82 m² apartment features Japandi décor with contemporary touches

A young couple bought this 82 m² apartment in Botafogo (south zone of Rio de Janeiro) off-plan and hired architect Fabiano Ravaglia , from FPR Studio , while the building was still under construction. While they were waiting for the keys to be delivered, the new owners decided to start working on the project and, as soon as the on-site measurements were released by the construction company, some adjustments were made before starting the work. The clients' wish list for their new home was considerable. They asked for a complete bathroom renovation, cabinetry with good storage solutions that would also make the property more functional, a comfortable sofa for watching TV, "nooks" for reading and listening to music, a bookshelf to store lots of books, low and soft artificial lighting, décor in more neutral and earthy tones with a strong presence of wood, a kitchen with an island, a multipurpose room (which would function as a painting studio, office and guest room) and a suite with a queen-size bed. “Since the clients received the property from the construction company with one of the bedrooms already integrated into the living room, we did not make any changes to the layout. However, we still changed all the rooms during the renovation,” says Ravaglia . The bathrooms were completely redone to embed the toilet tank (previously exposed) into the masonry . In the other rooms, the matte gray porcelain flooring delivered by the construction company was maintained and the architect invested in new finishes on the walls and carpentry and metalwork solutions. The concept for the project was based on the Japandi style (a combination of Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian design) , but in this case, it left the rustic style aside to achieve a more contemporary final style. “To achieve this, we prioritized natural materials, such as wood, leather, cotton, linen and ceramics, and applied a handcrafted cement texture to the walls and ceiling of the entire social area, in a light gray tone with a subtly stained appearance,” explains Ravaglia. “With this finish, I wanted to completely neutralize the space to apply a Forest Green MDF panel that hides the sliding door leading to the bedrooms and also creates a visual connection with the view of Morro do Pasmado,” he adds.

In the decor, practically everything is new. The architect prioritized furniture with simple shapes and sought to explore different materials in the compositions. In the dining room , for example, the Hatch table (by LZ Studio ) has a natural wood top with a black carbon steel base, while the Helga chairs (by Estudiobola ) have been upholstered in stonewashed leather. In the living room, the modular sofa covered in off-white mixed linen, the Areia armchair (designed by Plataforma 4 for Lider Interiores ) upholstered in terracotta-toned fabric, two overlapping natural fiber rugs (from Galeria Hathi ) and a side table with a Verde Guatemala marble top (from Lider Interiores ) steal the show. The star of the social area is, without a doubt, the carbon steel and fluted glass shelf that goes from floor to ceiling, designed by the architect himself to give more privacy to the social bathroom. Another of his creations is in the couple's bedroom: the bedside table that combines a gray carbon steel structure, natural freijó drawers and a granite top. On the balcony, the highlight is the Granilite table with Troy chairs (made of nautical rope, by LZ Studio ) and the Drops side table (in brushed nero marquina, by Lider Interiores ). In the office, the star is the Yoná chair, designed by Estudiobola . The apartment's artwork is a chapter in itself, as one of the owners has been painting as a hobby for six years. For example, he is responsible for the painting " The Second Dive " (100x120cm) featured in the living room, above the sofa, supported by a large carpentry niche that serves as a support for constant changes, without the need to drill holes in the wall. The painting " The Song of the Moon " (45x65cm) displayed in the couple's bedroom, above the bedside table, is also by the resident.