This Portugal Home’s Gorgeous Kitchen Was Once a Crumbling Basement
Barbara Gonzalez Gomes is an ex-television journalist who ditched the big city life for the peace and comfort of her hometown. “[I wanted] to live without stress and give a better quality of life to my daughters,” Barbara explains.
Can't-Miss House Tours Straight to Your Inbox
Keep up with our latest house tours each weekday with our House Tour of the Day newsletter
So five years ago Barbara, her partner André, and their daughters Teresinha and Carminho (along with their pet Frida) moved back to Abrantes in the Santarém district of Portugal. Knowing that Barbara’s favorite interior style is an “English cottage, a provençal outdoor, or a farmhouse style,” they bought a wonderful four-bedroom townhouse to make the dream a reality.
When the family moved in, the home needed only certain updates — and Barbara chose to leave the “traditional Portuguese characteristics” intact. She appreciated how the home didn’t feel like a minimalist space and, in large part thanks to their sentimental decor, rather felt like it burst with personality.
“Our home is like entering a grandmother’s house. It is a mix of objects that were given to us by my grandmother, along with our own things,” Barbara explains. “We have only bought a few things for the house. It is a home full of life; the opposite of modern decorations like a hotel.”
Resources
LIVING ROOM
- Paint — Setting Plaster by Farrow and Ball
- Sofa — LANDSKRONA IKEA
- Armchair — STRANDMON IKEA
- Shelves — LACK IKEA
Thanks, Barbara!
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
Share your style: House Tour & House Call Submission Form