See the interior of a Brazilian home with eye-catching design and art

Above: The living room is anchored by two June sofas by Jader Almeida. Two yellow velvet Newton chairs by Patrick Naggar face a pair of custom-made chairs by Paschoal Ambrósio and a lamp and gueridon by Hervé Van Der Straeten. Coffee table by Paolo Castelli. Carpet and macrame curtains from Vitrine. A view of the rooftop pool can be seen on the ceiling.

When Brazilian industrialist Alexandre Grendene Bartelle and his wife, philanthropist Nora Teixeira, turned to Sig Bergamin and Murilo Lomas to design their Porto Alegre residence, they presented a unique challenge. Their impressive art collection includes works by Anish Kapoor, Manolo Valdés, Carole Feuerman, Pablo Atchugarry and Fernando Botero needed more than just an exhibition. They envisioned a space where each piece could occupy its own stage while contributing to a cohesive, livable home.

They wanted the design duo to create a cheerful, colorful and modern apartment that would distinctively showcase their art collection and incorporate the popular color palette of blue, green, red and yellow. The nearly two-decade friendship between the designers and clients led to Bergamin and Lomas' deep understanding of each other's styles.

Manolo Valdés' Las Meninas stands at the center of the gallery in front of the large spiral staircase.

Rather than viewing furniture as mere backdrops, Bergamin and Lomas approached each selection as artistic partners. “We love Hervé Van der Straeten’s pieces because they are works of art in themselves,” says Bergamin. “Like a sculpture.” The designers' strategy focused on creating what Lomas describes as a “complementary dialogue” between Van der Straeten's statement designs and the existing art collection. This approach allows the furniture to complement and enhance the paintings and sculptures.

Essential to the process was viewing art and decoration as equals in the design narrative. Rather than emphasizing each other, Bergamin and Lomas created a space where decoration, art, and bold architectural gestures—most notably the sculptural spiral staircase—work together to create a unified artistic experience.

A view from below of the rooftop pool.

Perhaps the most exceptional feature of the apartment is the swimming pool with a fully glazed bottom, visible from the living spaces below. “When someone swims, we can see them from the living room ceiling,” says Bergamin, clearly enjoying the playful voyeuristic element. “It’s a lot of fun.” The pool took two years to complete and is made of glass from Austria, creating a stunning visual connection between levels while transforming the act of swimming into performance art visible from below.

The interior-exterior relationship of the apartment turns out to be just as dramatic. The living spaces open completely onto spacious terraces through a system of sliding doors. “The indoor and outdoor spaces become one,” says Bergamin, creating a seamless flow that takes advantage of the Brazilian climate and allows guests to enjoy the art against the backdrop of the sky and cityscape.

The Frame dining table by Jader Almeida is accompanied by chairs by Patrick Naggar at Ralph Pucci. Custom made rug from Vitrine. Pendant above bar and chandelier by Ingo Maurer. Botero sculpture and painting by Nabil Nahas in the back of the room.

This outdoor connection became essential to the design team's color strategy. The apartment's abundant natural light allows the bold color palette to shine without overwhelming the space. “I like it best when we start with colors,” says Bergamin. “I love colors and Brazil is very happy and cheerful.” Customers have fully embraced this philosophy, fearlessly using hues that might seem exaggerated elsewhere but look completely natural in this setting.

“They love bold colors,” says Bergamin, “and aren’t afraid to use them.”