miguel gomes adds minimal custom furniture and plywood partitions to neighboring apartment in porto

portuguese architect miguel gomes was challenged with renovating the apartment adjacent to his own, in porto, portugal. with the renovation he wondered, ‘where to start and when to end?’, and like any designer, his creative process had to be finite in order to complete the project at hand. yet gomes achieved to create a warm yet minimalist atmosphere in ‘casa do lado’, refreshing the life of the apartment.

all images © rui cardoso

gomes decided to keep basic elements of the apartment and renew all of the obsolete. with this approach, the designer kept the existing marble and parquet flooring, and demolished all of the dividing walls. in their place, he inserted plywood partitions which add warmth and a soft glow to the spaces, combining effortlessly with the mellow marble. the existing fireplace was clad in the same material palette so as to blend with the new furniture. 

gomes designed custom door handles, lighting fixtures and minimal furniture that add a new reading to the spaces. the smooth lines and curved shapes match the apartment’s subtle aesthetic. the tan leather, light wood and brass details in the lights also blend into the warm color palette and natural materials. the added pieces introduce warm and reflective materials, such as wood and metals, increasing the interior brightness of the flat. 

project info:

project name: casa do lado 

architect: miguel gomes 

location: porto, portugal

area: 113 sqm 

photography: rui cardoso 

completion: 2019

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: cristina gomez | designboom