Copacabana Apartment

TRANSLATION Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Luiza Schreier

Situated on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana strip, the renovation of this 80-sqm two-bedroom apartment was inspired by its famous neighbour, the Copacabana Palace.

Crisp white walls, natural textures and earthy tones create a cozy mood in this small apartment which overlooks Rio’s famous cobbled promenade.

The owner tasked interior architect Gustavo Hadler with transforming this dark cramped apartment into a bright contemporary space which paid homage to the classic Mediterranean style of the hotel next door.

“Arguably the biggest inspiration for this renovation was the apartment’s neighbouring building – the Copacabana Palace. The client wanted the interior of the apartment to closely mirror that of the hotel, so we incorporated materials, photos and objects with subtle references to the timeless interior of the Palace,” says Gustavo.

In order to utilise the spaces to its full potential, Gustavo made a number of changes to the floor plan.

He eliminated the passage between the main bedroom and bathroom, turning it into a spacious en-suite. The speckled, natural stone finish on the walls of both the en-suite and guest bathrooms are by Diore Revestimentos – an acrylic coating which uses fragments of natural stone.

In the bedrooms white was used as a base with variations of grey (for main bedroom) and shades of green (for the guest bedroom) used as accent colours, making the rooms feel relaxed.

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Axing the passage between the main bedroom and bathroom also allowed Gustavo to extend the kitchen all the way back, transforming the compact cooking area into a large, functional, light and well-ventilated space.

To allow natural light to flood the living area, Gustavo knocked through the wall separating the lounge and the balcony.

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