ap. grateful

Designed for Leandro and Guru, this project takes its name directly from the clients' spiritual identity: both practice Umbanda, an Afro-Brazilian religious tradition, and run their own house of worship (terreiro). Guru is a spiritual medium of Maria Padilha. Rather than treating that identity as a footnote, the studio built the entire concept around it — the project name "Grateful" was chosen specifically to honor that connection. One of the bedrooms was reimagined as a dedicated spiritual consultation room for Guru's practice, featuring a custom-designed fold-away table that opens and closes depending on how the space is being used — a piece of creative millwork built for a very specific, personal function. The clients asked for a strong, central gathering space, which shaped the living room around an island sofa — a layout choice the studio favors for larger rooms to create a true "living" feel rather than a conventional seating arrangement. Nearby, a striking small bar area combines travertine brick cladding with a glass display cabinet (cristaleira). The entrance hall — one of the most well-received parts of the project — was designed in confident blue tones to evoke mysticism and calm, paired with warming wood accents, a breathing green presence (a monstera plant), and artwork carrying real cultural weight. A dedicated shoe storage nook and a console table with an integrated planter round out the space, designed to welcome guests warmly into what is otherwise a private entry. The overall style blends classic lines with Afro-Brazilian decor (afrodecor) — a direct, intentional expression of who the clients are, both individually and as a couple who work together. Every material and detail was chosen with intention: this wasn't decoration for its own sake, but a home designed to carry identity, ancestry, and belonging in equal measure.