The cleverly decorated apartment

April Kennedy April Kennedy
Casa Ideal 2012_Interiores, Tiago Patricio Rodrigues, Arquitectura e Interiores Tiago Patricio Rodrigues, Arquitectura e Interiores Living room
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Today we will shift focus and explore the eclectic interior architecture of a standard apartment design. We love this project because it presents lots of ideas for how to put together a really unique eclectic home with the kind of apartment layout seen in many modern urban spaces. The interior architects Tiago Patricio have used recessed lighting, fine materials and lots of antique furnishings to give the home an old-world style. At the same time, they have used bursts of rich colour in unexpected combinations to give a lot of life and vibrancy to this home. The end result is a complex interior design with a lot of personality and character. Come with us on a photo tour for all the gorgeous details…

Classic colour scheme and unexpected decorations

The apartment has been decorated with a subdued colour scheme composed of cream white and blue grey tones. These give the home a classic elegance. But it also has a huge variety of eclectic furnishings, sculptures and unexpected decorations as seen in this hallway or corridor. This classic base is key to the success of combining unexpected elements. It's certainly a brave design though, note the tortoise shell on the wall!

Fine lines and chunky furnishings

The living room has a combination of furnishings with both fine and chunky lines. Check out the rough-hewn coffee tables made from tree trunks. They certainly add a fine contrast when paired with the fine lines of the antique Scandinavian style furniture. Also, note the green Persian style rug. It covers a large proportion of the living room floor, the rich colour dominates and serves to unify the varying elements at work here.

Elegant separation of living areas

As in many small homes, the living room needed to be separated from the rest of the home with a flexible solution. The designers have used a plush white curtain that really lifts this standard solution to a stylish level. The secret is in the weight of the fabric. We love how it reaches all the way to the ceiling to blend into the white ceiling and falls in elegant folds all the way to the ground.

Modern and antique elements

The living room has a combination of modern and antique elements. Although they may seem disparate, they do work together because they are created with a common material—wood. See how the abstract artwork in the background seems to work with the antique wooden chairs here. It also has a sense of belonging in the design because it has been dressed up with some dedicated downlights.

Effective use of scale

One of the most common mistakes many people make in their interior design is neglecting to use scale. Although the wooden furniture here is small, it has been carefully balanced with larger items such as the white pendant lamps. These give scale and a sense of proportion to the room. They also serve to create interest at varying heights within the design. When paired with the elegant folds of the white drapes in the background, the white pendant lights also give the small home a sense of luxury and refinement.

Smart small design

The little living room or media room here has a very simple design. There is a beautiful symmetry in the layout and an effective use of space. Note the wall-mounted lights and lamps on either side of the television. They would really work to avoid glare against the screen. Finally, note the large white armchairs. If they were any other colour they would definitely be too much for such a small space. But in this almost all-white room—they definitely work!

If this design has you thinking of a remodel, you'll need to check out 9 low-cost ways to transform your home with paint.

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