Apartment with beach view gains coworking space in the living room

When the couple with three children bought this 320 m² apartment facing Ipanema Beach (RJ), they asked the Up3 Arquitetura office (part of CASACOR Rio de Janeiro ) for a complete renovation, adapting the entire property to the family's needs, with beautiful, elegant and functional spaces. Since the new owners usually work from home and their daughters spend a lot of time studying with them, the office was asked to create a coworking space in the living room. They also asked for all the bedrooms to be suites, as well as a private room that could be used as a guest room, with a sofa bed and an imported blind that completely isolates the space from the hallway. During the renovation, there were some significant changes to the floor plan to bring the layout of the apartment into line with the client's demands, such as the bathroom in the girl's suite, whose position was reversed so that the bedroom could have more natural light. Another important point to highlight was the increase in the window openings for the building's shaft , not only to accommodate planters but also to increase the presence of natural light, bringing a homely atmosphere to an apartment located in the heart of Ipanema. To meet the request for a coworking space, the idea arose of creating a large “box” camouflaged in the room’s slatted wood paneling, with doors that open and close using a folding system , allowing the space and the entrance hall to be completely isolated from the room, when necessary. In the living room, everything was designed to further enhance the view of Ipanema beach. To achieve this, the architects worked with thin, light lines and a color palette of beige, earthy and green tones. The flooring throughout the social area, kitchen, family room and hallway, for example, is made of natural Navona travertine, while the existing parquet flooring was maintained in the bedrooms.

Measuring 120 m², the social area is made up of an entrance hall with cloakroom, a living room with TV and a dining room. Under the large window that frames Ipanema beach, a large wooden bench was designed using carpentry, perfect for admiring the view or accommodating guests on days when the house is full. In the dining room , the highlight is the imposing white bookcase with built-in lighting, designed by the firm and made of ultra-thin metal sheets, which also functions as a sideboard and china cabinet. And also, the set of nine Phi pendant lights, with different shades, signed by designer Jader Almeida . The new pieces follow the same design line, which is very light and timeless. In the living room with TV, it is worth highlighting the Temes armchair by Lattoog , the armchair by Carbono Design , and the Baixa armchair by Guilherme Wentz . In the kitchen, the Iaiá high stool by Gustavo Bittencourt stands out. “From the previous residence, we only used the dining table with chairs and the coworking table, which we fitted into the bookcase designed by us,” reveals architect Michelle Wilkinson. “Our biggest challenge in this project was to create a timeless and welcoming space that would not take away from the apartment’s greatest asset: the unobstructed view of Ipanema Beach. That’s why we chose a color palette in tones taken from nature, as if the decor were a continuation or complement to the exterior. Another big challenge was to create a coworking space that would accommodate the whole family and the family’s generous collection of books,” concludes architect Cadé Marino.