Mostardeiro Apartment | ARQUITETURA NACIONAL

Interior Design: Arquitetura Nacional – Eduardo Maurmann, Elen Balvedi Maurmann, Paula Otto (partners) and Arquitetura Nacional Team
Painting (John Lennon): Alexandre De Nadal
Photographs: Marcelo Donadussi

The renovation of a modern apartment - built in the 60's and located at one of the most traditional avenues of Porto Alegre - was the challenge proposed to Arquitetura Nacional.

The apartment was completely changed after decades of interventions (many floors and coatings over layered over the years). The aim was to restore the original features - parquet flooring and window frames (when possible) and redesigning what was impossible to recover - mainly the bathroom and kitchen area. The project kept the original built-in closets - a feature that is not present in contemporary apartments in Brazil.
The old-fashioned maid's room, which was totally underutilized, was open to the living room. The kitchen was also connected to the social area and the old counter facing the wall was converted into a functional counter island. The giant bathroom (originally covered in blue tiles, but disfigured by poor renovations along the years) was divided in two, creating a functional full bathroom and a half bathroom facing the living room.
The decor reflects the style and personality of the residents: the couple - a publicist and an architect - has a collection of furniture and design objects, collected during trips and in antique shops. These many objects permeate the whole house and along with the color palette give a feeling of unit and flowing among the spaces. Books - elements of great sentimental value to the owners - have special attention, placed on shelves next to the dining table.
In this particular project, there was no concern in creating many built-in furniture: the idea was to create a neutral background (white walls, parquet floors throughout all social areas - including the kitchen) to receive furniture and loose objects that create more flexible spaces. The idea is preparing the house to reinvent itself over the following years without going through dramatic changes.