Brazil

Name: Monika Pietrusewicz, Nicolas Bouriette and Lila Location: Ipanema — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Size: 484 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, rented Besides the Pilates equipment, almost nothing in this small home is “new.” Monika and Nicolas buy decor in flea markets, antique stores and second-hand markets. Or they find stuff in the streets.

Name: Simone Raitzik and Ruben Zonenschein, and their sons Paulo and Tom Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Size: 2,368 square feet Years lived in: 21 years, owned After a four-year stay in Europe, Simone and her husband Ruben returned to Brazil and began their search for a spacious house with natural light, hardwood floors, and potential to remodel. When they found their current home in Rio de Janeiro, it was love at first sight, but it was in terrible shape.

Project by: Filipe Battazza and Raoni Mariano of Fábrica Arquitetos Location: São Paulo, Brazil This professional project is one of those amazing examples of how you can do so much with so little when you harness the power of design. Engineered by architects, using a lot of sleek materials, this exact renovation might be out of reach for some, but it’s still filled with tons of ideas you can steal to make a small home work (and look) so much better.