The Pombaline style of early 20th-century Portuguese architecture is given a fresh reboot in this thoughtful redesign of a top-floor apartment near Lisbon’s São Bento Palace. Most of architecture firm Aspa’s major moves focused on celebrating what was already there but hidden behind the oppressive layers of past renos. Newly excavated, the original roof structure features remarkable dormer windows that now illuminate a clean-lined arrangement of original rafters and joists, rendered more contemporary in a coat of white paint. Stripped of their partition walls, a series of formerly cramped rooms have given way to a wide-open living space. The introduction of smooth marble floors, countertops and sills rounds out the sensitive refresh, with historic and modern features coalescing into a calm, timeless retreat.

Location Lisbon, Portugal Firm Aspa, Portugal Team Jose Maria Cumbre and Nuno Caetano with Tânia Correia, Pedro Treno and Miguel Almeida Photo Francisco Nogueira