In Curitiba, Brazil, architect Leandro Garcia transformed a 376-square-foot one-bedroom condo into a remarkably efficient two-bedroom home for Eveline Favero and her 13-year-old son, Domingos. “It seemed we’d asked for too many things, considering this is such a small place—but the remodel exceeded our expectations,” Eveline says.

In the living room, a wall of shelves provides plenty of storage for books and beloved objects." layout="" credit="Photo by Fran Parente" photoUserId="6293854359848886272"/>

Located next to the Botanical Garden of Curitiba, the Trianon Apartment was once dark, cramped, and compartmentalized. “Originally, the apartment had a closed-off kitchen, a living room, only one bedroom, and one bathroom,” Garcia says. “There was ceramic tile flooring, and all of the spaces were sectioned by angled walls that created very small rooms and made for awkward furniture arrangements.”

When Eveline commissioned Garcia to reimagine the apartment, she requested two bedrooms (each with its own study area), a well-equipped kitchen, where she would be able to prepare meals from scratch, and plenty of bookshelves.

“I’d been decluttering and thinking about having only essential items, but books are part of my studies and work, so I needed space for book storage” says Eveline, who has a PhD in psychology, works as a professor at the School of Music and Fine Arts of the State of Paraná, and is also currently studying law. Domingos, who attends the nearby Swiss-Brazilian International School, studies the cello and German, French, and Spanish.

Eveline and Domingos moved from their previous apartment in Curitiba when the cost of rent increased. “I found this apartment, which is small and needed to be remodeled, but it was in a great location in terms of work and school,” Eveline says. “I weighed what was important, and realized we just need a safe, well-located place that provides only what’s necessary, because we invest a lot in our studies.”

The revised apartment features two bedrooms with study corners and a kitchen/dining area that’s open to the living room, which has floor-to-ceiling bookcases. “Bookshelves have the capacity to section spaces in a very dynamic and permeable way,” Garcia says.

The architect removed a half wall that divided the living room in two parts, gutted and recreated the kitchen, and left the bathroom and the main bedroom as they were. He added and arranged a second bedroom next to a large window that’s as far from the main bedroom as possible for privacy. “Domingos participated in the process, selecting yellow and gray as the colors for his bedroom,” Eveline says.

For the entry, Garcia added a wall that masks the door to the bathroom and accommodates a small washing machine. He also introduced built-in furniture throughout the apartment, including drawers in the base of the sofa and cabinetry around and beneath the bed in the main bedroom. “The built-ins helped us to get the most out of every corner of the apartment,” Garcia says.

Eveline’s favorite place in the apartment is the kitchen. “I’ve prepared many delicious meals in the kitchen, and I’m very grateful for how functional it is,” she says. “With the pandemic, we spent time eating exclusively at home. I don’t feel the need to add anything. All of our needs are fulfilled.”

Related Reading:

In Paris, a 540-Square-Foot Apartment Becomes a Forever Home for a Family of Five

How One Family of Three Does It All in 675 Square Feet

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Leandro Garcia / @leandrogarciaarq

Photography: Fran Parente / @franparente

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A 376-Square-Foot Apartment in Brazil Goes From Too Tight to Just Right