A former bakery becomes a warm family home.
The brief
Alba House is a former bakery on a cobbled street in Lisbon, converted into an open-plan home for a young family. The original bones were generous: four-meter vaulted ceilings, west-facing windows, and century-old pine beams.
The family wanted the space to remain open but intimate. I designed oversized upholstered sofas, a low timber dining table, and a reading nook with floor cushions - creating zones without walls.
Materials are simple and durable: Portuguese limestone flooring, warm-toned pine, and floor-to-ceiling cabinets on sliding tracks so the layout can change as the children grow.