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A renovation of a rental apartment in Lisbon’s historic center uncovered parquet flooring beneath carpets and original tiles beneath linoleum. Designer Lana Vakhtina restored those features and preserved other period details, shaping a budget-conscious update around the apartment’s existing character.
A renovation of a rental apartment in central Lisbon uncovered original parquet flooring beneath carpet and Portuguese tiles beneath linoleum, which designer Lana Vakhtina restored as part of an update that retained the property’s period character. The discovery changed the project from a budget-minded rental refresh into a restoration centered on features already hidden inside the home.
The apartment, near Lisbon’s Avenida da Liberdade, had high ceilings, wooden shutters and views over the city’s terracotta rooftops. Years of rental turnover and later renovations had obscured much of that character with stained carpets, peeling tiles and other coverings. The owner, who bought the property as an investment, asked Vakhtina to create a welcoming, functional rental without exceeding a limited budget.
Vakhtina, whose design firm is identified in the report as Sveta Vakhtina, said the original features were found after work began. In planning the interior, she had proposed a terracotta-and-light checkerboard tile pattern to evoke traditional Portuguese design. When linoleum was removed, the existing tiles proved practically identical to that concept, according to the designer. The parquet flooring and intricate crown molding were also preserved.
The work focused on making the compact apartment function better without major structural changes. The report says planning permission was difficult to secure because of the property’s location in Lisbon’s historic center, limiting the scope for significant alterations. Vakhtina also reused the original kitchen countertops in the bathroom rather than discarding them, while mirrored cabinetry was used to bring more light into the space.
The discovery gave the renovation a way to add distinctive character without recreating it from scratch. Restoring the original floors and tiles preserved details connected to the apartment’s history, while also supporting the owner’s aim of creating a rental that felt less generic than a standard, neutral interior.
Preservation also had a practical dimension. Vakhtina said salvaging what remained could help control costs, a relevant consideration for a project with a limited budget. Reusing the countertops extended that approach beyond the floors. The source does not provide a renovation budget or quantify savings, so the financial effect cannot be measured from the report.
The project also shows how the conditions of an older city property can shape design choices. With significant structural work constrained by planning requirements, the designer worked with the existing layout and materials rather than describing a wholesale reconstruction. The result, as presented in the report, rests on restoration and adaptation rather than major building changes.
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A Rental Refresh in Historic Lisbon
The apartment was purchased as an investment property, and the original brief was to make it comfortable and appealing to renters while keeping spending under control. Vakhtina had worked with the client before, giving her room to develop a more individual design within that brief. The client wanted a version of a quintessential Portuguese home, the report says, but did not know how closely that vision matched features already beneath the coverings.
Before the renovation, the apartment followed a layout typical of older Portuguese buildings, according to Livingetc. Its high ceilings and shutters remained visible, but successive modern interventions had concealed other original details. The revealed tile pattern informed the design direction, while the parquet and molding supplied further period elements to retain.
The source report does not give the property’s address, its precise age, the renovation’s cost or a detailed schedule. It describes the project as a restoration of original features within a rental update, not as a formal heritage designation or a documented conservation program.
What the Renovation Report Leaves Open
Livingetc’s account identifies the parquet, tiles and crown molding as preserved features, but it does not establish their age, materials or original installation dates. It also does not say how much of each surface was intact, what repairs were needed, or whether any sections had to be replaced.
The report says planning permission was difficult to obtain and that major structural changes were limited, but it does not identify specific applications, decisions or rules. It also provides no final budget, rental rate, occupancy information or independent assessment of the apartment’s market performance. Claims that the design would stand out or feel more expensive are the designer’s stated aims, not measured outcomes.
The source describes the renovation’s design and selected details but does not provide a full project timeline or a separate account from the owner. The completion date and the property’s current rental status are not stated.
No Further Project Milestone Reported
The available report describes the renovation’s design decisions and the restoration of several original features; it does not announce a further phase or upcoming work. No next milestone is specified, and the source gives no date for when the apartment entered the rental market.
Further information about the project’s cost, the extent of the restoration, or its rental performance would be needed to assess results beyond the design account. For now, the confirmed development is the discovery and reuse of original materials during the renovation.
Key Questions
What did the renovation uncover beneath the floor coverings?
The renovation uncovered parquet flooring beneath carpets and original tiles beneath linoleum, according to designer Lana Vakhtina and the Livingetc report.
Where is the apartment?
The apartment is in Lisbon’s historic center, near Avenida da Liberdade. The report does not provide its exact address.
What happened to the original tiles and parquet?
The designer restored the original tiles and parquet as part of the renovation. The report does not detail the repairs or state whether any sections were replaced.
Why were major structural changes limited?
Livingetc reports that obtaining planning permission was difficult because of the property’s location in the historic center, restricting the scope for significant structural changes.
Was the renovation budget or rental performance reported?
No final budget, rental rate or occupancy results were provided. The brief called for a welcoming rental that would stay within a limited budget, but the report does not quantify the costs or later performance.
Source: livingetc.com
