190 m² apartment has views of Christ the Redeemer from every room

In search of more space and a view of nature, the couple with a 7-year-old son bought this 190 m² apartment in Lagoa (south zone of Rio de Janeiro) and commissioned a general renovation project from architects Bernardo Gaudie-Ley and Tânia Braida , from the Beta Arquitetura office, with completely new decoration in all rooms. “Nothing from the original structure was used, not even the parquet floor. Even the elevator hall was renovated. The clients wanted everything new so they could start over in their last property, since they don’t plan on leaving,” says Bernardo . “This attachment is no surprise. After all, even the kitchen and bedrooms have a view of Christ the Redeemer ,” jokes partner Tânia . Overall, the clients asked for a modern, chic and uncluttered apartment , in neutral and light tones, and were willing to invest in well-designed carpentry. They also asked to enlarge the master suite (which resulted from the union of two bedrooms and also allowed for the creation of a walk-in closet and a larger bathroom ) and to transform one of the bedrooms into a multipurpose space – TV room, office or guest room – with sliding doors that allow it to be integrated into the main living area. The toilet, which did not exist in the plan, was built from scratch, thanks to the double slab that allowed all the necessary pipes to pass through it. As the client is passionate about wine, the architects designed a large block of woodwork to run the entire length of the wall of the current dining room to accommodate a large, air-conditioned wine cellar (with a capacity for 300 bottles), with wooden doors on the side that camouflage the china cabinet and china cabinet. This same structure also delimits, on one side, the entrance hall and, on the other side, the hallway that leads to the kitchen.

“In the kitchen , decorated in shades of mint, light gray and wood, we created an island that functions as a pantry and also serves as a support for tasting wines and appetizers before meals at the dining table,” says Bernardo. According to the architects, the main inspiration for the project was the stunning view of the Lagoon, which enters the rooms, transforming the windows into living paintings. In order not to take away from the central role of the Rio de Janeiro capital's postcard, the duo opted for light and neutral tones combined with natural oak. “The colors appear in a specific way, especially in cushions and ornaments,” emphasizes Tânia. The decor, which follows a contemporary and timeless style, features designer furniture, with highlights including the Tião armchair (by Sergio Rodrigues ), the floor lamps and wall lights (by Fernando Prado ), the dining chairs (by Tadeu Paisan ) and the dining table (by Jader Almeida ). To add a handmade touch, the leather sofa was joined by a side table made from a tree branch, created by the artisan from Alagoas, Ruciel Lisboa , in partnership with the artist from Pernambuco, Leonardo Allouchie . “Our biggest challenge in this project was to get around the beam we found in the living room during the demolition and which we managed to disguise in the carpentry that now houses the wine cellar. Furthermore, as the property is in a 1960 building, one of the first in the region, the entire project was quite challenging, from start to finish. Even the electrical wires were original from the time, covered with fabric,” concludes Bernardo.