Isabel Sá Nogueira, the visionary behind Isabel Sá Nogueira Interiors (@isabelsanogueira), shares her enthralling journey in the realm of interior design, spotlighting her projects in Lisbon and Porto that encapsulate an essence of timeless beauty and meticulous attention to detail. Isabel Sá Nogueira shared her experience visiting the Covet Group showroom in Porto, providing insights into her company and projects.
“In Lisbon, it has been a very interesting job because since the first building, it has been expanding to the immediately adjacent buildings, which made the project quite interesting,” Isabel Sá Nogueira explains, referencing the captivating expansion projects she’s undertaken. Expressing the evolution of her work, she recounts, “The Torel Avantgarde is already, if I’m not mistaken, 5 or 6 years old. The one in Lisbon is 10, just completed 10 years since its inception. We have just finished the expansion of the third hotel building because there is still another apartment building where we partnered with Boca do Lobo.” Reflecting on a significant milestone in her career, she recalls, “A very special part is that the Torel, the one in Lisbon, was my first hotel in terms of work, of a project. Until then, I only had residential projects, and Torel Lisbon was my first hotel project.”
Discussing her approach to projects, Isabel Sá Nogueira emphasizes her adaptability to each space and building, stating, “With each project, I like to get to know the building, the location, and what is intended to be done with that building. And usually from there, the building itself and what they are asking me to do will tell me what I have to do.”
Detailing the thematic essence of her design for the Torel Avantgarde, Isabel Sá Nogueira explains, “Essentially, the hotel project would be a theme of Portugal’s queens. Combining both, the space itself, the building, with its architecture, plus the proposed theme, clearly resulted in a more classical decoration.”
Diving into the nuances of her design philosophy for hotels, she elaborates, “There are intimate details there that are found in houses and not in hotels. And that’s the difference I tried to make. I think that makes a difference.” Reflecting on specific design elements, Isabel Sá Nogueira expresses admiration for intricate details, mentioning, “The mirrors with the gilded frames, which I find beautiful, with one that’s cracked and the other one that’s dented. I find them beautiful and think they have everything to do with the old times.”
In admiration of the craftsmanship and attention to detail, she reflects, “I find everything fascinating. I think they really manage to go into all the details. From woodworking, to brass, to all aspects. And they manage to do extraordinary things.” Isabel Sá Nogueira’s narrative offers a glimpse into her design ethos, weaving together historical inspiration and meticulous detailing to create spaces that evoke elegance and timeless allure.
