A couple with a two-year-old son and a newborn baby bought this
260 m² duplex penthouse in Leblon (RJ) and immediately commissioned a renovation project from architects
Carolina Escada and
Patricia Landau , from
Escala Arquitetura , to adapt the property to the family's needs. The firm is part of
CASACOR Rio .
“The clients asked us for an
integrated social area upstairs, with a fully equipped gourmet
kitchen where they could entertain and cook for their guests, as well as a
natural lawn in the outdoor area,” says Carolina. “Initially, the idea was to keep the original kitchen, service area and service room. However, as the project progressed, they decided to renovate these rooms as well,” adds Patricia.
Overall, the project focused on architectural and decorative solutions that gave the apartment a
homely feel . The natural grass planted on the roof helped to reinforce this feeling. The original layout of the upper floor was completely redesigned, while on the lower floor, the bedroom divisions were maintained and the area designated for the
bathrooms was completely modified.
“In the specific case of the eldest son’s room, the wall facing the social area was replaced by sliding doors, thus allowing the space to also be used as
a playroom or
TV room ,” says Carolina.
Named by the office as “
garden penthouse ”, the upper floor was transformed into a unique space that integrates the dining and living areas with TV, the natural outdoor lawn, the swimming pool and a pergola that functions as a gourmet kitchen. On this floor, the architects highlight the
table that hugs the pillar , designed by them to seat 10 people, at the request of the clients.
“Our intention was to leave the space free of columns, but a structural reinforcement project indicated that this pillar, in particular, supported the weight of the water tank and, therefore, could not be relocated. We then decided
to round its shape to follow the curved design of the table, with organic shapes, with a mosaic top resting on a wooden base”, explains Patricia. The dominant presence of
natural materials , such as stone, wood and straw, met the requirements brought by the clients.
The first floor has a
neutral base , with splashes of color and texture, also a request from the clients. The entrance hall, for example, was covered with
blue lacquer panels (in a primary tone), “conversing” with the painting above the sofa, by artist Gabriela Machado.
Along the entire frame of the room, the travertine marble bench adds a
new texture to the wooden floor, laid out in a herringbone pattern.
On the second floor, the combination of travertine marble with natural grass, stone walls and textured ceiling brought
even more coziness to the space.
Overall, the decor follows a
modern-cozy style . With the exception of the Benjamin armchair (by Sergio Rodrigues), the Tolomeu lamp (by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina), the dining table with a round base and top, and the Helga dining chairs (by Estudiobola) – which were brought from the previous address –, all the decor items and cabinetry are new.
Among the pieces purchased for the upper floor, the architects highlight the
Alice armchair with stool (by Aristeu Pires), the two
Tetê armchairs and the
Mocho bench (by Sergio Rodrigues), the
Thonet dining chairs and the
Volta dining table (by Guilherme Wentz). The large canvas (in shades of green and blue) featured on the back wall is by artist Geraldo Marcolini and the black and white photograph is by Sebastião Salgado.
“Our biggest challenge in this work was to design the renovation of a
modernist building that has a
curved facade and
floor plans full of angled walls,” they conclude.
