We first met Birgit Sfat, a photographer and creative consultant, at our showroom, where a quick chat turned into the kind of exchange you want to continue. So, we did—this time over coffee in her Lisbon home, a place packed with charm and personal history. As we settled in her patio, she shared how her home came to be, how her life and work shape the way she sees a space, and the stories behind the objects that tie everything together.
Your home in Lisbon—how did it come together?
It’s an old house, and we fell for it immediately when we first saw it a few years ago. It has a small garden, beautiful details, and a lot of charm and character. During the remodelling, we were careful not to change the soul of the house. We didn’t want to impose a modern contrast or artificially recreate the past. Instead, we added our personality, staying true to the house. It’s very much a Portuguese home, but also ours.
We brought in pieces from our family history—my father’s Dieter Rams record player sits beside a photograph of my grandfather, my husband Raul’s and my own records, my daughter’s ceramics, and his skateboards, my photographs and artworks we collected over the years, things we found on our travels. Mixed with the house’s original elements, it all just fits. There was no concept behind the décor, and we didn’t work with architects. I only knew I didn’t want a minimalist, monochrome space. We let the house guide us, and now we feel really happy here.
You have some interesting details in the house, like the tiled table.
Most of what’s in our home wasn’t simply bought. We either had it already or collaborated with people we know. The tiled tables and fireplace wall, for example, were made with María Ulecia, an artist and friend I met in Lisbon about 18 years ago. She also taught ceramics to my daughter and me in her Porto studio. The dining table, as well as the coffee tables in the living room, were made by Junto Wood Design, two carpenters from Lisbon.
You kept a wallpaper that wasn’t necessarily your style. Why?
One of the rooms had this floral wallpaper. Initially, I wasn’t sure—I never pictured myself with floral walls—but there was something about it; I felt it was part of the house we loved, so why change it? We balanced it out by painting the next-door room, my daughter’s, in a blue hue that matches one of the flowers. We also painted the window frames, shutters, and doors.
Does your work as a photographer influence how you see your home?
I never thought about it, but I guess so. I work as a photographer and a creative consultant, and right now, I’m working on a book by Felipa Almeida and Ana Anahory called Casas Portuguesas com História. We’re documenting 15 different houses all over Portugal that have stayed nearly unchanged, with no big remodels, and inhabited ideally by the same family. I believe they hired me because my approach is about seeing things as they are rather than altering them. Appreciating character and heritage over polished uniformity. And also because, as a non-Portuguese, I bring a different perspective. These houses are disappearing, and this project is a way to preserve them.
Interview by Soraia Martins
Photography by Matilde Travassos
