An Apartment in Brazil That Honors Nostalgia and Aging Gracefully

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In Brasília, Brazil, a 1,022-square-foot apartment has been transformed into a welcoming space that celebrates both functionality and nostalgia. Designed by Hersen Mendes Arquitetura, the Apartamento Relicário – or “Reliquary Apartment” – goes beyond a simple renovation. It’s a space that honors family, memory, and the beauty of growing older surrounded by the things (and people) you love most.

The project began when a daughter approached architects Anastácia Hersen and Matheus Mendes to reimagine her elderly mother’s apartment, conveniently located just one floor below her own. The goal wasn’t just to modernize the space, but to create a home that could serve as an emotional extension of the family’s upstairs apartment – a warm, accessible environment where three generations could come together effortlessly.

Modern living and dining area with a wall-mounted TV, floating cabinet, wooden furniture, and a partial red accent wall.

Rather than stripping away the past, the architects chose to celebrate it. The apartment, affectionately named Relicário, meaning a container for holy relics, is filled with the resident’s lifetime of keepsakes – cups, travel souvenirs, photos, and objects – that have become part of the architecture itself. These cherished items aren’t treated as clutter but as cultural artifacts that show a life well lived.

A red rotary phone and a small orange dish sit on wooden side tables near a white armchair, with a tall lamp and framed wall art in a sunlit room.

A modern dining area with a round wooden table, four wooden chairs with woven backs, a bowl of fruit, decorative vases, and framed art on a terracotta accent wall.

At the heart of the design is the spacious living area, where walls were reconfigured to open up sightlines and encourage gathering. The kitchen, once closed off and utilitarian, now spills into the living and dining spaces. The integration of cooking and conversation makes the apartment feel expansive and sociable.

A modern dining area with a round wooden table, four chairs, a decorative bowl, and a side table against a reddish wall. A kitchen with light wood cabinets is visible in the background.

A person walks past a modern kitchen with wooden cabinets, open shelves, and a round dining table with cane-backed chairs.

Modern dining area with two cane-back chairs at a built-in desk, open shelves with cups, coral-colored accent walls, and a wall clock.

Designing for seniors requires empathy, and accessibility has been approached with subtle consideration. The architects implemented a range of features that support autonomy without ever feeling clinical. Wider circulation paths ensure mobility, while contrasts between neutral and vibrant tones – particularly between the kitchen and living areas – assist visual orientation.

Modern kitchen with gray cabinets, a microwave, a toaster oven, cane-back chairs, and a small dining nook featuring a pink accent wall and framed picture.

Modern kitchen with light gray cabinets, large windows showing trees outside, a marble countertop, and a black faucet.

The team also paid close attention to lighting and materiality – two key elements in creating a sense of ease and security. Soft, indirect lighting reduces glare and shadows, while tactile finishes like wood, textiles, and natural tones add a sense of warmth. Everything has been designed to feel intuitive, familiar, and reassuring, aligning with the daily life of the elderly resident.

Modern galley kitchen with gray and wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, a gas stove, light tile floor, and a coral accent wall at the far end.

Small modern workspace with blue cabinets, a wooden chair, two laptops on the desk, a wavy wall mirror, and a framed picture of a bicycle with balloons.

At the end of the hallway, there’s a small, light-filled home studio that doubles as a sewing room – a private space for one of the resident’s lifelong hobbies. Outfitted with a large mirror and comfortable workspace, the room balances practicality with serene hues of pink and blue.

A modern bedroom corner with a wooden nightstand, pendant light, framed painting, and a bed with green and beige bedding.

In the bedroom, a thoughtful detail transforms everyday safety into an elegant design gesture: a custom bed frame with integrated grab bars, disguised as part of the furniture. Similarly, the bathroom combines practicality and comfort, incorporating support elements directly into the architectural details so that they feel intentional, not institutional.

A wall-mounted TV above a minimalist floating shelf with two blue vases holding dried branches and flowers, next to a light blue upholstered chair.

Modern bathroom with a glass-enclosed shower, built-in bench, light wood vanity, white countertop, and two amber soap dispensers on the sink.

To learn more about Hersen Mendes Arquitetura, please visit hersenmendes.com.

Photography by Fred Schueler.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.





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