Architect
Rodolfo Consoli, who is a newcomer to
CASACOR SP 2024 , was renting a low-floor apartment in Copacabana (RJ), in a back apartment with little natural light. Being confined during the pandemic and deciding to start a solo career with an office at home led the professional to look for a more pleasant property in the same neighborhood, until he found a
42 m² apartment facing the street, with
a balcony at treetop height and a side view of Copacabana Beach. “It’s smaller than I wanted, but the feeling of not being confined was what weighed most heavily in my decision,” he says.
With the new lease signed, without changing the layout of the property, the architect installed
drywall in the kitchen to hide the service door and lowered the ceiling in the
bathroom and kitchen to cover the new lighting and hide some beams.
The living room and bedroom were already integrated, with a doorway between them. “At first, I thought about separating these two rooms with sliding doors, but then I decided to keep everything open because it would be more functional in everyday life,” he says.
When Rodolfo rented the apartment,
the walls and ceiling were already painted white and beige , which he decided to keep. The property's original door markings and ceiling molding were also preserved, as they are not only charming but also reminiscent of the building's original architecture. All of the
woodwork designed by the architect himself was finished in
light wood so that colorful objects, paintings, bed linens and rugs could be placed without visually weighing down the spaces.
In the decor, which follows the “affectionate” contemporary style, Rodolfo only brought the TV and the bed from the old apartment. All the other items were acquired gradually. “I looked for visually light pieces from national and international designers. I also found a lot of things at auctions and antique shops. The
sofa by Sergio Rodrigues , for example, was in terrible condition. I restored the wood and foam and upholstered it with leather. The
Marcos stool, made of rosewood, by the same designer, was also completely renovated. The
Girafa chairs, by Lina Bo Bardi, have always been my favorite and, because they are small, they fit perfectly in the living room. The base of the dining table was designed by me and made of natural oak veneer, with a top of Italian calacatta gold marble,” explains the architect.
Another highlight of the project is the
overhead sideboard designed by the architect himself, fixed below the TV, with
a niche top to accommodate an espresso machine, a bar and a small collection of antique glasses .
