Flavio Castro creates a flexible Brazilian apartment interior

This apartment in Sao Paulo’s Vila Olímpia may be strategically placed in one of the city’s most affluent and vibrant neighbourhoods, but it was suffering from too many, small and dark rooms and an overall inefficient use of space. When the owners, two brothers, decided it was time for a refresh, they called upon local architect Flavio Castro, to embark on a complete redesign of their home’s interior.
Castro’s main goal was to make the most of the available surface. The unit may measure a mere 60 sq m, but this clever interior design allows the rooms to breathe and creates the impression of light and spaciousness. By planning an integrated design that unites in a generous open plan living space, the main sitting room, TV room, dining room, kitchen, laundry, balcony and office, Castro spearheaded a full rethink of the brothers’ way of living.
The secret is in creating a series of ‘hybrid and mobile furniture’, explains the architect. Here, pieces of furniture can flexibly alternate uses, while bespoke cabinetry hides services (such as the laundry space) and further functions (such as the kitchen hob). So the multi-functional room can easily and seamlessly adapt to different possible scenarios and stages of daily life.
Using a simple material palette, Castro employs colour accents, such as the kitchen cabinetry’s vibrant green, to create the home’s playful interior style. Offsetting the communal and multifaceted character of the main living space, the two brothers’ bedrooms are tucked away at the apartment’s rear, ensuring privacy when needed.
Castro's main goal was to make the most of the available space.
In order to achieve this, he worked with a series of ‘hybrid and mobile furniture’.
The architect created several bespoke, multi-tasking pieces that can serve different uses.
For example the kitchen cabinetry hides elements, such as the laundry and hob.
The material palette was kept simple, using only a few colour accents, such as the kitchen cabinetry's bright green hue.
The bedrooms are tucked away at the apartment’s rear, ensuring privacy when needed.
INFORMATION
For more information visit Flavio Castro’s website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
This ingenious London office expansion was built in an on-site workshop
New Wave London and Thomas-McBrien Architects make a splash with this glulam extension built in the very studio it sought to transform. Here's how they did it
-
The bespoke Jaguar E-Type GTO melds elements from every era of the classic sports car
ECD Automotive Design’s one-off commission caters to a client who wanted to combine the greatest hits of Jaguar’s E-Type along with modern conveniences and more power
-
Casa Sanlorenzo debuts in Venice as a new hub for contemporary art
The luxury yachting leader unveils a stunning new space in a palazzo restored by Piero Lissoni – where art, innovation, and sustainability come together
-
Beige is best at this São Paulo apartment by Arthur Casas
With this quietly elegant São Paulo apartment, Studio Arthur Casas celebrates the power of subtle, neutral shades to create warmth and timeless appeal
-
Lina Bo Bardi, the misunderstood modernist, and her influential architecture
A sense of mystery clings to Lina Bo Bardi, a modernist who defined 20th-century Brazilian architecture, making waves still felt in her field; here, we explore her work and lasting influence
-
A Brazil office makes the most of its tropical location
We tour of a new Brazil office engulfed in greenery – welcome to Gabriel Faria Lima Corporate by Perkins & Will
-
Oscar Niemeyer: a guide to the Brazilian modernist, from big hits to lesser-known gems
Architecture master Oscar Niemeyer defined 20th-century architecture and is synonymous with Brazilian modernism; our ultimate guide explores his work, from lesser-known schemes to his big hits; and we revisit a check-in with the man himself
-
Inspired by 1970s Brazilian brutalism, Arches House is rich in colour and expression
Akitito Arquitetura blends Brazilian brutalism with fresh colours, bringing warmth and energy into a renovated family home in São Paulo
-
A Brazilian house is a soothing oasis inspired by the black sands of Iceland
Turmalina, a Brazilian house by architect Tulio Xenofonte, blends contemporary architecture with the cleansing energy of black tourmaline, creating a secluded retreat
-
The new MASP expansion in São Paulo goes tall
Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand (MASP) expands with a project named after Pietro Maria Bardi (the institution's first director), designed by Metro Architects
-
An Upstate Sao Paulo house embraces calm and the surrounding rolling hills
BGM House, an Upstate Sao Paulo house by Jacobsen Arquitetura, is a low, balanced affair making the most of its rural setting