Without breakage, a 490 m² covering gains décor with loose pieces

As soon as they rented this duplex penthouse of 490 m² in Humaitá (RJ), with a view of Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas and the Christ the Redeemer, the couple commissioned the office Rafael Ramos Arquitetura (from the cast of CASACOR Rio de Janeiro) for a renovation and decoration project focused on the social area of 60 m² on the lower floor, and the outdoor area on the upper floor. "The clients previously lived in a 120 m² penthouse in Alto Leblon, which I renovated myself, but they were looking for more space. This time, they wanted a generous outdoor leisure area, with a pool to enjoy with family and friends, as they love staying at home, throwing parties, and enjoying sunny days outdoors," says the architect. The concept of the project was to create a clean, urban and timeless apartment, with loose furniture and modular carpentry designed by the architect in the social area that can be easily adapted in another property. To bring a sophisticated and cozy air to the décor, Rafael chose the natural freijó linheiro leaf as the finish for carpentry and combined it with tops made of exotic stones. The existing shiny porcelain floor was covered with laminated wood flooring and, to ensure visual lightness, the walls and ceiling were painted white and the curtains made from off-white synthetic linen.

In the décor, which follows the contemporary light style, most of the ornaments were already part of the clients' collection. "Since they have the hobby of traveling the world and bringing objects back in their luggage, we framed some items to display on the living room walls as works of art, imprinting more of their identity onto the project. This was the case with the set of nine Indian engravings and the pair of African masks," he says. The furniture in the living room, except for the Mocho bench by Sergio Rodrigues (which came from the old apartment), is all new – from the coffee table to the pair of armchairs, including the Pebble armchair (from Estúdio Daniel Coutinho), the ebonized wood bench, the pink upholstered sofa, the dining table, the chairs, the bar sideboard, and the Dobra pendant lamp, by designer André Ferri. The outdoor area received a space for outdoor dining (with table and chairs suitable for outdoor use), protected by a metal pergola, with an adjustable and waterproof slat ceiling that allows controlling sunlight and rain exposure.