Journalist Monica Salgado’s new home in São Paulo is a masterful blend of modern and rustic charm.
Tucked away in Tamboré, an upscale neighbourhood in the city of São Paulo, lies the house of renowned journalist Monica Salgado.
Having just left an apartment in search of a bigger space that would allow her to feel liberated and connected with nature, the 730m2 rustic property with a wide natural landscape was a perfect fit. The only thing left to do was to make the place her own. To achieve this, she got back in touch with architect Ana Rozenblit, of Spaço Interior, who also renovated the apartment she used to live in.
“Monica is a person with a lot of personality, who has a very vintage décor profile. Over time (she) has been modernised, but without losing the romanticism of her essence,” Rozenblit says.
“Her request was to obtain cosy environments, with touches of colour that followed a romantic and vintage line, a style that defines her personality a lot.”
Combining Salgado’s personality with Rozenblit’s style – clean and minimalist – proved to be a challenge, but one that Rozenblit was happy to undertake.
“The big challenge was to combine the two styles and concepts, with a lot of charm, and in a way that Monica would be happy to stay in every room of the house,” Rozenblit says.
“The starting point was to invest in creative, versatile and original décor, which also took advantage of the furniture that Monica wanted to bring from the apartment.”
A key feature that formed the basis of that starting point was a painting by Flávia Junqueira. At their first meeting, Rozenblit presented some works of art to Salgado and “she simply fell in love with the artist’s painting”.
Rozenblit continues: “From there, a colour palette was developed to receive the work in the space and continue with the composition around the house.” Now arranged in the lobby, it shares space with black Breton bars, creating an impactful and striking look full of elegance.
In the holding room, a retrofit was carried out on the built-in bookcase, part of the original property, complemented with decorative objects from the LS Selection store along with some plants to give life to the space.
The coffee table by Reinaldo Lourenço, signed for Breton, and the carpet by By Kamy, completes the space, along with the curved green sofa, and the pink chairs, both of which were brought over by Salgado.
For the living room, Salgado requested some furniture from the old apartment to be reused as well, such as the leather armchair and the carpet, both from Westwing.
“But the great acquisition for this environment was the L-shaped sofa by Breton, which received a coating in the colour marsala, by Quaker, leaving the piece even more powerful, sharing space with the floor lamp of Studio Saba,” Rozenblit reveals.
This is contrasted by the colours chosen for the coverings – blue on the walls and black applied on the doors and jambs – injecting the overall space with character and sophistication.
A floor-to-ceiling glazing system, separating the living room and balcony, minimises the boundaries between the indoors and outdoors, which is accentuated by a carefully placed palm tree. When it’s time to block out the sweltering heat, full- height day curtains transform the living area into a more sedate retreat, but still with a spectacular view.
Stepping onto the balcony, which has also had a retrofit process, you’ll find a modernised, yet relaxing space perfect for a poolside conversation. The floor sofa, which was previously owned by Salgado, has been reupholstered in white and paired with resort-style Westwing chairs, creating an unfussy and breezy vibe. A sprawling sliding glass door puts you just steps away from the luxurious oasis and lush greenery outside.
The couple’s bedroom also received treasured pieces coming from the old apartment, such as the pink sofa, the screen, and the black rack. To tie everything together, Rozenblit designed a new headboard, opting for a shade of green.
“This contrasted with the neutral base of the environment, in addition to being one of the family’s favourite colours,” the architect explains.
Planning for the son’s bedroom was carefully considered to optimise the distribution of the furniture given the limited space. To showcase his connection to sports and nature, the room received shades of blue on the walls and bunk bed.
The combination of old and new furniture, with a mixture of personalities and styles, has truly created an alluring, yet approachable, Casa de Familia unlike any other.
