Vila Olímpia apartment: a home in São Paulo, sophisticated, functional and connected to Brazilian design culture

Located in Vila Olímpia, one of São Paulo’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan districts, the IFLD Apartment presents itself as a carefully balanced dialogue between art, Brazilian design, and a serene approach to contemporary domestic life. Designed by Marcela Penteado, the project occupies a 190 m² residence with direct views over Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima, one of the city’s most emblematic urban axes.

Conceived for a young resident seeking a sophisticated, functional home connected to national design culture, the apartment unfolds a spatial narrative in which every decision responds both to everyday life and to emotional resonance. Interior architecture acts here as a silent framework that supports daily routines, allowing materials, light, and carefully selected pieces to define the character of the whole.

The warmth of tauari wood

Tauari wood, a species native to South America, clads walls and fixed elements, providing constant warmth and a gentle texture that dialogues with the neutrality of the overall palette. Its presence establishes a subtle connection with nature and serves as a counterpoint to the precision of marble, the protagonist of one of the project’s most distinctive gestures: the sculptural bar that anchors the social area. More than a functional element, this piece becomes a meeting point and an almost artistic object, where elegance and comfort coexist.

Custom joinery and muxarabi panels reinterpret, through a contemporary lens, a traditional resource of Arabic origin deeply rooted in Brazilian architecture. These latticed elements not only introduce rhythm and visual depth, but also organize spaces, filter light, and guide circulation without fragmenting the interior.

Brazilian design

The dining area is conceived as a small manifesto of Brazilian design. Above the table, Bossa pendant lights by Fernando Prado provide soft yet precise illumination. Around it, the Oscar and Lucio chairs by Sergio Rodrigues bring a sense of timeless elegance, while the Dinamarquesa armchair by Jorge Zalszupin, placed in the living area, adds a layer of memory and sophistication. Their organic forms and refined presence reinforce the constant dialogue between modernity, tradition, and affection that runs throughout the project.

The integration of living room, dining area, and kitchen reflects a desire to encourage togetherness and enhance spatial openness. Neutral tones, earthy nuances, and carefully studied lighting shape a balanced, intimate, and welcoming atmosphere. Bespoke furniture optimizes every corner, adapting seamlessly to an urban lifestyle that is dynamic and attentive to detail.

The IFLD Apartment thus reveals itself as a precise and thoughtful home, where intelligent solutions meet a restrained and deeply human aesthetic. A space that expresses both the personality of its inhabitants and the pulse of the city, subtly perceived through the linen curtains.

Project: Apartamento IFLD.
Location: Vila Olímpia, São Paulo.
Area: 190 m².
Completed: 2024.

Interior Architecture: Marcela Penteado.
Photography: Fran Parente.
Source: Cobogó. Fabiola Pretel.

Marcela Penteado

Trained as an architect and urban planner at the Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado (FAAP) and with further studies at the Parsons School of Design in New York, Marcela Penteado belongs to a generation of Brazilian architects who understand the project as an act of listening, sensitivity, and precision. Before founding her own studio in 2022, she built a solid professional trajectory collaborating with David Bastos and as a partner at the studio Triart for five years, a decisive period in the consolidation of her architectural vision.

Since its creation, Marcela Penteado Arquitectos has developed around the idea of simplicity as an essential value, never devoid of depth or beauty. The studio conceives each project as a singular story, a narrative that unfolds in a serene and honest way, where details—far from being mere ornament—become carriers of meaning.

Marcela’s practice is grounded in attentive and respectful listening, capable of capturing the identity of those who will inhabit the spaces she designs. Her architecture values the quiet strength of carefully chosen materials, balanced proportions, accompanying light, and the emotion that emerges without the need for grand gestures. In her work, design is perceived before it is seen; it is felt as an atmosphere, as a latent memory.

Each project is understood as a precise curation in which emotion, memory, and technique coexist in balance. Vintage and contemporary elements engage in a natural dialogue, crossing times and references to give rise to deeply personal spaces. From the first sketch to the final execution, the studio cares for every decision with artisanal rigor, seeking to reveal the essence of each client through coherent, sensitive, and enduring living environments.

Between memory, the present, and what is yet to come, Marcela Penteado Arquitectos builds a serene and purposeful architecture, conceived to endure beyond trends and to accompany everyday life with discretion and beauty.

Project by Marcela Penteado