Ferraz Apartment

São Paulo, Brazil

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Ferraz Apartment

São Paulo, Brazil

Firm

Anne Motta Arquitetura de Interiores & Decoração

Type

Residential › Apartment

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2024

SIZE

1000 sqft - 3000 sqft

Ferraz Apartment

Amid the back-and-forth flights between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, driven by professional commitments, a Carioca entrepreneur — passionate about art and a discerning collector — decided to establish a base in São Paulo.

While his primary residence in Rio serves as a sun-drenched refuge, where the blend of colonial and contemporary elements preserves family memories and reflects seaside daily life, the new São Paulo home demanded a different vocabulary: urban and introspective. A residence that would mirror the city’s vibrant rhythm while preserving serenity and visual calm — a setting perfectly suited to house his art collection and allow the works to dialogue with the architecture.
After months of searching, the ideal location appeared: a 200m² duplex in a newly inaugurated building in Itaim Bibi, a neighborhood that embodies São Paulo’s cosmopolitan essence with its tree-lined streets, cafés, restaurants, galleries, and vibrant cultural scene. Here, the future owner saw an opportunity to create a space that would reflect his essentialist lifestyle and his passion for art.

The apartment, newly delivered and completely empty, was a blank canvas. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls spanning the double-height ceilings bathed both levels in natural light and framed the city skyline in ever-changing layers and colors. This direct connection to the urban landscape became the starting point for a home that would capture São Paulo’s energy while maintaining a sense of refuge.

To bring this vision to life, the entrepreneur entrusted the project to architect Anne Motta, founder of her eponymous studio. The brief was clear: integrated spaces, a neutral base, and a serene atmosphere, where black, white, and gray would form a sober frame that highlights the artwork—the sole bursts of color in the space. To realize this, Anne proposed a project guided by spatial continuity, where cabinetry, furniture, and materials play a crucial role in organizing flows and functions.

Upon exiting the elevator, visitors are immediately immersed in the residence’s atmosphere. The entry hall, far from conventional white, is clad in Tresuno, a material that mimics the texture of concrete cast in wooden forms, offering tactile comfort. The ceiling and walls share the same finish, while a recessed light line traces a subtle path. Burnished concrete flooring extends throughout the social areas, reinforcing the visual continuity. This space functions almost as a meditative antechamber—an invitation to slow down before entering the main areas.

In the living area, the lounge, TV, dining, and kitchen zones merge into a single, naturally lit space. On one side, a large glazed façade connects the interior with the city; on the other, continuous ebonized wood panels line the walls, housing storage and seamlessly concealing doors to the powder room, laundry, and pantry. The millwork is meticulously crafted: joints and proportions create a uniform visual rhythm, while the deep, satin ebonized finish reinforces the cosmopolitan sobriety befitting a bachelor’s residence.

At the far end of the living area, a slender steel shelving unit, offset slightly from the wall panels, supports the TV zone. Rear LED lighting casts a soft halo, highlighting the homeowner’s art collection and personal objects, including works by Raul Mourão (1967) and Alexander Calder (1898–1976). On the side wall, another painting completes the composition. At night, when only the shelving is illuminated, the space takes on the aura of a private gallery.

The powder room, discreetly integrated within the millwork, does not have a dividing wall; the panel itself serves as the enclosure. Its walls are covered in fabric, and the gray travertine marble sink assumes a sculptural role. Indirect lighting emphasizes textures and creates an atmosphere of introspection, complemented by a work by Nelson Leirner (1932–2020).
A prominent structural column at the center of the floor plan was embraced as an expressive element—left in exposed concrete, it underscores the material honesty of the space. To accommodate its presence, the sofa set was custom-designed with independent modules that fit together to organize the living and TV areas.
The living composition emphasizes curation: few pieces, all rigorously chosen—the Paulistano armchair by Paulo Mendes da Rocha, Bolinha stools by Isabelle de Mari for Olho Móveis, and an ebonized wood coffee table from the owner’s collection. At the back, a sculpture by Beto Gatti (1983) invites reflection on the dialogue between the real and the virtual.

The TV room integrates with the main living space while gaining intimacy through careful light management. Fabric curtains filter sunlight, and in the double-height area, blinds offer control over brightness when needed.

At the opposite end, the kitchen and dining areas harmonize seamlessly. Unlike traditional kitchens, this space was designed as an extension of the social zone, suitable for family gatherings or business meetings. Wood panels extend to conceal access to support areas. Appliances — including refrigerator, wine cooler, oven, and hood—are neatly integrated, maintaining visual continuity. Handles, delicate brass pieces by Bellogesto, appear like small “jewels.” A structural beam was cleverly resolved with a shallow cabinet, where upper shelves house cookbooks and lower drawers store cutlery and silverware.

The countertops and central island are clad in Paraná marble, offering both natural beauty and a light chromatic contrast. The same material covers the generous niche for the cooktop and sink. The island serves for meal prep, informal dining, and casual conversation, becoming the heart of the home.

Adjacent to the kitchen, the dining area maintains the same aesthetic rigor. A Round table from Folio Living is surrounded by Curva chairs by Zanini de Zanine for 31 Mobiliário, with a linear pendant reinforcing the horizontal flow. On the wall, a painting by Daniel Mullen (1985), suspended by steel cables, injects color into the neutral palette.

The transition from the ground floor to the mezzanine is marked by vertical wooden slats, finished to match the millwork. Slightly rotated, they create a brise-soleil effect, filtering light and offering partial views of the staircase. At night, recessed floor lights cast graphic patterns of light and shadow across the ceiling, creating a theatrical atmosphere. Facing the slats, a Philippe Starck totem supports the monumental SUMO edition by Helmut Newton (1920–2004), a contemporary collecting icon. Acting as sculpture, it reinforces the homeowner’s curatorial eye.

Upstairs, the master suite combines comfort and sobriety, evoking the understated sophistication of a boutique hotel. Here, the palette and materials are subtly inverted: while the lower floor paired dark walls with light flooring, the upper level features Neobambu ebonized oak floors contrasting with soft gray wallpaper. The floating graphite headboard extends to the bedside tables, creating visual continuity. Bedding in white and off-white softens the space, while a natural-texture rug enhances coziness. A panel, carefully positioned, redefines access to the bathroom, providing privacy without disrupting spatial flow.

The master bathroom features a symmetrical layout and diffused lighting through stretched canvas, providing uniform, soft illumination. A central Carrara marble countertop is paired with an ebonized oak cabinet, black fixtures, and a minimalist-framed shower enclosure. To the right, the shower benefits from filtered natural light; to the left, the toilet area.

The open closet, with graphite metal structure and gray shelving, reinforces lightness and functionality. LED strip lighting highlights shelves and drawers, delicately accentuating volumes and materials.

On the lower floor, two guest bedrooms welcome children and visitors. Access is via a door seamlessly integrated within the panels, ensuring privacy.

The project as a whole reveals an interior architecture that prioritizes balance between materiality, proportion, and atmosphere. Every element was designed with near-artisanal care — from adjusted volumes to millimeter-precise joinery, from textures to subtle light contrasts. Surfaces flow seamlessly, and the color nuances, from gray to black, from white to taupe, create a quietly elegant backdrop. The result is a home that reflects its resident’s lifestyle: modern, essentialist, and an art collector who divides his life between two cities, finding in this duplex a point of equilibrium between the metropolis and the intimate.

Project Sheet
Project: Ferraz Apartment
Location: São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Area: 205 m²
Design Year: 2024
Completion Year: 2024
Interior Design: Anne Motta Arquitetura de Interiores & Decoração
Lighting Design: Estúdio Linha
Photography: Miti Sameshima
Communications / Text: Matheus Pereira Comunicação
Main Suppliers: Prime Marcenaria (custom millwork), Brada Mármores (stone), Monofloor (flooring), Neobambu (flooring), Ornare (closet)

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Ferraz Apartment

São Paulo, Brazil

Ferraz Apartment

São Paulo, Brazil

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team