Concrete, stone and wood bring rich tactility to an apartment renovation in Brazil

A Brazil apartment renovation, in São Paulo, looks to both a personal art collection and the richness of the surrounding landscape for a design that celebrates the bucolic character of natural materials. Brazil-based Memola Estudio and architect Vitor Penha imbue Garrido Apartment with a sharp modernity, removing the ceilings from living areas and exposing the concrete in a bid to open up the space. By removing interior walls and integrating spaces so they become multipurpose, the layout becomes fluid and the space sociable. It is a conviviality encompassed in a design that utilises slate, solid wood and concrete, creating a clean canvas for both the inhabitants’ art collection and the modern furniture, including sofas by Jorge Zalszupin and Sérgio Rodrigues. In the living room, original grey Portuguese stone cladding on the walls becomes a neutral white, as does the wood that edges the entrance hall. In the kitchen, a custom-designed island with a solid wood top makes a natural focal point, while a pantry opens up the space and floods it with natural light. A floor of slate makes a rustic foil for the metal sheets of the floor-to-ceiling furniture, which nods to the historical countertops of old pharmacies. Access to the kitchen is made effortless thanks to the removal of a wall that impeded the apartment’s natural flow. An entrance, created by replicating the white demolition wood of the door on the walls of the halls, offers an impressive welcome. Other space is rethought: a dining room becomes a covered balcony, while a lounge with a bar is a comfortable living space thanks to a low wooden table and circle of armchairs. §  
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