On the seafront, a house with a loft suite, hidden TV and sculpture garden

For years, the business couple split up between Rio and São Paulo, keeping apartments in both cities. But when they saw their children grow up and grandchildren arrive, they decided it was time to live in a spacious house, where they could comfortably receive friends and family and also enjoy their daily lives. For this, they chose Joá, a charming neighborhood between São Conrado and Barra (RJ), with stunning views of the sea. "We visited a lot of properties. Most were full of stairs and rooms on several levels. When we entered this house, although it was falling apart, I realized all its potential. Especially because, despite being on a slope, it had a more linear floor plan that would allow for the integration between the rooms that is so important to them," says architect Ketlein Amorim, responsible for the renovation and part of the CASACOR Rio de Janeiro. The renovation was total and included the addition of a floor, transforming the building, which was originally divided into two wings, into a house of 720 m² with a huge social area that fully integrates living, dining, kitchen, swimming pool and sauna. To do this, the original slab of the living room was used and extended to the front to create a balcony overlooking the sea. The back façade was also opened up. And the outside area, where there had previously been undergrowth, was used to create plateaus where some of the couple's works of art were installed outdoors. A kitchen was kept in the same place, but without walls. In this way, it could be integrated into both the internal social area and the barbecue area, which brought a lot of practicality to the residents' daily lives. On the opposite side of the living room, one of the four original bedrooms was transformed into a sauna and connected to the pool. In the living room, Ketlein still had to come up with a solution for the TV. As the couple don't like to leave the TV exposed and there was no TV room in the house, the architect took advantage of the various levels of the plot to create an elevator that takes the TV up to the garage when it's not in use. When in use, its position allows it to be watched from any of the social areas, including the kitchen. "I used the same idea of taking advantage of the existing gap between the ground and first floors to distribute the hood ducts, freeing up the island countertop for a pendant by designer Ingo Maurer that the couple already had and loved," says the architect.

For the residents, it was important that the guest rooms could also be used during the day, when only the couple would be in the house. So one of them was transformed into the music suite with the instruments the owner loves to play: keyboard and guitar. The decor is also themed, with black walls and pictures of the rock bands she likes best. For visitors, a retractable bed, hidden in a cupboard. The other guest accommodation, with a sea view and a small balcony, has become the owner's home office. But it also has a bed for the days when the house receives children and grandchildren. There is also a third guest suite, called the family suite, which has a double bed and twin beds to house up to two children. An interesting detail of the suites is that all the bathrooms have been given the same finish. This includes a beautiful wall of cobogós that helped bring natural light into the rooms. The hollow elements were used in various ways in the construction: on the side façade, in the swimming pool, in the dining room and in the outdoor area on the third floor. "I used and abused cobogós. As well as improving the natural lighting in some rooms, they interact with the sun's rays, bringing movement to the architecture of the house," says Ketlein. Another major change was the construction of a third floor. As the original roof had been removed, Ketlein installed a new slab there, which made it possible to create double-height ceilings in the social area - as the residents wanted - as well as an entirely linear third floor designed to be the couple's private area. "The whole project was designed to take advantage of the landscape. From wherever they are on the third floor, they can enjoy the view: in bed, in the shower, brushing their teeth, watching TV...", says the architect. With integrated environments, the space, which was initially going to be the master suite, became a loft with a living room, TV (again hidden), bedroom facing the stunning view, double bathroom (with a make-up counter for her) and even a small pantry with a wine cellar. In the decor, the M.O.A. panel - used as the headboard - brings color to the room, where neutral tones prevail. Leaky shelves help to sectorize the rooms without making a formal division between them. The space also has an exclusive access through the back lot where the sculpture garden is located. But it's the balcony's water mirror that steals the show. After all, what's better than a late afternoon sitting on the balcony with your feet in the water enjoying the sunset?