Just Wait Until You See the Sky-High Dining Room in This Brazilian Apartment

For architectural firm GDL Arquitetura, the first order of business in renovating a cramped apartment in São Paulo, Brazil was to rid of partitions, open the space up, and let in natural light. Designed for a family needing a more integrated space, the firm worked to unite the environments, creating an apartment design that feels fresh, minimal, and most importantly, comfortable. Furnishings are a mix of vintage and custom-designed pieces that come together to make a succinct composition. "The choice of materials was also important to create the right feel. Sober and neutral tones, and internal surfaces covered with wood connect the environments making them as part of a single whole," architect Gabriel de Lucca said.

But it's the apartment's balcony — with a cityscape panorama — that really sells the space, and so the firm made a dining room in the open air, where the view could be enjoyed during mealtime. Overall, the home is about mixing natural elements with unexpected details. As Lucca explained, "All spaces were developed with the same care and try to create surprises, rhythms, and emotions."