Overlooking the sea, this 270 m² apartment highlights contemporary art

When the couple with two children bought this 270 m² apartment in Praia de Icaraí (RJ), the request to architect Henrique Ramalho was a complete renovation, which would make the layout more modern, with clean architecture and comfortable spaces. “ We opened the kitchen-dining room to the living room, with the possibility of isolating the spaces using sliding doors , which we made in carpentry. To gain even more space, we integrated the private room, which was also isolated, with the social area”, says Henrique. A neutral base was used in the living room and on the balcony, and the colors appear in a specific way so as not to tire over time or visually weigh down the room. “ The balcony already had a red windowsill that draws attention and ended up influencing our choice for a more neutral setting,” explains the architect. In the kitchen, blue was used unceremoniously in most of the cabinets to create a more relaxed environment and also refer to the color of the sea, since the view of Icaraí Beach is, without a doubt, a great differentiator of the apartment.

All the furniture is new. Only the family's artwork from the previous address was used, with emphasis on the paintings by artists Tomie Othake, Eduardo Sued, Marcelo Solá and the large canvas by Rodrigo Pedrosa (the latter is displayed on the wooden panel next to the living room bookcase). As the couple greatly appreciates architecture and has a preference for modern and contemporary language, the architect opted for pieces designed by big names in Brazilian design, with highlights including the Cuiabá armchairs (by Sergio Rodrigues ), the Alice armchairs (by Marcus Ferreira ), the Ninho armchair (by Lattoog ), the Bandeirola bench (by Ivan Rezende ), the Dinn dining table (by Jader Almeida ), the Helga chairs (by Estudiobola ) and the Ufo pendant lamp (by Fernando Prado ). In the material palette of the social area, the architect used neutral tones, such as the off-white walls, the beige porcelain floor with a slight marble effect and the custom-designed cabinetry, finished in natural freijó. “With this, we were able to highlight the residents’ collection of artwork and maintain the focus of the beautiful outdoor landscape,” concludes Henrique Ramalho.