What first drew you to Nazaré, and what made you stay?
I moved to Portugal with my family after living in Berlin for several years. My younger daughter, Irma, was born there, but we moved during the COVID years, which I think were challenging for everyone. After that experience, we felt we needed a change. We wanted to rebalance and focus on the basics: sunshine, blue skies, the ocean, nature, good food, and genuinely kind local people. Portugal checked all the boxes. All of that made us stay. We really love it here.
What does a beautiful home mean to you?
Beautiful? I'm not sure. I don't really think about spaces as beautiful or not beautiful. They are living environments, especially homes. Maybe instead of beautiful, I would say balanced.
My relationship with home has changed a lot over the years. As a child, I moved constantly because of my father's work. He was a single dad doing his best to adapt to the realities of work in the 90s. It was a different world, no social media, no cool nomadic remote work with a laptop from anywhere. Because of that, I learned that homes change. What made a place special was never the walls, but the people around me and the friendships I built.
Later, when I studied interior design, I naturally became much more interested in architecture and interiors. Funny enough, I often expressed my style more through my clients' projects than through my own home, but recently that has changed. Maybe I've grown older. Maybe I've become more aware of what I need. I now have a strong desire to shape the space around me and make it meaningful. It feels important to create a home that truly feels like mine.
Your home feels soft, minimal and very lived-in at the same time. How do you balance aesthetics with everyday life?
The aesthetic I love is light, calm and minimal. Life, however, is not minimal at all, especially with two kids constantly creating beautiful chaos around me.I've learned to keep most of the aesthetic expectations within myself rather than trying to control everyday life. The mess is part of the story.
What role does light play in your home?
A huge one, the light in Nazaré is incredible, especially during the winter months. Sometimes the walls are filled with these beautiful violet-blue tones that almost feel unreal. The light changes constantly throughout the day and throughout the seasons. It keeps me connected to the present. It gives me those small moments of pause when I suddenly stop and think, "Wow, that's beautiful."
What made you choose the Torio sofa for your living room?
Honestly? Adaptability and comfort. We have the extra-deep version, and it's a complete game changer. You can relax in almost any position imaginable, even with two children climbing all over you at the same time. It has also become a giant playground. My kids constantly assemble and disassemble it. Some days it's a sofa, other days it's a slide, a trampoline, a fort or an entire imaginary world.
Because of the modularity, It's where we relax, read, play, watch movies, build things and spend time together. It has become the center of our everyday life.
Is there a particular corner or moment at home that feels especially meaningful to you?
The sofa, definitely. It's where so much of our family life happens. It's surrounded by paintings that Irma and I have made together. We paint often, and recently she came to me very seriously and said she wanted us to create even more art together. Moments like that mean everything.
What are some small everyday rituals you enjoy most at home?
The mornings, When the children are still asleep, I sit quietly with a coffee and look at the ocean. Those moments before the day begins are incredibly precious to me.
What does comfort mean to you and what does home mean to you?
Silence, with two children, that can sometimes be difficult to find, which probably makes me appreciate it even more. Silence is the ultimate luxury. Home is me and my children in a safe, comfortable space where everyone can be themselves.A place where we can relax, create things together, and simply enjoy being with one another.
All pictures by Zuzanna Gasior