Casa Bonfim
Casa Bonfim is a single-family house located in the city center of Porto.The rehabilitation of this XIXth century historical building was completed in 2016.
Casa Bonfim is the result of a long dialogue with the clients, a couple from Bordeaux in France. They have lived in a great variety of countries, especially on the Asian continent, and developed a strong interest for other cultures through traveling extensively. With a great passion for manufactured works of art, they collected handmade pieces of furniture and asked us to integrate them into the rehabilitation project.
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The original building was erected at the end of the XIXth century by a wealthy tradesman. In the first half of the XXth century, the bourgeois building was acquired by Santa Casa da Misericórdia and became the private residence of a member of the organization. It underwent a profound refurbishment as well as an extension. On this occasion, numerous of figurative bas-reliefs were created according to specific themes such as religion and agriculture. We took the opportunity of this rehabilitation to reintegrate some part of the damaged plaster art work, reintroducing the missing “angel of the fire”.
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The clients determined the kitchen as the starting point of the project and therefore dedicated to Portuguese culture. Next to the main window was projected an handmade tiled panel composed of azulejo, representing a fishing scene, of the same dimensions of this opening. We developed a difference in height level of the ceiling to let indirect light illuminate and enhance the mural. The excellent Portuguese craftsmanship tradition permitted to create long-lasting wood furniture entirely custom-made and at a competitive price. Those pieces of furniture (cabinet, wardrobe, bookshelf, etc), made of mahogany wood, are present in nearly every room.
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Many of their acquisitions were incorporated to complement the project and now appear in an unexpected way. As for example, the staircase walls feature two XIXth century panels bought in China representing geometric motifs and a traditional wushu fighter. In the library, the panel is sliding on a rail, maintaining privacy from the common area or letting more natural light in from the staircase's skylight on top of the reading table.
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Located on the upper floor, the master bedroom is drenched in natural light and opens onto the garden. Some distinctive noble materials were used to bring elegance and refinement to this space. Thus was designed a table in white marble also covering part of the wall above. This element is used by the owner to read, make up and other activities. A triangle wall lighting completes the marble table.
