“We spend so much time erasing the past. I wanted to let the walls tell their own story—cracks, stains, and all.” — Clara Mendes Section 1: The Shell
This is not a home for maximalism or minimalism. Mendes calls it “emotional materialism.” interior design magazine pdf
The Alchemist’s Loft: Where Raw Concrete Meets Emotional Texture “We spend so much time erasing the past
Every object tells a time: a brutalist concrete dining table (cast in place) sits opposite a rococo mirror found in a Porto flea market. A digital light installation by a local artist flickers behind an 18th-century Portuguese armoire. A digital light installation by a local artist
In the heart of Lisbon’s industrial district, designer Clara Mendes transforms a former print workshop into a meditation on light, patina, and the art of slow living.
“People fear contrast,” Mendes explains. “But contrast is just respect for difference. The cold concrete makes the shearling feel warmer. The old mirror makes the digital art feel more mysterious. They need each other.”