For many years, a family consisting of a couple who love to read, with three daughters who play musical instruments, lived in several Brazilian states and even in other countries because of their father's work, who works in the oil and gas sector. When they returned to Brazil for good, they decided to buy this
210 m² duplex penthouse in Gávea , in the south zone of Rio de Janeiro, and settle down.
Although the property had already been renovated, architect
Ketlein Amorim, from the Ketlein Amorim Arquitetura office , was called in to adapt it to the needs and tastes of the new residents, with small, specific works. “They asked to do away with a closet that was on the second floor and transform his space into a music room, which could also be used as a guest
room , with a TV,” she says. Ketlein Amorim participated in
CASACOR Rio de Janeiro 2018 with the Children’s Suite space.
“They also asked for a complete project for their eldest daughter's room, aged 13, to make the most of the furniture they already had and buy only what was necessary, make the outdoor area more functional, adapt the second floor living room to a different style “They wanted to have a more casual lifestyle, put a railing on the stairs, create space to store lots of books and create a map of the world so the family could mark the places they had been,” she adds. Overall, they wanted to spend as little as possible and avoid construction work as much as possible.
On the first floor, the architect's project included the living room, the eldest daughter's bedroom and the couple's bedroom, while on the second floor, she changed the living room, bedroom, bathroom and outdoor area. "We also made small changes in the two daughters’ bedroom, in the kitchen-dining room and in the elevator’s social hall”, reveals Ketlein.
The civil works were relatively minor, with few changes to the layout of the property. On the second floor, for example, a closet (which had a sink inside) and a neighboring compact kitchen were eliminated to create a music room that could It can also be used as a guest room, with a TV. “We designed a three-leaf sliding panel with a Klein blue lacquer finish that allows this new space to be isolated or integrated with the living room,” says the architect.
In the outdoor area of the rooftop terrace, a smaller dishwasher was installed, right next to the sink, since the previous one was far away and not functional. The space left under the counter was then filled with a beer cooler so that, in a few days When the house is full, guests can serve themselves drinks without disturbing the barbecue chef.
A large wooden bench was designed into the glass railing wall, with space underneath to store pool equipment. The new table serves both as a support for the barbecue and for outdoor meals.
In the decoration, most of the furniture was reused from previous residences and from the storage unit that the family rented when they moved to another country. Since the current apartment is permanent, the architect used the entire collection and mixed the pieces that harmonized best. in the new project and complemented it with new acquisitions. “Items such as wallpaper, cement coverings and colorful rugs helped to create the apartment’s new identity”, she says.
Since the clients have a lot of books and love to read, they wanted a space that could function as a library away from the hustle and bustle of the house. They also asked for the dining room to be close to the main kitchen. From there, the architect proposed integrating the two spaces. , since the dining table could also serve as a reading or study table.
With an openwork aluminum structure that resembles Corten steel and rustic wooden shelves, the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves were designed by the architect especially for the space, becoming a prominent element in the décor. In addition, she mixed pieces that were already part of the part of the family collection with new ones. They already had, for example, the Lounge armchair by Charles Emmes (which was refurbished), the Saarinen dining table, the iron and natural fiber dining chairs, the desk under the stairs, the ornaments and books.
To complete the space, not only the bookshelf was purchased, but also the rug, the long bench under the window, the steel cables fixed to the steps of the staircase and the lighting items. An old low piece of furniture that also belonged to the family (made of wood) dark, mirrored doors and classic style) was revamped with a new finish, in lacquer in a yellow tone.
