journal
Photography: Fernando de Bustos
27 / 10 / 2025
In the heart of a harbour city, where echoes of the past still linger, a 20th-century apartment has been reborn with a contemporary language of comfort and natural harmony.
The restoration began at the soul of the home — a white-lacquered wooden gallery that floods the interior with light, now transformed into the living area. Within this luminous setting, the kitchen, dining room and living space merge into one seamless environment, calm, open and radiant, where every detail strikes a balance between aesthetics and function.
The interior design celebrates organic materials, embracing a genuine connection with nature. Stone, exposed on the living room wall, and wood, present in the furniture, slatted partitions and grey oak flooring that runs throughout the apartment, define its tactile and sensory character. The furniture, crafted with precision and lightness, focuses on essential functionality — few pieces, but with intent — allowing light to flow freely and amplify the sense of space and serenity. Ultimately, the design becomes a bridge between the practical and the emotional, creating a home that feels both grounded and warm.
The interior design celebrates organic materials, embracing a genuine connection with nature. Stone, exposed on the living room wall, and wood, present in the furniture, slatted partitions and grey oak flooring that runs throughout the apartment, define its tactile and sensory character. The furniture, crafted with precision and lightness, focuses on essential functionality — few pieces, but with intent — allowing light to flow freely and amplify the sense of space and serenity. Ultimately, the design becomes a bridge between the practical and the emotional, creating a home that feels both grounded and warm.
Emotion and Functionality
The owner, a keen cook who enjoys hosting family and friends, sought a kitchen that was both efficient and inviting. The solution came in the form of a parallel layout, featuring Santos FINE furniture in Rustic Oak Vertical, whose natural texture and clean lines harmonise with the grey oak flooring and crisp white walls.
The worktop and wall panel in Quartzite Cream laminate add continuity and durability, while the plinth drawers — a Santos innovation — make full use of the space beneath the units, offering ergonomic design that turns everyday routines into effortless gestures.
Above, five CUADRO NATURA cabinets combine solid wood with fine fluted glass, creating delicate plays of light and texture. The soft, indirect lighting enhances the feeling of warmth, transforming the kitchen into a place not just for cooking, but for contemplation. A lighting rail with integrated accessories brings further refinement — a quiet choreography of practicality and precision, where every detail has its place.
The owner, a keen cook who enjoys hosting family and friends, sought a kitchen that was both efficient and inviting. The solution came in the form of a parallel layout, featuring Santos FINE furniture in Rustic Oak Vertical, whose natural texture and clean lines harmonise with the grey oak flooring and crisp white walls.
The worktop and wall panel in Quartzite Cream laminate add continuity and durability, while the plinth drawers — a Santos innovation — make full use of the space beneath the units, offering ergonomic design that turns everyday routines into effortless gestures.
Above, five CUADRO NATURA cabinets combine solid wood with fine fluted glass, creating delicate plays of light and texture. The soft, indirect lighting enhances the feeling of warmth, transforming the kitchen into a place not just for cooking, but for contemplation. A lighting rail with integrated accessories brings further refinement — a quiet choreography of practicality and precision, where every detail has its place.
A Seamless Design Continuum
The furniture extends into the social area through the Santos Living line, which furnishes the dining and living rooms with shelving and vitrines in the same Rustic Oak Vertical finish. This material continuity creates a visual thread between kitchen and living space, reinforcing the apartment’s identity as a serene urban retreat.
Design pieces — from the &Tradition table and chairs to the Umage Asteria pendant and the Roche Bobois sofa — converse effortlessly with the Santos furniture, blending Scandinavian sophistication with Mediterranean warmth.
More than an interior project, this home is a narrative of return to one’s hometown, to natural light, to organic matter. Rustic Oak Vertical takes centre stage as both protagonist and metaphor: solid, warm and timeless. A space that invites pause, breath and authenticity. A delicate balance between logic and emotion. A home that thinks, and feels.
The furniture extends into the social area through the Santos Living line, which furnishes the dining and living rooms with shelving and vitrines in the same Rustic Oak Vertical finish. This material continuity creates a visual thread between kitchen and living space, reinforcing the apartment’s identity as a serene urban retreat.
Design pieces — from the &Tradition table and chairs to the Umage Asteria pendant and the Roche Bobois sofa — converse effortlessly with the Santos furniture, blending Scandinavian sophistication with Mediterranean warmth.
More than an interior project, this home is a narrative of return to one’s hometown, to natural light, to organic matter. Rustic Oak Vertical takes centre stage as both protagonist and metaphor: solid, warm and timeless. A space that invites pause, breath and authenticity. A delicate balance between logic and emotion. A home that thinks, and feels.
Santos has an extensive range of solutions for kitchens and ancillary spaces, as well as accessories and complementary equipment. Find your nearest Santos distributor for more information, specialised advice, and tailor-made projects.
For more information, visit Santos website.
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