A House That Welcomes Nature Inside While Staying Simple

The AN House is a perfect example of a case where the right selection of materials impacts the design just right and where simplicity is given a glamorous and luxurious twist. This is a family home designed by Studio Guilherme Torres in 2013. It’s located in Maringa, Brasil and it’s organized into three sections. Two of the zones are situated downstairs and the third one forms the upstairs area.

An House has huge windows in the living room
Both privacy and openness are valued by the clients and merging these two elements turned into a challenge
An House has huge windows in the living room
A large wooden deck surrounds the swimming pool at the back of the house

The house’s exterior walls are coated with stones, with tropical plants growing in the gaps between them, using a special irrigation system designed for this very purpose. The materials used throughout are simple and pure and they complement each other very well. stone, concrete, wood and marble are featured inside the house as well as in the outdoor spaces in various different combinations.

An House has huge windows in the living room
The pool is framed by the deck and by a tall green wall on the other side
An House has huge windows in the living room
The interior design blends several contrasting materials such as concrete, wood and stone

Inside the house, large and open spaces are preferred and this type of layout is a response to the usually hot weather most of the year in this area. A recreation area is linked to an open kitchen and a home theater and in addition to that the house also includes a separate living space and two dining areas.

An House has huge windows in the living room
The walls are important design elements, contributing to the balanced nature of the decor
An House has huge windows in the living room
Large and open spaces are favored given the hot weather in this area

We love the use of marble both in the kitchen and in the dining area. It adds a touch of elegance and class to the decor without interfering with its simplicity and carefully-selected palette of colors, patterns and textures.

An House has huge windows in the living room
One of the dining spaces has a fresh and at the same time warm and welcoming decor
An House has huge windows in the living room
The architects extensively used marble here to maintain an open feel without being too simple

Another very cool and beautiful feature is the series of brise soleil sections, the most exquisite one of all being this corridor entirely framed in wood. Light and shadow create striking patterns and beautiful visual effects.

An House has huge windows in the living room
This corridor is pretty amazing, all framed with brise soleil and mesmerizing light and shadow patterns
An House has huge windows in the living room
The connection between the interior living spaces and the garden is a strong and very beautiful one

You can see here the wall of stones and greenery that we mentioned before. It becomes a wonderful feature for this dining area, bringing in a very fresh vibe and adding color to the decor while also coordinating nicely with the palette of colors and materials used inside the house as well.

An House has huge windows in the living room
The kitchen is open and surrounded by warm wood which contrasts with the marble island
An House has huge windows in the living room
Large windows open the living area to the outdoors and let in natural light