Ricardo Home

Bringing urban aesthetics indoors, creating integrated spaces ideal for hosting friends and family, were the guidelines defined by the owner of this 120-square-meter apartment, located in São Paulo. These premises guided the interventions of architect Vinicius Almeida, principal architect at Brazilian firm StudioVA Arquitetos.

For the homeowner, a young single man who spends much of his time traveling for work, the primary goal was to create a home that would serve as an anchor amidst his constant comings and goings—a refuge where he could truly settle and put down roots.

In the renovation, the wall that separated the living room from the kitchen was removed, and the beam was restored and kept in exposed concrete. As a result, the social area gained a continuous character, and the differentiation between spaces was created by the change in flooring material: the living room retained the original wooden flooring of the building, while the kitchen received gray porcelain tiles, referencing the finish of the concrete structure.

The living room opens onto the balcony through the original, restored window frames, bringing the neighborhood’s landscape inside. The main carpentry features a zigzag design, specially created for the project, poetically reinterpreting the resident's constant movement. The piece spans the entire length of the wall and serves as a repository for memories, housing books and items collected during his travels. On the opposite side, a suspended wooden unit brings lightness to the space, serving as a base for electronics and a stand for the TV.

The decor includes a generous modular sofa, allowing for various configurations, with a pouf or chaise, complemented by two Astor armchairs by Brazilian designer Fernando Jaeger, and the Torre bench—a piece specially designed by Vinicius Almeida in 2024, featuring CNC wood cuts. All of this sits on a rug from Punto e Filo, with organic patterns and colors matching the main bookshelf.

The space between the pillars forming the entrance hall received a custom-made bar unit with a frosted glass base that is illuminated.
In the dining room, a wooden panel on the main wall creates a contrast with the other white surfaces, providing a cozier atmosphere. On the panel, there is a painting by the Brazilian visual artist Heway Verçosa.

The kitchen, integrated with the living areas, features finishes including lower cabinets in wood and upper cabinets in bluish-green Formica. The sink countertop, made of porcelain (Bleu de Savoie, Portobello), extends to the backsplash as a single surface, highlighting the veins in the material that resemble stone. On the opposite side, panels conceal supporting cabinets and appliances such as the refrigerator and ovens.

The original wooden flooring, present in the living areas, extends into the private wing of the apartment, enhancing the graphic pattern. The wood also appears in the headboard panel of the bed and in the closet finish, prioritizing comfort and well-being.

In the bathroom, surfaces in grayish porcelain also cover the countertop and the new shower support bench. A protrusion in the shower wall, at mid-height, serves as a shelf for bath products. On the outside, the floor-mounted sink specially designed by the architect and made from São Gabriel granite.

Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Area: 120m²
Architecture and Interior Design: StudioVA Arquitetos
Lighting Design: StudioVA Arquitetos
Joinery: Star Móveis
Text/Communication: Matheus Pereira
Photos: João Paulo Prado