everything fell into place: the aesthetic we were seeking, the spatial integrations, and, above all, the composition between national and international design, which is something that always permeates my work.
From a physical standpoint, there was not much to preserve. The apartment had already undergone previous renovations, so there were no original finishes left from the time of construction. What we preserved was, in fact, the spirit of the building and its construction decade.
The building’s façade is clad in small mosaic tiles, a very characteristic element of that period’s architecture, and this became a guiding thread. All bathrooms were clad in mosaic tiles, reinterpreting this seventies language in a contemporary way. We did not reproduce the bathrooms of that era, which often featured colored sanitary ware and combinations of brown, green, or yellow tiles, but we brought this mosaic code into the project as a kind of homage to the building’s origins.
As with any renovation of an old apartment, especially in buildings from the 1970s and early 1980s, the main difficulty is dealing with construction surprises. It was a period when building techniques were changing, there was a construction boom, and we often encountered structural and technical solutions that are not very standardized.
In our case, what initially seemed like a challenge turned into an opportunity. We discovered that the structure consisted entirely of double slabs, without exposed beams, which allowed us, for example, to work with floor-to-ceiling doors and achieve a cleaner, more contemporary result. On the other hand, routing all electrical and lighting through the slab required extensive planning and construction time, since we chose to avoid using plaster ceilings.
In summary, the difficulties were typical of a renovation in an older building, but understanding the existing structure and deciding to embrace these characteristics allowed the project to gain spatial and visual solutions that might not have been possible in a more recent building.
The materials were strongly guided by the decade I wanted to revisit and by the construction of a very specific palette. I envisioned a range of earthy tones, darker wood, and a distinctly seventies atmosphere. The apartment originally had sucupira wood flooring throughout the perimeter, but it was no longer in restorable condition, so we chose to replace it with ipê wood flooring, maintaining the same layout in order to preserve the reading of continuous and noble wood.
In the social area, the dark wood dialogues with the kitchen stone, a very exotic Palomino quartzite. It has a background that transitions between brown and yellow, and this color variation was distributed throughout the furniture, upholstery, and objects, reinforcing this 70s and 80s atmosphere. Velvets, suedes, natural fibers, and leather come into play—materials with tactile and visual weight that help build this sense of sophisticated coziness.
In the bathrooms, the choice was directly guided by references from the 1970s, with the use of mosaic tiles. We worked with white mosaic tiles, but with brown grout, precisely to bring that warmer memory of the era in a contemporary way. The bedroom area, on the other hand, was designed entirely in shades of white—lighter and more serene—to contrast with the density of the social area, always with texture, never a flat or cold white.
Among the standout materials, I would say that the Palomino quartzite in the kitchen is the true protagonist, as it is a natural stone not commonly used for countertops, more often seen in furniture. It functions almost like an artwork within the home and creates a very strong visual impact. The natural fibers, present in the large aloe fiber rug in the social area, also reinforce a more timeless and sensorial choice, something I consider a form of sustainability in architecture: durable, natural materials designed to stand the test of time.
The home was conceived as a sequence of experiences, where the social area embraces a more dramatic, seventies atmosphere, and the private area becomes a clear, calm, and tactile retreat.
Entrance hall and gallery – Upon entering, the visitor encounters a small gallery that prepares the eye for the rest of the apartment. The elevator core was fully framed with custom wood cabinetry, transforming this technical volume into a display element. It houses collectible objects from the couple, a piece by Geraldo de Barros, a floor lamp by Santa & Cole, and artworks by José Antônio da Silva. This first layer already presents what will be seen throughout the house: Brazilian art, design, emotional memory, and a warm reading of wood.
Living room, dining room, integrated kitchen, and bar corner – The social area is fully integrated: living, dining, kitchen, hall, and a bar corner overlap with soft transitions. The concept here was to immerse in the 1970s, with references to the 1980s, filtered through a contemporary lens. The palette revolves around brown, mustard, touches of amber, and metal.
The kitchen projects into the living room through a large island and a Palomino quartzite counter, which becomes the focal point of the space. The MDF woodwork with darker wood veneer wraps this block and creates unity with the rest of the living area.
In the dining room, I designed a table for the studio, with stainless steel legs and a glass top with a removable wooden frame that allows expansion when needed. The chairs are Swiss, sourced from an antique shop, reinforcing this mix of signed pieces, vintage items, and authorial design.
The living room is organized over a large natural aloe fiber rug by Fenícia, which provides grounding and coziness. Two sofas contrast with each other: one more contemporary, from Dpot, in brown velvet, and another striped, textured piece by Percival Lafer, also in brown tones. Completing the set are the yellow MP-97 armchair by Percival Lafer, a Polo armchair in brown leather, and a glass coffee table I designed for Casa Cor in partnership with Azurro, produced in fused amber-toned glass.
A fiber vase designed by us, with chamedórias, introduces greenery in a way that also references the 1970s. A USM unit houses the beverage area, accompanied by a 1970s bar inspired by Italian bars by Scapinelli, also sourced from an antique shop.
On the ceiling, instead of pendant chandeliers, I opted for a tensioned mesh screen that follows the design of the island and helps distribute indirect lighting. Light points were designed to highlight artworks and furniture rather than act as protagonists. On the windows, white wooden blinds by Hunter Douglas bring a direct reference to the aesthetic of American offices from the 1980s, which dialogues well with the building’s glass façade.
TV room and office – Following the gallery and living area, there is an extension of the social area into a more intimate environment: the TV room. The focus here is absolute comfort, with a large modular sofa approximately 3.80 meters long, facing a curved panel that frames the home area and creates a cocoon-like feeling.
Integrated into the TV room is the office, with a curved work desk and bookshelves. In this environment, beyond reference and reading books, there are childhood objects and pieces that tell the residents’ personal story, reinforcing a more emotional and less formal character.
Private area and suites – From the private circulation, there is a linen closet, a guest suite, and the master suite. The guest bedroom was designed in a simple and welcoming way, with direct access to a bathroom that follows the same language as the others: mosaic tiles from floor to ceiling, white sanitary ware, and a Neolith Calacatta countertop, bringing an elegant and contemporary pattern.
The master suite underwent the most radical transformation. An entire bedroom was converted into a closet, creating a generous walk-in. The key move was integrating the closet and bathroom in a single gesture: the drawer island from the closet extends and becomes the sink countertop. Above it, I designed height-adjustable mirrors inspired by makeup mirrors, along with a large additional mirror, creating depth.
The bedroom itself is entirely white, in a light palette, with bed linens acting as color elements. It is a visually quiet space, designed for rest.
The bathrooms, both in the master suite and throughout the apartment, follow a spa concept, with mosaic tiles from floor to ceiling, including the ceiling, creating an enveloping and continuous environment. All sanitary ware is white. In the master bathroom, the countertop is in Carrara Gioia Venatino marble, with a very white background and gray veining—a material I appreciate for reinforcing this idea of sophisticated clarity.
This combination of natural materials, integration between spaces, contrast between white and dark wood, and the strong presence of art and design summarizes the spirit of each environment.
Team:
Project: Felipe Carolo
Production: Manuela Figueiredo
Photography: Fran Parente
Materials Used:
Woodwork: See Planejados
Doors: See Planejados
Bathroom: Atlas Mosaic Tiles
Marble and Granite: Neogran Marmoraria
Frames and glazing: Clarium Vidros e Esquadrias
Upholstery and curtains: Casa Picolo
Technical lighting: Blinkie Iluminação
Furniture: DPOT Móveis, Brentwood, Antiquário Maria Jovem, Antiquário Re-condicionar, Galeria Verniz, ATEC Original Design, FAS Iluminação, DIMLUX Iluminação, BY Kamy Tapetes, PHenicia Tapetes, Botteh Tapetes, Galeria Estação, Galeria Simões de Assis, +55 Design, Patricia Faragone, Hunter Douglas Blinds, DPOT Objetos, Firma Casa, Novo Ambiente, Etel Design.
Sanitary ware and fittings: DECA / Tecnobagno Metais e Louças
