The architectural and interior design project signed by Stemmer Rodrigues for two art collectors in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) was inspired on the acrylic painting Amelie, a work by artist Nelson Wilbert. Adding to the artistic atmosphere, the apartment is in a building from the 1980s and needed an update of its program to meet the couple's new uses and a total rethinking of the finishes and furnishings.
Designed by Stemmer Rodrigues
Photographed by Lucas Franck / NMLSS
The renovation started with the elimination of the walls that compartmentalized the space and an old, unused fireplace in the center of the living room. The environments gained fluidity, integration, and new uses, such as an specific area for a home office, a 'cocoon window' for reading moments and an environment to accommodate vinyl records, another passion of the clients. Originally with three bedrooms, it was also transformed into two bedroomswith a large closet.
"To improve circulation, we broke down walls and changed the entire flow. We thought about an open layout and circuit between all the rooms, except the intimate areas," explains the architect and coordinator of the project at Stemmer Rodrigues, Carolina Petersen.
At the living room it is possible to understand the importance of art in the client's life. And to avoid the constant opening and closing of holes and the placing of wall plugs for each new painting, a metal panel was designed to accommodate them.
The hooks used in the panel are the same ones used to hang kitchen utensils. With this feature, it was possible to arrange the paintings with greater ease. There is an LED profile at the base and, above it, a ceiling of mirrors that visually increases the ceiling height, along with directed lighting for a visualization of the paintings.
The room is also home to the Amelie painting, which stands out in different ways: whether in the influence of the trim colors or its prominent position in the room. "The Amelie painting guided us in setting the moodboard," Petersen adds. Touches of color occur in the social and intimate areas.
The red handrails, original from the building, were kept, and the window in the service areagained an orangecolorthat also appears in the couple's bedroom. The bathroom was updated with redtiles,and all thiswere designedwith a neutral background.
Also in the living room, a lime green bay window invites you to contemplate the guapuruvus and jacaranda trees and can be used as a reading corner.
The kitchen gained a new layout, with an island in the center, new finishes, and connection to the balcony and living room. The wall that separates the kitchen from the living room became the core for the refrigerator and a niche for the wine cellar. On the other side, the barbecue is neutralized in the balcony space.
In the interiors, the furniture was composed with design pieces that already belonged to the clients amidst new acquisitions. Besides the Mole armchair and its stool, there is the Mocho stool and a Tetê armchair,all ofthem designedby therenownedBrazilian designer Sergio Rodrigues. Among the upholstered furniture is the new Água table by Jacqueline Terpins, above the Reloaded rug.
The architect and partner of Stemmer Rodrigues, Ingrid Stemmer, recalls that the owners' painting and love of collecting were used as sources of inspiration in the creative process. "Art, design, and color guided us. Every time I visited the apartment, the works were in different places", concludes.
