This is one of my favorite works, and I'm thrilled to have been chosen by the clients to participate in this project. I was able to oversee everything from the house selection process to the completion of the renovation.
This project is an outstanding retrofit of a 1970's Brazilian house, in the city of São Paulo. I'm responsible for creating the entire concept, coordinating the design and technical teams, and implementing it on-site — a process that took around 10 months in total. The house was built in the 1970s by a renowned Brazilian architect for a family who lived there until the 2020s — and maintained all of its original architecture.
My clients purchased the house in december of 2020, and the ground floor layout needed to be completely adapted to their lifestyle — with the construction of the living area, a kitchen fully integrated with the garden and a new pool.
The entire electrical and plumbing infrastructure was renovated, and most of the original materials were preserved and restored. The woodwork was custom-designed for the project, with a notable highlight being the solid wood paneling that elegantly divides the home's entrance from the parking area. The garden was also renovated, creating a fluid, beautiful, and pleasant environment.
The new glass windows that form the perimeter of the living room visually integrate the area with the garden, and make the environment very fresh and pleasant.
Choosing the furniture was a challenging task, as I didn't want the home to feel cold, given the clients' vibrant, friendly lifestyle.
To contrast with the understated materials, wood was used to bring a warmer feel to the space, as were the colors present in the fabrics on the chairs and sofa. The design of the furniture was also crucial to ensuring the result was so light and inviting.
The original exposed concrete of the stairs, slabs, and facade were preserved and restored, bringing a very interesting texture to the space. It contrasts beautifully with the garden's vegetation, the wood of the deck, and the tone of the ceramic tile covering the pool.
On the second floor, the original furniture and concrete fireplace have been restored and preserved, and the fabrics once again provide a pop of color to contrast with the exposed materials of the original architecture.
The solid wood flooring has also been restored, and its tone warms the home's intimate living area.
The beautiful existing floor-to-ceiling pivot doors were preserved. They divide the rooms from the living room in a very interesting way and are one of the highlights of the house's original design.
