65 m² apartment: compact, practical and with views of Guanabara Bay

Designed for a couple in their 40s, without children, this 65 m² apartment in Flamengo (RJ) was designed by architect Fabiano Ravaglia , from CASACOR Rio de Janeiro . “In general, the clients asked for custom-made carpentry to store as many of their personal items as possible, since they would be moving to a slightly smaller apartment, as well as soft tones in the décor . They also wanted the project to be fluid and light, bringing a sense of peace and calm to all the spaces,” he adds. Among the main changes to the original plan was the elimination of the toilet to create a larger kitchen to fit a large refrigerator and a small pantry. With the loss of the toilet, the architect transformed the bathroom in the suite, which would be used as an office, into a guest bathroom. “We closed the door from this bathroom to the bedroom and opened it to the private hall ,” he explains. The interior design was designed to meet the clients' desire to lead a lighter, more practical, detached life that was connected to nature. To achieve this, the architect used natural materials, curved and organic shapes and soft tones, keeping the view of Guanabara Bay as the main focus of the new home . The combination of creative carpentry solutions with indirect and spot lighting, linen curtains with light textures, hand-woven rugs and marble with well-defined textures or veins helped to make the dream come true. In terms of decor, everything is new, from furniture to ornaments, with highlights including some designer pieces, such as the Pillow sofa by Estudiobola , the Vetro side table by Giácomo Tomazzi and the Cloud stool by Humberto Da Mata . For the dining table (with a carbon steel base and natural freijó top, by LZ Studio ), due to the limited space, Liz chairs by Estudiobola were chosen, which, despite being compact, are ultra comfortable. The color palette of the décor sought, above all, neutrality. Therefore, the walls were painted in a light beige tone (the color Areia do Saara, by Coral), which combined perfectly with the light wood pattern Cross Riviera, by Duratex, present in some of the cabinetry. On the original porcelain floor, a wood laminate was applied, both in the living room and in the bedrooms. The slatted cabinetry in the entrance hall extends to the dining area and has a white lacquer finish, in addition to a niche in honed Roman travertine.

The kitchen was accessed via a sliding panel and features very detailed carpentry, meeting all the couple's needs, with the creation of a pantry, hot tower and upper and lower cabinets with plenty of internal storage space. Another highlight is the countertop with a high backsplash . In the couple's bedroom, the Mata Atlântica Verde wall panel (from Branco Casa) steals the show, with soft green foliage, in perfect harmony with the linen curtains with a gradient in the same color. Another highlight is the wardrobe with floor-to-ceiling mirrored sliding doors, which made the room seem larger and brighter and also brought the view of Guanabara Bay into the bedroom. In the office , it is worth highlighting the bookcase with curved sides designed by the architect, the Clau armchair designed by Estudiobola , the Funiculí lamp (by Marset ), the gray wallpaper with linen texture and the gray linen curtain and the handmade rug striped in different colors. In the custom carpentry designed by the office, the architect highlights the rounded corners, which allow for freer and more fluid circulation in the apartment, even with the presence of the many cabinets requested by the clients. The rack in the living room, the shoe rack in the entrance and the cabinet-shelf in the home office are good examples of this solution.