Marcela Martins signs retrofit of Farm's founding partner's country house

Located in a gated community in Araras (district of Petrópolis, in the mountainous region of RJ), this country house with 950 m² of built area underwent an external and internal retrofit , led by architect Marcela Martins – from the CASACOR RJ cast –, shortly after being purchased by businessman Marcello Bastos, founding partner of the fashion brand Farm , for use on weekends and vacations. “We have been friends for 25 years and I have been his architect on several other commercial and residential projects over that time,” says Marcela. The house was designed in 2001 by architect Cadas Abranches , using a structural system of exposed solid wood pillars and beams, on a plot of 82,000 m² , of which 15,000 m² are gardens, courts and swimming pools and the remainder is a preserved area next to the Araras Reserve. The original decoration followed the English country style , with the main façade and the interior walls of the social area painted red and an excessive volume of furniture and ornaments. The architect's first step was to soften this composition and free up the spaces so that they could be perceived and contemplated. “I painted the entire house beige to create a neutral, light base that could accommodate a wide range of elements in natural shades of brown, green and sand, taken from the lush landscape outside, and also highlight some rooms with more vibrant colors, without the final result being visually overwhelming. Orange, for example, stands out in the playroom, while green stands out in the TV room . Since the house has nine suites in total, each bedroom has a dominant color, from blue to pink, including green and terracotta,” explains Marcela.

In terms of material palette, the retrofit basically added more textures to what already existed: stone and wood coverings, especially on the walls of the staircase and dining room and around the fireplace. “Without much construction or demolition, we were able to bring more coziness to spaces with such generous footage,” adds the architect. Marcela also reveals that she used around 90% of the house's collection in this renovation. Most of the existing furniture was of good quality and was not only rearranged in the spaces according to the new layout but also mixed with new, more contemporary pieces (especially from Estudiobola and Prototype ), positioned in strategic locations in the living room, stairwell, side of the pool table and playroom. The fabrics and upholstery covers have been updated, such as the pair of sofas in aged brown leather, next to the fireplace. An interesting feature of the project is the bathroom counter, designed by the architect and carved from a block of rough stone, which weighs more than a ton. To make its installation possible, it was necessary to break down the wall of the space to provide access to the electric cart used to transport the material.