Rua da Boavista 152
A Journey of Home Transformation
with Studio Bisson
An openhearted conversation with one of our latest client - Talking about visions, execution and beautiful things coming to life during a renovation with Lisbon based entrepreneur Jean Pierre Cabrol.
Embarking on a home renovation or design project is often an exciting yet daunting endeavor. It requires a keen understanding of one's lifestyle, preferences, and vision, coupled with expert guidance and execution. In this client portrait, we delve into the transformative journey of Jean-Pierre Cabrol, who entrusted his home's redesign to Studio Bisson. A collection of insightful reflections on the process, from envisioning his dream space to witnessing its realization.
Jean Pierre in his new home - Photo courtesy of Telmo
1. Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Jean-Pierre Cabrol, I am 60 years old, and I am a business owner. My profession is plastic materials recycling.
2. What brought you to Lisbon?
I discovered Lisbon during a weekend getaway 8 years ago. A year later, I decided to experience expatriation in Portugal. I settled in Lisbon with the idea of staying for a maximum of 2 years...
The Kitchen - Photos courtesy of Telmo
3. Can you describe the vision or objectives you had for your home before starting this project?
I had a fairly clear vision of the type of home I wanted... An apartment on the top floor of a charming building in Lisbon's city center. Lisbon is a city bathed in light, so I wanted a terrace overlooking the living room, with plenty of brightness throughout the apartment.
The Living Room - Photos courtesy of Telmo
4. How did you envision your ideal living space and how did it evolve throughout the design process?
I believe there is no ideal living space. Each place is different, in terms of its location, environment, materials, and history... It's about adapting and shaping it, as much as possible, to your tastes, your current lifestyle, to find the comfort you expect... Feeling good at home means finding a place for each of the things that accompany us throughout our lives... Those things that surround you because they reflect who you are and make you feel good... My large paintings, sculptures, and my taste for minimalism naturally guided the design of the living spaces in the apartment.
5. What challenges or specific requirements did you have for the design of your home?
The only requirement was for the living space to be as open as possible. To allow light to flow throughout the apartment while respecting the privacy of private spaces such as bathrooms, bedrooms... The apartment is traversable, and I wanted to be able to see the terrace from the bedroom while sitting on the living room sofa. Walls and doors were the constraints that needed to be addressed...
The Garden side terrace, bedroom & corridor - Photos courtesy of Telmo
6. Can you share memorable moments or highlights of the design and implementation phases?
No memorable moments, but rather moments of excitement during the presentation of the project, reading the 3D plans. Also, when a living space begins to take shape as you imagined it and perfectly corresponds to the vision you had...
7. Can you tell us more about your lifestyle and how it influenced the design choices for your home?
The Bathrooms - Photos courtesy of Telmo
My lifestyle revolves around sports and the need for space... Minimalism has always been part of my lifestyle... The simplicity of the furniture that composes the rooms. Practical and functional, without too much excess. Beauty in its simplest form possible can summarize my tastes, my choices...
Art is also part of my environment, and it was essential to find a place for my paintings and sculptures without overloading the rooms and walls of the apartment.
8. Are there any specific design choices or details that have special meaning for you?
The Bedroom - Photos courtesy of Telmo
The glass wall of the bedroom and the large glass window of its terrace were the elements that were close to my heart in the design of this renovation. It is a perfect success! I don't feel like I'm locked in a room, but I feel like I'm in an open space like a living room, a complete living space, while finding the comfort of a bedroom... It's a very calm and relaxing place that inspires relaxation, reading, and slowly falling asleep.
9. What advice would you give to those considering a similar renovation or home design project?
The only advice I would give is to contact Ines and Nathalie. They will listen to you and receive all your ideas, even the most far-fetched ones, and guide you as closely as possible to your ideas and desires, for a result that will perfectly match you. Don't overestimate yourself; designing spaces is a profession!
10. With hindsight, is there anything you would have done differently or lessons learned from the experience?
There is nothing to redo; everything pleases me and perfectly matches me... I keep the essential principle established with Ines during the work, based on constant communication throughout the construction site, to achieve perfect satisfaction with the final result, both in the quality of the work done on the one hand, and in the evolution of the design of the work on the other hand.
The Master Bathroom - Photos courtesy of Telmo
11. How do you think the final result corresponds to your initial vision of your home?
I believe that if you take the time to reread all my answers, you will know that I cannot be more satisfied and feel more at home than I do now!
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