When the couple, a journalist and a Spanish translator, bought this
90 m² apartment in Laranjeiras (RJ), they already had the intention of tearing everything down to integrate the spaces. For this mission, architect
Ana Neri came into the picture.
Originally, the apartment had three
bedrooms ,
a living room and a very cramped
kitchen . The clients asked to open up and integrate the spaces, making circulation more fluid and improving natural lighting. With the renovation, one of the bedrooms became a living room, and the areas of the old kitchen and the first bedroom were merged, making room for a new dining room and an open, integrated and very airy kitchen.
With earthy-toned carpentry and hydraulic tile flooring from the same color family, the kitchen also features reproductions of the building's original window frames , with the aim of organizing the interior views and bringing unity, in addition to seeking a
homely atmosphere .
Another room from the apartment's original layout was replaced by the new living room, next to the balcony. According to the architect, one of the project's biggest challenges was understanding how the transitions between the spaces would be fluid, light and spacious.
“There is nothing more unifying and stimulating to promote long conversations and meetings than a generously sized table in the kitchen, which is also fully integrated with the dining room,” says the architect. The structural reinforcement with metal beams allowed the apartment to gain a “transparent” and permeable character. In addition, the connections between the spaces were also made through the play of color in the volumes and in the carpentry that “talks” to each other.
The muxarabi door (painted green) was one of the items found by the clients themselves , bringing texture, ventilation and, in a way, lighting to the small hall.
“This back of the apartment brought us some pleasant surprises, which only improved the spatial and aesthetic quality of the apartment. One of them was the possibility of
completely opening up what was previously a service room in the original plan and transforming it into an office. Without a doubt, this change allowed for the expansion, breathing space and integration of the office with the service area, which is very well-lit and airy,” says Ana Neri.
“The second pleasant surprise was the solid
demolition brick that we found when peeling the walls and, unanimously, we decided to keep it visible to further reinforce the atmosphere we were looking for,” he adds.
The original
bathroom was expanded to allow for the installation of a wider, more comfortable countertop. To maximize natural light, light-colored coverings and textures were used. The (artificial) lighting from the front is indirect, both in the custom-made carpentry of the mirror and in the “globe” wall lights above it. Note the hydraulic tile covering the shower enclosure with colorful and delicate designs, the
hexagonal tile floor and the wooden skirting board, which contributed to giving a vintage touch and making the space more welcoming.
With a light and bright look, in the couple's bedroom, the side of the closet and a small initial stretch of wall were transformed into a narrow bookcase, making the room more lively and warm. Another highlight is the light wood side cabinet (fixed to the wall, in front of the bed), with drawers that help organize the guests' personal items, without visually cluttering them, and the small metal shelves that function as side tables to support the bed.
The blue paint – up to halfway up the bed wall – helped to dress up the headboard. Finally, the cabinet's woodwork was given a natural straw finish on the bottom, bringing texture and movement to the design of the furniture, while the top was finished in light gray lacquer.
On the balcony, the original Portuguese tiles were kept, while the floor was replaced with mustard-colored hydraulic tiles. “
The low sink, in one of the corners of the balcony, is also original and, of course, we kept it there for use and to preserve the architectural memory of the property,” concludes the architect.
