White and wood create cozy decor in a 70 m² apartment

The engineering couple had been living in this 70 m² apartment in Botafogo (RJ) for a few years and loved the privileged view of Sugarloaf Mountain . But since they needed to modernize the layout of the property, they called on architect Rafael Ramos to do a complete renovation. “The apartment had a lot of problems because it was made of drywall and needed a lot of maintenance, including the electrical and plumbing installations, as well as new finishes,” he says. According to the architect, the couple asked for a young, visually light and “fresh” project , to give the apartment a new meaning and give it the feeling of a new home, as well as many carpentry solutions to optimize the spaces . Among the main changes to the property's layout, the kitchen and living room , previously separated by masonry, were integrated, not only to modernize the layout but also to gain spaciousness and more natural light. The old lavatory, which was used as a storage room and took up unnecessary space, was also demolished and a new storage area was created in the bedroom hallway using a closet that was camouflaged in the woodwork paneling, which served as a linen closet. In addition, all the drywall walls were removed due to their poor condition, making way for new walls with thermal and acoustic insulation and internal reinforcement to accommodate the new woodwork. Overall, the project concept sought to create a contemporary, functional, neutral and clear apartment , using colors and materials that are connected to the external landscape so as not to take away the prominence of the view of the sea and Sugarloaf Mountain.

Neutrality and timelessness are also present in the gray porcelain floor, the white painted walls, the woodwork, sometimes in natural ipe or white lacquer, the white quartz countertops and the sliding doors with wooden frames and fluted glass. In the living room with TV, the suspended cabinet designed by the architect has openwork slatted doors to hide the audio and video equipment , and the white “floating” shelves with beveled edges are framed by the wooden “hat” attached to the ceiling. “In addition to functionality, this solution adds charm, personality and sophistication to the space,” says Rafael. In the kitchen, which opens onto the living room, the highlight is the rectangular dining table (also designed by the architect), with a natural ipe interior and white quartz exterior. Finally, in the intimate hall, the home office was created, delimited on one side by the structural pillar and on the other by floor-to-ceiling sliding doors.