Brazil-Inspired Interior Design Trends

Hello! It’s Fernanda here! 

I recently returned from a trip to my home country of Brazil. The purpose of my trip was to meet my newly born twin nieces and help my sister on this new exhausting phase of being a twin mom. It was so nice to snuggle babies and to also be with my family.

But if you guys know me, you know that even on personal trips, I can’t not keep my eyes out of design and trends. My interior designer brain never stops, even on vacation.

The root of my approach to interior design will always be the environment that I grew up in. I love to use the simplicity, color and life that surrounded me all those years I lived in Brazil. And Brazil keeps inspiring me and giving me new horizons every time I visit. 

So here are some trends that I saw and loved during my most recent stay in the land of Samba.

Living walls 

Living walls are, simply, walls that are covered in potted plants. Tracks are built along the entire area of the wall where containers can be attached and the plants planted. In Brazil, the plants of choice for the wall are ferns, succulents, and some vines…always plants that are low-maintenance and resilient.

Photography by: Rodrigo W. Blum

Photography by: Rodrigo W. Blum

The texture, color, and life that it brings is stunning. I marvel at those walls and how they change the vibe of entire city block, making the street feel alive, natural, healthy and happy. 

In the large Brazilian cities, the environment is very populated, with lots of apartment buildings, one stacked next to each other, giving that ‘concrete jungle’ feel. The living walls give a break to all that gray and stiffness of man-made structures by softening and soothing the space.

Honestly, I cannot get enough of them, to the point that I am plotting how I can make a living wall work in my own home!

Cultural references with a twist

Brazilian architecture is a huge mix of everything. A mix of colonial buildings with very classical European influences, neo mid-century modern, and contemporary. You will find buildings from different centuries right next to each other. One very classical, the other very contemporary.  Because this is what Brazil is—a mix of all people and all styles, all at once, finding common ground. 

Somehow, Brazilian design manages to bring this diversity of styles together with a twist. For example: The sidewalk of the famous Ipanema Beach (RIP Astrud Gilberto – the singer of “Girl from Ipanema”). This sidewalk is iconically recognized for its organic pattern contrasting with the sandy beach. The Ipanema sidewalk is a cultural landmark for the entire county.  I love its pattern, its whimsical playful way and contrast against its surrounding nature (the beach) and architecture (the high-rise buildings across the street).

Photography by Daniella Barreto

Well, I’ve been working on a kitchen remodel for a Brazilian client that lives here in the USA. In my efforts to bring a bit of Brazil to her home, I found this amazing tile from a Brazilian tile company called Portobello Shop that exports tile to the USA. This tile is a twist on the classic Ipanema Beach sidewalk. It was love at first site for both me and my client.

3D Rendering of the kitchen design by Fernanda Edwards

This is one example of how good Brazil is so good to take something classic that is a cultural reference and give it a new fun unexpected twist!

And to my surprise, as I was out and about in Brazil, I actually found a physical store of Portobello Shop, and my tile was right there in the front window!!! 

Natural stone

Brazil loves natural stone! That being granite, marble, quartzite, we’ve got it all. One of the things that I love to do while I’m in Brazil is go to a stone yard to look at the stone slabs. Did you know that a lot of the slabs of exotic stones we use here in the USA are from Brazil, especially quartzite (granite’s harder and more interesting cousin)? 

These natural stones are beyond beautiful, with so much movement, colors, textures. They make a design statement like no other in countertops, floors, accent walls, sinks, backsplashes and so on.

Slabs from WilgusIQ

Slab from Phoenix Marble Company

Look how amazing this natural stone application looks with the backlight!

Murals 

Brazil’s murals are out of this world! Each are so unique, colorful, and full of detail. They often portray Brazilian nature, contemporary pop culture and the everyday person’s day-to-day joys and struggles. They can also be a way to protest socio-economic problems in a profound and artistic way. 

The murals are such a big part of the Brazilian culture and self expression of its people, they make anyone passing by stop to admire it. 

My twins years ago admiring the murals in Pelotas, RS

My not so little twins and the baby, Miles in Guarulhos, São Paulo

I love how much life it brings to the street, and in many cases, several streets due to their massive size!

Photography by Dirceu S Oliveira

Photography by Dirceu S Oliveira

Photography by Dirceu S Oliveira

The Brazilian design aesthetic is so beautiful and fun. But it doesn’t only belong in Brazil, it can be applied anywhere in the world, helping you to bring joy, nature and color to your space. I would love to help you do so!

Best Wishes!

Fernanda Edwards