STUDIO APARTMENT 2018
Leblon, Rio de Janeiro
A COMPLETE MAKEOVER FOCUSING ON RENTAL
It is challenging to design a compact space in a way that it feels comfortable and spacious. This studio apartment was only 18sqm but it is located in a prime spot between the Leblon and Ipanema neighborhoods. The apartment is on the top floor of a 7-story-building, with panoramic view to the canal and a park, with the beach is just 500m to the right, and the 'Lagoa', a famous lake,to the left side. Right next to the building is a subway station and a mall. All these features make it perfect for short-term rentals.
HOW DID IT LOOK LIKE BEFORE?
It had large glossy square tiles on the floor, that were installed on top of the previous floor finish. The bathroom tiles were not installed properly and the layout was not very functional. The toilet was right on the bathroom's entrance and the shower area was very small on the corner. The bathroom door was a standard hinged door, that would open to the kitchen, disturbing the circulation path.
I set down with architect Ludimila Fraga and discussed possible solutions for the layout, as well as material choices for the finishings. Ludimila came up with a few sketches and we decided to go for one of those.
A team of 3 construction workers were hired to remove all the existing floor finishes, install second hand parquet flooring, redo the electricity wiring, plumbing, install new tiles on the kitchen and bathroom floors and walls. They also replaced the old windows for new soundproof ones.
I installed a sliding door in the bathroom to save space and improve the flow through the apartment. I also built all the wood furniture from the living room/bedroom, kitchen and bathroom, following the sketches from the architect.
This Studio apartment is only 18sqm, but it manages to bring comfort while at the same time fulfills all the needs guests might have while staying between a few days and a month.
The long low sideboard in the living room offers storage while giving the impression the room is longer and broader. The hanging clothes rack doesn't take so much space when it's empty serves as decorative element with it's textile cord and dark wood. The Kitchen has all basic appliances such as induction hob, microwave oven, coffee machine, blender and a washer/dryer. The bathroom feels spacious, thanks to the sliding door and the big shower area, which compares to those of much bigger apartments in the city.
In such a compact space, investment costs for high-quality materials and finished are significantly reduced.
