A Hillside Sanctuary Rooted in the Atlantic Forest
Perched above the Atlantic Ocean in Guarujá, this five-storey residence by David Bastos is carefully woven into the dense vegetation of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Clad in timber louvres and elevated among the trees, the house adopts a treehouse-like presence that minimizes visual impact while maximizing immersion in nature. Interior designer Marina Salles reinforces this relationship through a rich palette of wood, rattan, linen, and handcrafted furnishings, creating a refined retreat where architecture, landscape, and materiality coexist seamlessly.
Panoramic Views and Seamless Indoor-Outdoor Living
Organized across five levels to accommodate the steep terrain, the residence places its social spaces at the highest point, capturing sweeping views above the forest canopy and toward the ocean horizon. Floor-to-ceiling glazing, retractable sliding doors, and expansive terraces dissolve the boundaries between inside and outside, allowing natural light, sea breezes, and tropical greenery to become part of daily life. Extensive use of Brazilian hardwood, woven textures, and custom-crafted furniture further strengthens the home’s sensory connection to its surroundings, turning every space into a quiet celebration of nature.
▏The bespoke designs are combined with family heirlooms, items found in local markets and pieces by contemporary Brazilian and international designers such as Fernando Prado for Dpot and Paola Navone for Gervasoni. The furniture was chosen as much for its aesthetics as for its durability and low maintenance, considering the challenges of the coastal climate with a focus on solid wood and waterproof fabrics for both indoor and outdoor pieces. To avoid disturbing the surrounding views, Salles refrained from introducing any pendant lamps for the large dining table she designed, opting instead for a slim ceiling light by Brazilian lighting design studio Lightworks, which references Brazil’s traditional fishing boats.
▏On the rooftop, an outdoor lounge offers the most breathtaking, unobstructed views, enhanced by the absence of a solid balustrade, giving the impression that you are floating above the treetops. The panoramic coastal vistas in the social areas give way to more intimate views from the bedrooms on the lower floors enveloped as they are by lush vegetation. Natural materials continue to dominate the interior palette alongside shades of beige, green and blue that echo the natural surroundings while the wooden slat balustrades and folding shutters, protecting the floor-to-ceiling windows, imbue the rooms with a cocooning sense of serenity and tranquillity.
