Project: Vila Mariana Apartment
Architecture: Ricardo Abreu Architects
Team: Camila Kogima, Danilo Iadocicco, Fernanda Souza, Gabriel Tavares, Marcos Neves.
Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Area: 72 m2
Year: 2023
Photo Credits: Grutz Photography
Vila Mariana is an apartment for a couple without children. One is a psychiatrist and the other is an accountant. The couple’s intention was to integrate the spaces as possible, preserving the two bedrooms – one for the couple and the other as an office.
In the original plan of the property, the kitchen, with generous square footage, had independent access to the common hall on the building’s floor and was connected to a service area and bedroom with a service bathroom. Everything was demolished to expand living room and create an island in kitchen, leaving laundry area with just enough space to meet the couple’s routine. The reform was radical. Little remained of the original property, with the exception of the parquet floor which was covered by a wooden laminate. We removed all the existing laminate and restored the original herringbone sucupira wood block, which is a major highlight of the project.
In the private area, the Vila Mariana apartment only had one bathroom, facing a common circulation area for the two bedrooms. We divided the bathroom in two, creating a toilet for the living room and a suite for the couple’s bedroom. For the second bedroom, we designed a carpentry that would be versatile as a home office and could also receive guests.
As it is an old property, practically everything has been changed. All wiring was replaced to include new circuits, now with automation and sound. As the couple’s intention was to be able to receive friends and without worrying about the noise that could disturb the neighbors, we removed the parquet floors, applied acoustic insulation to the subfloor and relocated the parquet floors again. All frames were redone, now standardized and with noise protection. Hidden drains were built in the bathrooms, hydraulic points were redone to accommodate the new mixers and the addition of a basin for the toilet. Gas pipes, diversions of water points for the kitchen and laundry area and a hood exhaust system in the kitchen were also part of the project.
The final aesthetic of the project is very eclectic. We always try to understand the particular tastes of the family that will live in the space we are designing and it was no different with them. The couple really liked specific elements from several different styles. There is a mix of classic elements, as the boiseries applied to the walls, but contrast with the geometric paintings on the walls and ceilings. The furniture is contemporary but contrasts with the original wooden flooring. The colors are vibrant and strong, there is an explosion of blue covering the walls and allowing total integration between living rooms and kitchen. In the bathroom, marbled porcelain tiles in coffee tones contrast with a black granite countertop and a rustic brushed finish. In the suite bathroom we did the opposite: the countertop is in white polished quartz and contrasts with the rustic green hydraulic tile floor.
In the bedroom, the walls with boiseries moldings and low-relief cabinet doors are contrasted by a geometric green painting that goes beyond the headboard wall to the ceiling and side walls. In all environments there is always a mix of styles, including classic, rustic and retro, and as a result the combination predominates in contemporary style.
