A historic house in Portugal holds memories of travels and a lot of color.

While in Tavira, one of the best-preserved cities in Portugal in terms of architectural appearance, the building has undergone renovations that have preserved its original features. In the main living room, the Arne sofa, designed by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia, is paired with the Feltri armchair by Gaetano Pesce. In the background, a photograph stands out, capturing the library of the Admont Monastery in Austria, taken by German photographer Raphael Neff and presented in the Lumas gallery — Photo: Bruno Palma.

Numerous trips to various countries, from Austria to Brazil, inspired Tony Smith, the owner and restorer of this 590 square meter property in Tavira.“My home is decorated with items collected throughout my life — it’s like a kind of 'top'.”— he shares. The interior harmoniously combines classic design elements from Italy, Portugal, and Brazil with various art objects and eclectic items in a building constructed in 1909.

The living room, featuring a Chesterfield sofa, is also highlighted by a Mart armchair, again designed by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia. This building has a style known in Portugal as "casa apalaçada," with impressive ceiling heights of almost 4 meters on the upper floor. Toni notes that such dimensions, combined with wooden floors, doors, and ceilings, create a strong visual impact.“We were lucky that everything has been preserved in excellent condition, despite the many layers of brown varnish applied over the years. Removing all of that and repainting it white was extremely difficult, but the result was worth all the effort.”

The library features an extensive collection of literary works and treasures brought back from travels — Photo: Bruno Palma. The relaxation spaces showcase a maximalist approach with a variety of colors and unique items — Photo: Bruno Palma.

• the walls are painted in magnolia.
• The wooden elements should be in pure white, except for the dining room.

“This room is almost square, which called for a more vibrant color, so a mustard shade was used to create an accent. There is a large round white tabletop, and the space is illuminated by a heavy crystal chandelier found at an auction in Lisbon.”— notes the hero of our story.

The kitchen, designed in green tones, was created by the studio Ver Sacrum and implemented by the company Before&After — Photo: Bruno Palma.“On the first floor, we needed enough space to host relatives and friends, while downstairs, two open loft-style areas were created for tourists who come to Tavira year-round.”“Toni emphasizes. The master bedroom is truly spacious and bright, featuring a bed by Pascal Mourgue, chairs by Lou Reed and Richard III by Philippe Starck, created for Driade and Baleri Italia respectively (one of them was gifted to former French President François Mitterrand for the Élysée Palace). The dressers are made in India, and the bench is crafted from Brazilian wood, while the walk-in closet, designed by Ver Sacrum, is custom-made by Before&After — Photo: Bruno Palma.”

“We paid very close attention to both facades.”“Toni says. The house has access to two parallel streets that differ stylistically. One of them is paved with tiles from the famous Old Factory in Sakavene, which no longer exists. Thus, finding 100 tiles needed to replace those lost over time turned out to be a challenging task.”“After a long search, we placed an order for handmade copies with a craftsman near Lisbon.”— He shares.

Another important task was caring for the environment: the house is self-sufficient in clean energy, featuring seven solar panels and three batteries on the roof, which allows it to fully meet its energy needs for a significant part of the year. During the renovation, Tony also discovered that the building has two sources of fresh water.“We haven't conducted a water analysis yet, but we are already using it for watering plants and cleaning.”— says the owner, who has just begun a new chapter of their life in this unique space.