When Brazilian architect Guta Louro, of Splice Design, left New York City for Austin, Texas, on December 31, 2020, she was forging a new path in her life—and she wanted her home to reflect where she’d been, and where she was going.

At first, she didn’t think she’d ever leave the Big Apple, but she says, “the pandemic really took a toll on the city.” Having visited Texas a few times, she began to look at Austin as a “great place to call home.” Not quite sure how long she’d stay in Texas, Guta decided to rent an apartment.

Photo courtesy of Guta Louro
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“I had numerous desires, and I visited many buildings that had available units within my size preferences,” she says. “Finally, I found one that checked nearly all my boxes.” The 920-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment is perched in a high-rise in downtown Austin. “The view of Lady Bird Lake and the evening sunsets over the water are what truly spoke to me,” Guta says.

It took 45 days for Guta to transform the space into an upscale boho-chic sanctuary, full of colorful and textural design elements. The architect brought only artwork to Austin, leaving her furniture behind in New York City. These pieces speak to her past, while the apartment’s new furnishings and design reflect her next chapter.

“I wanted to tell the story of who I am, and translate my personality into the space,” she says.

Photo courtesy of Guta Louro
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Guta anchored the living room with two sofas by Adrian Persall, a green velour Gondola couch, and a cream-colored midcentury sofa with attached side tables. They’re offset by a leather Luna armchair by Odd Knutsen and pulled together by two overlapping rugs—a red Moroccan Beni Ourain, atop a woven jute rug.

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Guta covered the wall behind the sofa with lilac limewash-imitation wallpaper to draw the colors of the living and dining spaces together. She placed quirky pieces of art and décor—like a lamp made with an African hat, a white monkey hanging from a rope attached to the ceiling, and a gumball machine—throughout the main living area. While some of the pieces exemplify her interest in animals, travel, and culture, they all tell the story of her past and present.

“The art is positioned in a somewhat chronological order in the room, reflecting different phases of my life, and the spaces in between give them the opportunity to be seen and tell their story to those that want to hear it,” she says.

Photo courtesy of Guta Louro
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In the dining room, a necklace by Brazilian artist Estúdio Leh hangs next to the first piece of art Guta bought after moving to the U.S.—a painting with colored brushstrokes on a white background. Her life at present is characterized in Texas and Western-themed decor, like a dream catcher and longhorns above the bathroom door.

Photo courtesy of Guta Louro
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DIY was a significant aspect of the design—Guta added checkered wallpaper in the bathroom and panted a dining table she found on Facebook a soft, creamy color. The architect paired the table with 1960s Cesca dining chairs by Marcel Breuer that she upholstered with goat skins.

“I had a great time with DIY projects, like upcycling the blue mirror in the living room (it was a baroque frame that got damaged in transit), painting the dining table, fixing vintage items, and upholstering my dining chairs,” she says.

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In her bedroom, Guta blended Japanese and Texan influences to create a calming atmosphere. Red and orange boho pillows on cream bedding bring out the subtly colored floral and bird designs of the black-and-gold Japanese screen placed behind the bed. Meanwhile, the pillows match the Texas-inspired decor, like a metal roadside cactus and a piece by Houston-based artist Dan Allison, situated near a small wooden desk by the bathroom.

Guta would have preferred the bedroom to not be covered in a beige carpet, but she worked with it as best she could.

“The idea was to cover nearly all the carpet with a fluffy black-and-white animal print rug, but after multiple delivery delays, I opted to go for a cowhide with more neutral, warm colors, under the desk by the entrance of the room,” she explains.

Despite the architectural and design limitations that come with an apartment, Guta created a space with rich textures and colors, and bold pieces of furniture and artwork that speak to different moments in her life. Through the rental revamping process, Guta gained a new perspective about how time and place play a role in design.

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“I learned that I have changed a lot since the last time I moved and designed my apartment, and that I should continue to make sure I understand my clients—who they are, who they’ve been, and who they want to become, so that their homes not only share their stories thus far, but also grow with them, and help them get to where they are going,” she says.

Have you taken on an ambitious Rental Revamp—or do you know someone who has? We want to hear about it! Reach out to edit@dwell.com with photos and a brief description.

More Rental Revamp stories:

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Project Credits:

Architect/Designer: Guta Louro, Splice Design / @splicedesign

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Rental Revamp: A Brazilian Architect Enlivens Her Austin Apartment With Boho-Chic Flair