Ten years ago Jean de Just, a French architect, moved from Paris to Rio de Janeiro to work on a hotel in the city. The idea was to stay for a short period during the construction work, but de Just was won over by the landscape, climate, spontaneity and luminosity of Rio. Today, a confirmed resident of the city, he shares a 1950s apartment in Ipanema with his boyfriend, also an architect, Laurent Croissandeau.
The couple chose to move to an older building in Ipanema – and to retain as many of its original characteristics as possible, particularly the solid wood parquet flooring, high ceilings and retro kitchen. Then they filled it up with artwork and furniture that they had found in antique shops and at auctions.
“The apartment was great, very bright and just a few blocks from Ipanema beach,” he says. “When we recently decided to remodel it, we were very careful not to de-characterise it, keeping the wooden frames and floor. What we sought was to bring colour and pattern – characteristics I like to use in my work and that are also part of the French aesthetic essence.”
De Just designed a plaster wall in the living room that overlaps the original one and features a long horizontal niche that holds part of the couple’s art collection. On the opposite wall, they commissioned French artist Geneviève Fourniola to paint a huge black and white print that was inspired by the work of Danish designer Verner Panton.
Fourniola spent time in Rio working with them on the project and says: “With the abundant light of the Tropics, I was able to use black, a tone I love because I think it’s classic and elegant.”
The couple hunted down inexpensive works of art of different styles. “The fun was to discover new talents and make unusual mixtures,” says de Just. “I am very intuitive, I buy objects and paintings wherever I go, from thrift stores to art galleries. I believe in this mix that makes the house personal and avoids a store kind of look. I also love to renovate old family furniture, because I value the heritage of each one. Here, many of the pieces have been with us for years.”
In the living room, they have furniture by legendary American designer Florence Knoll, an iconic Saarinen table, and chairs by Sergio Rodrigues. The mirror in the shape of the sun is from the 1950s and, along with the sideboard, was found in an antique shop in one of Rio’s neighbourhoods. The painting above the table is by modernist artist Claudio Faccioli and was bought at auction.
The old sofa was given a new green canvas upholstery and is paired with the vintage armchairs. The clay sculptures on the sideboard are pieces of popular handicrafts by artists from the north-east of Brazil.
In the bedroom, the black and white design on the wall is another Geneviève Fourniola creation, while the embroidered blanket on the bed is from Mexico. All printed fabrics came from the Ipanema Kravet store. The bookcase, designed by de Just, was inspired by Brazilian designer, painter and sculptor Joaquim Tenreiro.
The bathrooms were all re-tiled, but in the kitchen they kept the original tiles. “We only changed the black granite of the countertop,” says de Just. “We love this vintage style, original from the time the building was created in the 1950s.”
