Plant-Lovers Live in This Cozy and Playful Lisbon Apartment
Adrienne Breaux
·11 min read
"My home needs to be functional, cozy, and playful. If I have to label it, my style is a hybrid, maybe somewhere between mid-century modern and Scandinavian," writes Khadija, an architect and PhD specializing in sustainable design. Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"I love sleek clean lines mixed with organic shapes and handcrafted things. I love mixing old and new. I don’t like clutter and I get really excited about functional storage solutions," continues Khadija, who shares her home with her husband, Bruno, a musician, producer and composer, their 3-month-old daughter, Leila, and their dog, Oscar. Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"I love warm materials like wood, jute, rattan, wool and terracotta, which remind me of my home country — Morocco. I have a passion for plants. They’re in every room," she writes. Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"I think there’s nothing like greenery to bring life and add character to a space," she also writes. Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"I don’t follow trends. The objects we own were mostly bought while traveling or visiting a special place," Khadija admits. Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"I enjoy discovering local designers, artists, craftsmen, small brands…, and bringing home a unique object with a story. Bruno hates clutter even more than I do. Thanks to him, we go through decluttering phases every now and then." Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
Khadija explains that they renovated the kitchen and one of the bathrooms on a "tight budget and a short timeline — we had already moved into the house, so we needed to get it all done as fast as possible." Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"In the kitchen, we removed everything including the flooring and we started from scratch. The previous kitchen had old dark cabinets. We wanted something fresher and with built-in appliances for a cleaner look," she continues. Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"We kept the wall tiles though. I don’t know how old they are, they don’t have any particular heritage value, but they were hand painted." Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"I like the fact that they’re unique, and how their 'imperfections' contrast with the all-white minimal modern kitchen," she continues explaining about the choice to keep the striking green kitchen wall tiles. Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"One of my favorite things about our home is the view on the Tagus river," she begins about the home's views. Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"It is so soothing! I love staring at it at different times of the day and throughout the year, with changing clouds and sky tones. I grew up in northern Morocco very close to the sea. Staring at the water takes me back to my childhood." Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
Khadija loves pottery and started taking wheel-throwing and freeform ceramic classes this year. "I’m very proud of some of the items I made, especially a few planters and our round soap dish," she writes. Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
Khadija says when it comes to the bathroom, they didn't like the color of the tiles on one of the walls, calling them an eyesore. "Instead of removing and replacing them (which would have been a mess), we painted them in beige. We removed the tub and installed a large shower instead. And we removed the bidet and installed large drawers and a counter for the wash basin." Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"That counter had been initially bought for the kitchen, but the store ran out of stock and couldn’t supply the quantity that we needed for the rest of the kitchen. So we ended up using the counter in the bathroom, and it worked out well. I love having wood in the bathroom," she continues. Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
Khadija explains that light is extremely important to her and "has a huge impact on my mood. I prefer white walls because they help make any interior brighter." Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"I wish I was bolder with paint, though. Bruno painted one of the nursery walls in dark lagoon green, and it wasn’t easy for him to get me onboard for that! Now I like how it looks, and the room is still full of light," she admits. Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
Another favorite element of Khadija's is their illustration collection. "I’ve been collecting them over many years. Displaying them without overwhelming the space is not easy though. First I started a gallery wall in the stairs but it looked too cluttered, so I moved it to the dining room. It’s a work in progress but I like it so far." Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
Something unusual Khadija and Bruno have done is use an IKEA TV stand for shoe storage in the entryway. "It has the perfect size to fit under the stairs, we like its materials and finishes. It was never used as a TV stand (we don’t even have a TV in the living room). We bought it expressly for shoe storage," she writes. Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"I also love the coziness of the attic," Khadija writes about another favorite element. "The wooden ceiling makes it feel like being in a cabin in a remote area far from the city." Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"And compared to other Lisbon top floors I’ve lived in, ours has a reasonable layer of thermal insulation on the roof, which makes it thermally comfortable all year long." Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"In the living room, we hacked the IKEA Lurvig cat house," she shares of something unique in the space. "We turned it into Oscar’s toy hiding place. When it’s time to play, he would go there, fetch a toy, and bring it to us. Everyone is tidy and organized around here, even the pet!" Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"While in a two-story home the sleeping area would usually be located upstairs, ours is downstairs. And we use the attic as our living/creative space," she explains of something unique in their home. Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"That’s where we have set a comfy couch and a projector for movie nights, as well as Bruno’s home studio, my home office, and Oscar’s playground. It’s also where our guests stay — we have a sofa-bed and a second bathroom. It works pretty well as an open polyvalent space. I love the fact that it has no walls." Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
Khadija is a plant lover; she even has an Instagram account about her plants @_soilmates_ and a podcast, Soilmates. "For me there’s no such thing as too many plants, but unfortunately my husband doesn’t live by the same motto!" she writes. Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
"He would complain about tripping over them… so I started hanging plants on walls and ceilings to save floor space without having to downsize my collection. I love Ferm Living’s plethora of solutions: the wall boxes, the plant holders, and the hanging pots. I used them to style some of the walls, with a mix of plants and artwork." Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
When Khadija, an architect and PhD specializing in sustainable design, and her husband, Bruno, a musician, producer and composer, were looking to buy their first home in 2020, she says that in their eight-month-long hunt, they saw “all kinds of non-functional overpriced apartments pretty much everywhere in Lisbon … until we stumbled upon this one.”
Our doggo Oscar is 5 years old. He’s been with us since he was 2 months old. Our daughter Leila is 3 months old. Credit: Selena KirchhoffCredit: Selena Kirchhoff
“We instantly fell in love with its vibe. We found it online. We had set notifications for two-bedrooms for sale in a few neighborhoods,” Khadija writes. “In pandemic times, real estate agents got creative, posting appealing videos that allowed potential buyers to visit the properties virtually even during the lockdowns.”
“As soon as we watched the virtual tour, we called to schedule a visit … and we were the first visitors. The apartment still had the furniture and decoration of its previous owner, but I could definitely see its potential. For the first time since we had started looking at apartments, we could picture ourselves living in this one,” she continues.
Khadija explains that their apartment is located on the two top floors of a four-story building built in 1937 and was renovated in 2014. “I’ve always loved the charm of Lisbon’s old buildings,” she begins. “In this apartment, I particularly love the high ceilings and large windows, the light (extremely important to us!), and the fact that it’s a duplex with no wasted space in its layout — no corridors! I’m not a fan of corridors; I think they’re a waste of space. And the (unexpected) cherry on the cake was the amazing panoramic view of the Tagus river, which definitely sold us on the apartment. I literally cried at the end of the visit when we got to the terrace and saw the view.”
Born and raised in Morocco, Khadija explains that she has lived and worked in four countries, and “I fell in love with Lisbon and Portugal (and my Portuguese husband!),” she begins. “I’m a plant-lover. I have an Instagram account about my plants @_soilmates_, and a podcast — Soilmates. My husband, Bruno, is a musician, producer, and composer. He currently has a solo project named Beato, and he composes soundtracks for movies, TV series, and theater plays.”
But while the couple has put a lot of work into the space, there’s still a bit more left to do (there’s a second bathroom on their top level they’d like to renovate). But, Khadija explains, there’s no master plan.
“We’re taking our time. We progressively tackle each space as soon as we have an idea for it and the budget to make it happen. I feel like our home is a constant work-in-progress —there are many things that we still want to change or improve. And I must say that I really enjoy the process! I love seeing the space evolve and improve,” she writes. “My advice would be to enjoy the journey of making your home yours, by adding your personal touch rather than following trends. Decorate it with items you love. It might take some time, but it will be so rewarding when it eventually comes together and reflects your unique story and personality!”
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