First built in the 1950s, this home in Portugal marries its mid-century influences with an eclectic mix of contemporary accents, artworks and vintage furnishings
For Michael Miranda, his childhood love of art that inspired him to study architecture, which later became his “passion and obsession”. “As a child, I used to draw and paint all the time, anywhere. For me, there are no boundaries between the fields of architecture, art, design and interiors,” shares Miranda, who is the creative director and co-founder of Portugal-based firm Ding Dong.
Based in Porto, Ding Dong comprises a design studio as well as a retail arm that carries a playful combination of decor, furniture and other products that the firm has designed. This eclectic mix comes into play in the architect’s very own home in Portugal, which is the epitome of his firm’s creative ethos.
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Located in Miramar, a cosy Portuguese seaside town a short drive from Porto, the two-storey house was first constructed on a 15,069 sq ft site in the 1950s for a Dutch family. Marrying modern influences with the local vernacular, the abode also conveyed elements of American countryside houses.
The home was admittedly a “very impulsive buy”, shares Miranda. Initially, he had designed it as a weekend house before deciding to convert it into the permanent residence that he shares with his partner and their two Portuguese water dogs, Boris and Lupita.
“I was driving by this area and by chance just stumbled upon the house on sale. I was intrigued and called the agency straight away to appoint a visit; I purchased the house a couple of weeks after the first visit. I must say that at the time I had no intention of moving to a different house; it was unplanned, just happened.”
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