Ajuda Home

This compact duplex in Ajuda was designed around the people who live in it. For us, each project begins by understanding not just how clients live, but who they are, and how a space can reflect that. Here, a couple with a life shaped by travel, books, and time spent in São Paulo informed a home built from personal references rather than a predefined style.

Set within a narrow Lisbon building, the apartment spans 40 square metres across two levels. The constraint is immediate: limited space, angled ceilings, and a plan where every decision has spatial consequences. The response was to treat the interior as a series of precise interventions, integrating storage, defining zones, and drawing much of the furniture specifically for the space.

On the lower floor, cement tiles in burgundy and off-white establish the base of the project. In the kitchen, lioz stone, valued for its irregularity and geological origin, is paired with acacia wood, anchoring the space in materials that carry weight and variation. Storage is distributed between open shelves, where everyday objects are visible, and concealed elements that absorb the functional excess of daily life.

The living area is less composed than it is accumulated. A custom linen sofa sits alongside artworks, travel pieces, and objects added over time, allowing the space to evolve beyond the initial project. This openness is intentional: the space is designed to evolve over time, shaped by the people who live in it.

Upstairs, the bedroom occupies the attic volume, where built-in storage follows the geometry of the roof. Oak flooring runs throughout the apartment, reinforcing continuity rather than contrast. Light enters from both east and west, shifting the atmosphere of the space over the course of the day.

More than a formal exercise, the project is designed to be used, shaped over time by the routines, objects, and lives of the people who inhabit it.

Location
Lisbon, Portugal

Category
Residential

Photography
Luis Nobre Guedes

Year
2024

A narrow, three-story building painted in light beige with a blue door and blue-framed windows, situated between older, weathered buildings in an urban setting.
Living room with a light gray sofa, adorned with multiple gray and white pillows. Behind the sofa, there is a wall with framed artwork, a small shelf, and modern wall decor. To the left, there are beige curtains allowing natural light into the room.
Living room with a beige sofa covered with multiple pillows, a large window with sheer curtains, artwork on the walls, and a balcony with patio furniture outside.
Living room with cream-colored curtains, wooden floor, grey sofa with patterned throw, bar cart with bottles and glasses, framed artwork on the wall, and a neon light art piece of a woman's face with a scarf.
Part of a bedroom with beige curtains, a white wall, a neon pink sign, a framed portrait of a woman with a patterned headscarf, a bedside table with a candle, books, and bottles, and a bed with light-colored pillows.
Corner of a living room with a beige sofa and multiple pillows, a mushroom-shaped lamp, a wall-mounted sculpture of a sword, an elongated piece of artwork, and a wall-mounted saucer-shaped object with a figurine on a small shelf. Sunlight creates a p
A small kitchen with a checkered red and white floor, white walls, a window above the marble countertop, open shelves with jars and books, a beige refrigerator, and bar stools along the counter.
A kitchen with a marble countertop, wooden cabinets, and a window with white blinds. There are open wooden shelves with cups, jars, and books, and a small bar area with stools.
A kitchen corner with a marble countertop, wooden cabinets, open shelves with bowls and cups, a window with white curtains, and hanging kitchen towels and mesh bags.
A kitchen corner with open wooden shelves holding plates, bowls, and small jars, a marble countertop with a blue fruit bowl, and a window with a beige blind.
A modern kitchen corner with a marble countertop, a red pot on an electric stove, a stainless steel oven, an off-white refrigerator, two wooden shelves with colorful dishes and decorative objects, and a small broom hanging on the wall.
Kitchen with marble countertops, open shelving, a sink, two wooden bar stools, and a window with a white blind
Living room with a sofa, wooden floor, built-in shelves with books, small writing desk with a chair, and decorative items.
Minimalist interior shelf with candles, framed photo, books, a mask, a flower vase, and a tableware, against a white wall with a framed abstract art.
A collection of used candles of various heights and colors, placed on a plain white surface against a light-colored wall.
A framed minimalist line art drawing of a person in a hat standing on a boat with a goat, hung on a white wall. Below and to the right, a decorative sculpture with a tall, narrow, carved figure stands on a small round shelf, casting a shadow on the w
A white shelf with books, a candle, a decorative mask, a vase of flowers, and a small round object against a white wall, with framed artwork hanging above.
Small bathroom sink area with a beige marble counter, a wooden storage rack, a small oval mirror, a blue handheld vacuum, a hanging blue towel, and an outlet with a blue cord. The sink has a blue curtain underneath.
Modern bathroom with a glass shower door, striped bathrobe hanging, a beige towel, and a wooden shelf with toiletries above a marble sink. A blue striped curtain covers storage under a white countertop.
Bathroom vanity with a marble sink, wooden shelf with toiletries and a mirror above.
Wooden staircase with a light gray handrail, leading up to a landing with a row of books and a black sculpture of a bear, in a bright indoor space.
Top-down view of a wooden spiral staircase with a white handrail, adjacent to a white wall and a bookshelf with colorful books.
A corner of a white room with a bookshelf filled with colorful books, a large black vase, framed artwork on the wall, and a window with a view of neighboring buildings.
Bedroom with white walls, ceiling, and curtains, a bed with beige bedding, and a door leading to a balcony with sunlight streaming in.
Open balcony door with cream curtains, view of neighboring building, outdoor chair, and terracotta tiled floor.
Empty balcony with a beige lounge chair and checkered red and white tile floor, overlooking rooftops and a clear blue sky.
A minimalist bedroom with white walls and a sloped ceiling, featuring a bed with beige pillows and bedding, a small bedside table with a lamp, glasses, and a clock, and a framed picture on the wall.
A minimalistic bedroom with beige pillows and bedding, a wall-mounted dual-headed sconce, and a white closet door, all in a space with a sloped ceiling.
A bedroom with a white sloped ceiling, a built-in closet, and a bed with beige bedding. Sunlight creates a rectangular shadow on the closet door from a window.
A minimalist bedroom with a white bed and multiple pillows, a white bedside table with a small lamp, a framed picture on the wall, and a wall-mounted lamp on the right side.
Overhead view of a staircase with pink marble steps, white walls with black grate at the bottom, a white handrail, and a black and white checkered floor with some discoloration.
Top-down view of a small balcony with a round white table, two white wire chairs, a blue bench, and a red and white checkered tile floor.
Outdoor patio with a white round table and four wire chairs, pink building in the background with laundry hanging on a clothesline and three windows, blue sky overhead.
Interior of a modern living room with a woman sitting on a gray sofa, a wall-mounted art piece for a woman with a headscarf, a bar cart with assorted bottles and cups, and a large framed photo or painting, with a white wall and wooden flooring.

“I think of interior design as the backdrop to our lives, the setting for moments that matter. Where we welcome friends, where children take their first steps, where we receive both good and difficult news. These are the places we form connections with, and that, over time, become part of us.”

— Observador Lifestyle Magazine, 2025

Read the full interview

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