Itu Apartment

Solutions using recycled materials and industrial parts are present in the 156m² apartment of architect Lula Gouveia, partner at Superlimão, and photographer Maíra Acayaba in São Paulo. The property, from the 1960s, had its spaces integrated after some walls were demolished. The choice of more sober materials and colors was intentional to highlight paintings, photos and design objects. In the entrance hall, on the ceiling, there is the first prototype of the Biro-Biro lamp, made of steel shavings and designed by Superlimão. A panel with graphite that was rescued from a construction site in Santa Cecília was installed on the wall. The floor has an epoxy finish and the ceiling was lowered with an alveolar polycarbonate lining and LED lighting was installed to create an illuminated plane. In the living room, benches made of reclaimed wood surround the space that is divided by a mobile sofa so that the dimensions of the room can be changed according to use. A hanging garden, made up of tropical plants, breaks up the aridity of the environment and also helps create a microclimate by humidifying and filtering the air in the room. Below it, Lula designed two lounge chairs made only from folded metal sheets. The kitchen is open to the living room, creating a unique space. A tile mural by Lurca together with original cobogós from the building's façade, opened up during the renovation, are the only walls in the room. All the kitchen furniture is made up of modular pieces repurposed from offices, found in scrapyards. The exposed fixtures are made of stainless steel. To separate the social area from the private area, a sliding door made of marine plywood with a wax finish was installed. Upon entering the private area, one of the three bedrooms is the photographer's office, who works from home most of the time. Open to the hallway, the room is between the couple's suite and their daughter Lina's room, and its space is delimited by a bookcase with wooden and plywood ladders. In the child's room, a painting with geometric designs forms a stylized forest on the walls and the lower part was given chalkboard paint to draw on. In the couple's room, the bed has a structure made of reclaimed wood, just like the headboard created by designer and friend Diana Albuquerque. In the bathroom, the shower bench becomes a shelf under the sink and the floor and countertop are also made of epoxy. The decor has a mix of classic and contemporary furniture designs.