Where To? Brasil

 

I’ve never been outside of the U.S., but I have always been fascinated by other places and their cultures. As you already know about me, I love to incorporate pieces from other places in my own home. There’s just something fantastic and awe-inspiring about having something beautiful in my home that came from somewhere far away and can’t be picked up at my local Wal-Mart or Pier 1. The more unique, the better. And I love things that are handmade. I guess I’m partially drawn to these types of things because they tell a story and have true character and a soul…

Brasil has been a bit of a design obsession of mine for a while now. I am constantly finding myself drawn to pieces, interiors, and architecture that come from this beautiful country. Maybe it’s because so many of their approaches to interiors are flawlessly simple and minimalistic, without seeming pretentious or untouchable…having only a few focal points at a time, keeping the rest to basic necessities, but never lacking… Or maybe it’s because they seem to be so connected to nature- always using what’s around them and effortlessly blurring the boundaries between inside and outside…

 house designed by Oscar Niemeyer

(source unknown)

 above images are from a home in Sao Paulo designed by Bernardes Jacobsen Architecture

(designcrave.com)

from the book: Living in Bahia

(cocomale.com) 

Part of a Brasilian family’s Easter decoration- African violets in eggshells… simple and beautiful.

(fromourhometoyours-en.blogspot)

 

Brasil is known for having some of the most stunning natural resources in the world, amongst these are wood and stone. Some of the more well known species of wood are Teak/Cumaru…

above images are from a house designed by Arthur Casas

(momoy.com)

Walnut/Ipe…

 pool house designed by Hariri and Hariri Architecture

(rafirafi.com)

Rosewood/Jacaranda/Caviuna…

 

(kitchen image from kitchendesignnotes.com)

 

And Tigerwood/Koa…

(futurelint.blogspot)

A few fun facts about these lovely woods:

• Cumaru
  • naturally resistant to rot, decay and insect attack
  • has a flame spread rating of Class A, the same as concrete or steel
  • offers a lifespan well over 40 years without preservatives (meaning low maintenance)
  • its density helps make it remain smooth and splinter free
  • doesn't absorb water, twist, splinter, or bow like softer woods
  • endures very little color change due to sun light
• Ipe
  • naturally resistant to rot, decay and insect attack
  • has a flame spread rating of Class A, the same as concrete or steel
  • endures very little color change due to sun light
  • mold resistant
  • warp resistant
  • can also be left untreated
• Jacaranda/Caviuna
• endangered and protected and therefore very rare and prized
• very hard and dense
• used for furniture, musical instruments, bowls, platters, etc.
• Koa
• very durable
• naturally resistant to insect attack
• has excellent weathering properties
• very durable regarding decay resistance

A lot of the furniture that comes from Brasil is made of some of these striking woods…

top to bottom, left to right

• idbazaar.com
• bonluxat.com- Sergio Rodrigues “Vronka” armchair
• deedee914.blogspot- Sergio Rodrigues “Kilin” chair
• 1stdibs.com- Igor Rodrigues rocking lounge
• 1stdibs.com- Jorge Zalszupin lounge chairs

top to bottom, left to right

• 1stdibs.com- leather wrapped credenza with bronze pulls and feet by Marcelo Vasconcellos for Thomas Hayes Studio
• espasso.com- “Domino” magazine stand and side table made of black iron, leather, and marble by Jorge Zalszupin
• espasso.com- “Banquette” stools by Gregori Warchavchic
• espasso.com- “Trinco” stools by Lia Siqueira
• design-milk.com- “Sarrafo” coffee table by Notus Design made of industrial waste wooden slats. The table can be flipped upside down as well.

One of my favorite “furniture” items from Brasil (or pretty much any other tropical, laid-back destination) is hammocks. Nothing says “chilled out and lovin’ life” like these beauties… 

 (above two images from planet-craft.com)

Here are a few jaw-droppingly stunning stones…only a small taste of what’s available from Brasil in granite and marble…

And don’t forget quartz and agate…

(blog.styleestate.com)

agate coasters

(mistershape.com)

 

I am in love with the Brasilian Modernist movement, where some of the minimalist nature of their architecture and decor stems from. Part of why I love it so much is because, although it is very sleek and almost futuristic, it has very organic characteristics, which I think is a lovely combination. Oscar Niemeyer, an architect still living today at the age of 102, who worked alongside Le Corbusier, is considered by most to be the father of Brasilian Modernism…

  the Brasilian National Congress building by Oscar Niemeyer

(therepublicofless.wordpress.com)

 

Cathedral of Brasilia by Oscar Niemeyer

(carolineno.com)

 

 interior shot of the cathedral

(flickr.com)

 

 This is a store in Sao Paulo keeping with the modernist form. So simple, and I fall for the beauty of black, white, and wood every time.

(source unknown)

 

I have run across some truly amazing lighting fixtures out of Brasil, too. Check these out…

 “Cantante” sconce designed by Claudia Moreira Salles, made of silver and fallen tree trunks. How gorgeous is that??

(espasso.com) 

 

  “Eclipse” lamp by Mauricio Klabin, made of a single plastic band which can be manipulated to change the orientation of light and folds flat for storage. Part of the permanent collection at MoMA in New York.

(espasso.com)

 

 “Come Rain Come Shine” chandelier was designed by Studio Tord Boontje and is made of metal and crocheted cotton, silk, organza, and other fabrics. These beautiful fixtures are produced by Coopa-Roca, a women’s co-op in Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro. Coopa-Roca recruits local unemployed women to produce these beautiful works of art, allowing the female artisans to use their homes as workshops, enabling them to look after their children and domestic responsibilities whilst earning a living. This is part of the New York company Artecnica’s Design with Conscience project which offers opportunities to artisans to utilize their crafts commercially when they otherwise couldn’t. I think this is a wonderful, wonderful program, allowing these women to have fun, do what they love, socialize with one another, and make a decent and honest living.

And just a few more beauties to tie things up…

 "Riva" flatware in titanium designed by Rubens Simões

(espasso.com)

 

 Brasilian cowhide rug, very “of the moment” but always a classic, as far as I’m concerned

 

I think this is just amazing. Henrique Oliveira is a Brasilian artist who uses old peeling fence wood to create these sensational installations. Fascinating!…

(jaskarnrangi.blogspot)

 

Pretty freaking amazing, huh? Bet you never knew how much outstanding design came from Brasil, huh? All I can say is:

                                                             wow.