CASACOR Rio: Garage or lounge? Both!

“Garages can be very exciting spaces, creative hotbeds. Several rock bands started out in one, for example. Apple was also born amidst cars and tools, in a backyard in California. Renault itself, which proposed this challenge, took its first steps in one of these environments, in France. So why not see this generally underused space in the house as a cool place?” says Caco, who created a garage for CASACOR that combines simplicity and sophistication, completely integrated with Renault’s new Duster Oroch pickup truck. In it, neutral tones prevail in the canvas sofa and coffee table, furniture that is part of Florense’s new AWA line. “I prioritized very comfortable pieces. This is not a place to be squeamish,” he admits. To bring a bit of the history of the automobile to the space, highlighting the French automaker’s constant investment in design, Caco searched for engravings signed by Hungarian artist Victor Vazarely, the father of Op-Art who, in 1972, redesigned the Renault logo. “The automobile industry has cutting-edge technology and invests in products with a bold look. With the vehicle on display, next to the living room, the space gains a more industrial and inspiring feel,” reveals the architect, who designed his garage focused on an adventurous family, with a father and son who are surfers and surfboard collectors. “I also put a rack on the Duster Oroch, so they can take their bikes on trails,” he adds. The high ceiling, like an industrial warehouse, is the hallmark of the space, inspired by the St. Pancras/Kings Cross train station in London. “I didn’t use masonry. I preferred to build glass walls that leave the vegetation and stone wall visible, prioritizing transparency to see the surroundings,” he reflects. The lighting, also made with car headlights as spotlights – part of the collection designed by architect Maurício Arruda, ambassador of the Garagem de Estar project, and developed with light designer Fernanda Vasconcellos – gives the place a fun and unusual touch. “The atmosphere is irreverent, very Carioca,” concludes Caco.