This São Paulo Penthouse Has a Library Fit for a King
There’s a scene in Beauty and the Beast (shut up, it’s made $900 million at the box office, you’ve seen it) where the Beast unveils his expansive library and Belle literally can’t even because he has a million books and she’s the only literate person in town. Not to mention the fact that its perhaps the only true statement room in an otherwise shabby-chic, curse-ridden castle. It’s proof that a dedicated space for books can do wonders for a home. And its inhabitants.
This three-storey penthouse in São Paulo, Brazil organizes its space almost like a museum. Rooms are cavernous and open, ceilings are double the regular height, and even the hallways were designed to feel wider than normal.
As in the enchanted castle, the main attraction in this home is the library, a room resplendent with floor-to-ceiling wooden shelves and so many charming pieces of furniture that it almost feels like you’re in the lobby of a boutique hotel.
Granted, the Beast’s library shelves were overflowing with books, and the ones here are decidedly…not. Maybe the penthouse owner just hasn’t found a ladder that high yet.
The entirety of the shelving was done in the same Late terra wood panels that run through the rest of the home. While it may seem a bit dark at first, especially with so many black accents in the room, the reddish tones in the wood actually help to add warmth to every space it appears in.
Neutral-hued carpets were chosen to complement the travertine marble and light-coloured wood flooring used throughout the home.
The home spa — the only thing missing from the Beast’s pad — was designed using the same earthy palette. Despite the lavish materials used (the walls are adorned in slatted wood and the ceiling in a metallic weaved lining) the room still possesses a relaxing minimalist vibe.
And, as is often the case with these homes we feature every week, large swaths of natural light pour into every room, which help prevent the wooden walls from feeling too claustrophobic or confining.
Photography: Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen
