The Leblon sea is the backdrop to this 280 m² apartment

An elderly couple in their 80s lived on the ground floor of the same building in Leblon (RJ), but since their old apartment received the afternoon sun, they decided to move upstairs in search of the morning sun. With the keys in hand, the new owners commissioned architects Camila Simbalista and Paula Wetzel , from the Studio 021 Arquitetura office and CASACOR Rio , to carry out a complete renovation project, including the decoration of all the rooms in the 280 m² property. “In general, they asked for a bright and spacious living room to comfortably welcome their friends, children and young grandchildren, and a new access to the kitchen ,” says Paula. “In the private area, they asked for a separate bedroom for each of them – with a double bed –, lots of closets for the wife and a multipurpose room with triple function: guest room, office and gym,” adds Camila. After the renovation, the property now has three larger suites (one for each spouse and a third multipurpose suite) and the bedroom next to the living room was eliminated to increase the social area. The architects also integrated all the balconies into the interior areas to make the spaces more spacious and changed the access to the kitchen, previously through the private area, to the social area, without, however, changing the original position of the room. “In terms of layout , this was one of the biggest challenges of the project”, says Paula. According to the architects, the concept for the project was based on the view of Leblon beach to create bright and airy spaces. “We wanted a sunny apartment that would convey a sense of lightness, calm and spaciousness, with a clear and neutral base to house the couple’s collection, without visually weighing it down,” Camila summarizes. In the decoration, several pieces from the old apartment were used, especially the works of art, the objects, the large collection of vinyl records (which was stored on a shelf in the living room designed by the architects for this purpose), the Persian rug, the coffee table from the TV room, the wooden bench and four chairs (made of wood, with upholstered seat and straw backrest).

Among the new furniture, priority was given to timeless Brazilian creations with signature designs, with highlights including the 12 Beg dining chairs, the Magrini bench and the Renata armchairs (by Sergio Rodrigues), the Curupira coffee tables and the Cazumba dining table (by Maria Cândida Machado) and the Mush colorless glass pendant lights (by Jader Almeida). “Since our clients like antique pieces, we found a wooden dresser with a bamboo look at the Arnaldo Danemberg antique shop, positioned in front of the support pillar, which was completely covered in mirror,” says Paula. In order not to take away the prominence of the view of the sea and the sky, the architects opted for predominantly light tones, with emphasis on the white lacquered joinery in the social area (such as the large bookcase in the living room, the “suspended” buffet-cupboard fixed to the wall and the panels covering some walls), the Travertino Navona marble floor and the fabrics used in the upholstery, which range from white to beige, passing through off-white tones. Brighter colors appear in the décor in a specific way, especially in the works of art and objects, and the natural wood – present in the structure of the furniture and in the sliding panels with articulated shutters in the TV room (made of Peroba-do-Campo) – adds a touch of comfort and warmth. “In addition to hiding the TV equipment and the air conditioning technical area, these panels also disguise the strong presence of the neighboring building and offer more privacy to the guests”, points out Camila. In the kitchen, the architects highlight the use of synthetic laminate with veins throughout the countertops and walls. Here, the neutral base highlights the occasional use of natural wood, bringing warmth to a space where cold materials predominate. Another highlight is the integrated pantry, which is very bright and comfortable, since the clients use this space a lot.