It was with great pleasure that I accepted the invitation from Fátima Magalhães, founder of F Luxury, to carry out the renovation project for her office, which is in a beautiful historic building in Casa da Guia, in Cascais. Of all the projects already carried out in offices, this was one that brought me great joy. I idealized this project as if I were designing a space where I would feel comfortable to be and work for several hours, as Fátima made me very comfortable to create. I also did it keeping in mind the strong visual identity of the F Luxury brand and the femininity that the brand involves with its F Club Magazine.
Today, I still remember a quote from Fátima when we had our first conversation about her needs in relation to her work environment. She told me about the importance of the sea. “I like to sit at my desk and watch the sea; the sea inspires me and brings me peace.” This statement defined the entire layout of this room. When she shared this with me, I already knew how I was going to arrange all the furniture in her office.
The feminine as well as women’s empowerment were my biggest inspiration for this interior architecture project, which is based on a soft base predominantly in light beige. In this way, I was able to highlight the huge panel used on one of the side walls that resembles a painting in shades of pink, with a wonderful texture, which reminds us of ceramic enamel with a spotted gradient effect. We also must highlight the F Luxury logo, carved in wood, with its mythical gold that we see on all the covers of the magazine. The huge round mirror framed by LED lighting reflects various angles of the office and brings breadth to the project. Such details, added to custom-made furniture and careful lighting, make the “new” office a memorable space.
Speaking of furniture, we used a beautiful round table in calacatta marble at the entrance for meetings and moments of interaction with customers. This table is supported by two identical sideboards lacquered in beige and camel crocodile skin. We also cannot forget the magnificent Flock of Light chandelier, by Moooi, a piece with a lot of artistic design, but light and airy at the same time.
In these fifteen years as an interior architect, I have come to realize a big change in the job market, where everything is more digital. With that, there is a big change in the way we design the environments we work in, and I realized that we, as architects in the digital age, have a responsibility to humanize such work environments. In the F Luxury office, I clearly conceived this human and feminine side, where we managed to add a lot of sophistication with the materials used, bringing the luxury that the brand demands.
By: Ysnara Almeida
