PORTUGUESE ELEGANCE
This apartment in Northern Portugal with ultra-luxe modern interiors and understated appeal was built to stand the test of time
Warm earthy tones help to give the living area a spacious feel
With every design project she works on, award-winning Mozambiqueborn interior designer Cristina Jorge de Carvalho, who lives and works in Lisbon, aims to achieve a timeless ambience and design. Her renovation of an elegant duplex apartment with four bedrooms and five bathrooms in a calm residential neighbourhood close by the beach, near Oporto in northern Portugal, may have been completed in June 2009, but it doesn’t feel dated five years later. It was created as the main residence of a Portuguese family consisting of a recently-divorced businesswoman with two young sons. The family was looking for a contemporary and cosmopolitan style that was inviting and functional. The homeowner says, “I believe I have a house that’s completely made to
measure. When I’m here, I’m at peace.” Jorge de Carvalho recalls, “The brief was very simple: create an interior design project for a family apartment with two children, which should be adapted to accommodate the life of the family. The client wanted an elegant and timeless apartment that incorporated a traditional feel in a very contemporary ambiance.” The result is a spacious and lightfilled home divided into public and private spaces on two levels: the living room, kitchen, shared bathroom and terrace are located on the entrance floor, and the bedrooms and private bathrooms on the floor below. The building was already being constructed when Jorge de Carvalho started working on the interior design. As the architecture was flawlessly pulled off and the chosen materials very contemporary, they blended perfectly with her decoration. Timeless classics like Knoll’s Barcelona daybed by Mies van der Rohe, Louis Poulsen’s PH Artichoke pendant lamp by Poul Henningsen and Vitra’s Eames stools are complemented by designs from well-known brands like Established & Sons, Autoban, Flos, Artemide, Elitis, Delightfull and Living Divani, among others.
“The brief was very simple: create an interior design project for a family apartment with two children.”
TRUE TO HOME
Jorge de Carvalho designed most of the pieces of furniture in the apartment herself, such as the grey velvet Shaco sofa, grey velvetupholstered Chalk armchair and ottoman, black iron bookshelves, chest of drawers made of walnut, palisander wood sideboard, grey Corian sink and wooden pergola. “It’s the result of 10 years of work searching for the best craftsmen. It’s a meticulous process, involving designers entirely dedicated to the design process and techniques, and craftsmen who bring the piece to life.” Amidst a sober colour palette of whites and greys, one finds abundant use of fine woods, lacquer, iron and steel in a minimal interior. This is interrupted by occasional splashes of colour in the form of vivid yellows and greens like the Blonde armchairs by Munna or vintage vases and ceramic pots.
WORLD OF DIFFERENCE
“My aesthetic is very much based on contrasts; I like to play with contrasting materials and textures, with a very restricted and neutral colour palette,” she says. “It is very essential that a project stands the test of time and maintains its elegance throughout the years.” A lacquered iron decorative screen designed by Jorge de Carvalho separates the entrance hall from the living room, while maintaining a visual connection. The dining area pairs a modern Ufo table by Emmemobili and Eero Saarinen’s iconic Tulip chairs with an early 20th-century antique crystal chandelier and Art Deco silver candleholders. The family room is divided into three distinct areas: an office area, TV area and reading area. Jorge de Carvalho concludes, “You have to put all your creativity in each project and approach each of them as a challenge in order to create something unique and creative that also represents your client’s brief, while maintaining your own aesthetic.”