When Brazilian architect and designer Felipe Hess renovated a 4,800-square-foot apartment for a young art collector, he let the client’s antique Brazilian furniture and artwork dictate the space. The apartment, located on Avenida Paulista in São Paulo, Brazil, was originally sectioned off into a series of small rooms. Hess converted it into just two rooms: a living area encompassing a kitchen and dining room and a 1,100-square-foot bedroom. “The idea was to make the architecture disappear by creating a neat and clean backdrop to house the vast art collection, which is in constant transformation,” says Hess. Here’s a look at the renovation.
Photography by Ruy Teixeira, courtesy of Felipe Hess.
![hess used groupings of the client’s furniture to create multiple seating 17](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/felipe-hess-apartamento-av-paulista-sao-paulo-1-733x489.jpg)
![a wide view of the open living room space. note how hess grouped a collection o 18](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/felipe-hess-apartamento-av-paulista-sao-paulo-2-733x489.jpg)
![an antique woven rattan backed bench faces a grouping of chairs. on the far lef 19](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/felipe-hess-apartamento-av-paulista-sao-paulo-3-733x489.jpg)
![“a monolithic floor runs throughout the apartment, reinforcing the conti 20](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/felipe-hess-apartamento-av-paulista-sao-paulo-4-733x489.jpg)
![“the white walls were redesigned to avoid corners, thus creating great e 21](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/felipe-hess-apartamento-av-paulista-sao-paulo-5-733x489.jpg)
![an antique chair at the entrance to an otherwise modern guest bathroom. 22](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/felipe-hess-apartamento-av-paulista-sao-paulo-6-733x1100.jpg)
![the main space is divided into levels—two steps lead up to the dining ro 23](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/felipe-hess-apartamento-av-paulista-sao-paulo-7-733x489.jpg)
![a view from the elevated dining room into the kitchen on the same level. 24](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/felipe-hess-apartamento-av-paulista-sao-paulo-8-733x1100.jpg)
![a modern kitchen with a concrete waterfall kitchen island and minimalist white 25](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/felipe-hess-apartamento-av-paulista-sao-paulo-9-733x1100.jpg)
![the single bedroom measures \1,\100 square feet. to break up the space, the des 26](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/felipe-hess-apartamento-av-paulista-sao-paulo-10-733x489.jpg)
![hess created a single long floating shelf above the bed, using the same concret 27](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/felipe-hess-apartamento-av-paulista-sao-paulo-11-733x489.jpg)
![an area of the bedroom, grand piano included. 28](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/felipe-hess-apartamento-av-paulista-sao-paulo-12-733x489.jpg)
![a floating concrete counter with a circular, wood framed mirror in the bathroom 29](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/felipe-hess-apartamento-av-paulista-sao-paulo-13-733x1100.jpg)
![the overall composition. 30](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/felipe-hess-apartamento-av-paulista-sao-paulo-14-733x489.jpg)
For more modern spaces in tropical places, see our posts:
- The Charms of Casa Lola in Brazil
- Two Swedish Surfers at Home in Sri Lanka, Guest Camp Included
- A Vintage Hawaiian Cottage Restored (with Its Own Instagram Account)
- Ace Hotel Turns Tropical in Panama City
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