Despite having lived in this
450 m² apartment in Lagoa (RJ) for a few years, the couple had never renovated it. When they decided to modernize the property, they commissioned architects
Ricardo Melo and
Rodrigo Passos – from
CASACOR Rio de Janeiro – to design a project in stages.
The first transformation included the entire social area,
kitchen , service area, staff quarters and hallways to the
bedrooms . “In the original plan, there were walls that delimited the three living areas and the dining room was also isolated.
We demolished everything to create a spacious, well-lit and integrated social area, leaving the breathtaking view of the lagoon within sight from any point in it ,” says Ricardo. “As for the decoration, the clients asked to incorporate the objects, paintings and antique rugs that they both collect,” he adds.
The main concept of the project was to give the property a youthful and visually light look, mixing contemporary furniture and carpentry with the owners' collection of classic style pieces , including the side tables, two three-seater sofas (which were reupholstered in off-white fabric), the sideboards and the office table that was turned into a bar.
Among the new furniture, the architects prioritized contemporary style pieces, with a light, elegant and timeless design, such as the round dining table with four chairs (upholstered in caramel leather), the pair of rounded armchairs and the pair of two-seater sofas, two square coffee tables (in white lacquer) and a large light-colored rug.
In the color
palette , materials and finishes of the social area, the original flooring in
peroba-do-campo planks was maintained, while the carpentry of the bookcase that dominates the living room was made in
MDF Areia , by Duratex, with illuminated niches to display the couple's collections. The same MDF was also used in the lining that hides the air conditioning units, with an opening for camouflaged maintenance. The colors appear occasionally in the cushions, mixing earthy tones with greens.
In the
kitchen with integrated pantry, the architects adopted a
monochromatic palette that does not interfere with the design for the living room, and used the same porcelain tiles on the floor and walls and chose a black finish for the new appliances, metals and lighting items. “Our biggest challenge in this project was to use the clients’ entire collection in the new decor and convince them that our suggestions for contemporary pieces would work well alongside the old ones, creating an interesting and harmonious contrast,” says Ricardo Melo.
