Design studio Olivegrey completes an elegant two-storey residence in Portugal, featuring a bright open-plan living room with a broad mezzanine and impressive floor-to-ceiling windows. A minimalist architecture of pure forms, the design studio creates warmth through simple lines, soft shapes and smooth textures.
On entering the light-flooded central living area of Casa SV, Olivegrey’s preference for natural materials, the exploration of textures, and the predominance of neutral tones is immediately noticeable. Yet, when it comes to lighting the space, the studio embraces a futuristic aesthetic.
Fusing technology, space, and architecture, a dynamic arrangement of Sticks by Vibia claims the generous space overhead. Facing the mezzanine and spanning both storeys, a unique two-stick composition connects the top floor to the front wall, suspended at an angle from the ceiling into open space.
The Sticks collection consists of sleek aluminium rods that transform linear light into a floating sculpture. Enhancing Casa SV’s minimalist architecture, their clean, graphic form disrupts the surrounding planes to form a new architectural dimension.
Centred on simplicity and quality, the absence of ostentatiousness lends an experience of tranquillity throughout Casa SV. For the dining area, the designers adopt a laid back cafe or “diner” aesthetic with a sleek, wall-mounted table and matching chair set, illuminated from above by Vibia’s Flat pendant. Suspended low over the table, its silhouette is both delicate and strikingly graphic, a play of crisp lines and smooth curves.
Flat’s distinctive, disc-shaped diffuser forms a horizontal plane of light, infusing the space with an enveloping luminescence. Light is reflected downwards from the diffuser, creating a soft pool of light on the table’s surface.
Positioned above the sofa arrangement, a Tempo wall lamp brings a touch of nostalgia to an otherwise understated living space. An evolution of the classic bistrot globe, its delicate blown-glass diffuser hangs gracefully in the air, filling the space with an inviting glow.
Fusing contemporary style and classic design, the fixture is characterised by lean lines and a long adjustable arm that extends out from its vertical base. The oval diffuser provides volume, its translucency introducing an atmosphere of tranquillity.
The designers pair neutral shades with natural materials to create settings that are both comfortable to touch and visually soft. In the master bedroom, a broad headboard of buttery wood extends into a bed frame with matching bedside tables. The cosy furnishings and creamy tones are complemented by another Tempo variation.
Exploring the effects of translucency, the Tempo collection reclaims our collective memory of light. Suspended from the ceiling by a slim cable to hover bedside the bed, this hanging model consists of an attractive diamond-shaped diffuser that projects a gentle, 360 degree light, ideal for reading.
Converting the traditional bulb into a brilliant bubble, this model embraces a more industrial aesthetic. Featuring a flat graphite-coloured reflector plate, light is reflected downwards rather than diffused outwards for a more compelling effect.
Credits:
– Photography: João Morgado
– Interior design: Olivegrey
