Lisbon atelier · 24 years · MUSE Design Award Gold
Turnkey Interior Design for Expats in Portugal, Managed in English
Buying or relocating from abroad? We design and deliver your home in Portugal remotely, coordinate with your agent and architect, and hand you the keys. You don't have to be here.
MUSE Design Award Gold 2021 · 200+ homes · 24 years
★★★★★5.0 on Google·“They turned an empty apartment into our home.”·Pritesh Shah, relocated from the US
Gold 2021MUSE Design Award · Palácio Santiago
200+Residential projects
Lisbon · Cascais · ComportaProjects across Portugal & abroad
Designing from abroad
Designing a home in a country you don't yet live in
You've found the property, or you're close. But you're not in Portugal, you don't speak the language, and running a renovation from abroad feels like a lot to take on. That is exactly the project this atelier does best. We take care of the whole thing, from concept and technical drawings to materials, furniture, the build and the final installation, and we do it in English, with you wherever you are.
Beyond the décor
Your team in Portugal
For those living between countries, or too busy to follow every decision, the atelier acts as a permanent local presence. When you want to use the home, everything is taken care of.
The project
Suppliers, purchasing, logistics, assembly and scheduling. The atelier manages, coordinates and reports, from start to finish.
The home, working
Power, water, internet, deliveries. Everything the property needs to be ready to live in.
Beyond design
Liaising with lawyers, coordinating with local providers, property access. The atelier doesn't stop where the décor stops.
With continuous reporting, availability and initiative, the atelier anticipates whatever needs resolving.
From anywhere
How it works, from anywhere
01
A first conversation
We get to know you, the home, and how you want to live in it. By video, in English.
02
The design
Concept, technical drawings, materials and furniture, presented in clear visual reports you can review from abroad.
03
We manage the work
We coordinate with your agent, architect and builders on the ground, and keep you updated at every milestone.
04
We hand you the keys
You arrive to a finished home, exactly as it was designed.
Moving from the US to a country you've never lived in is daunting enough, but doing it without ever seeing your new apartment in person takes it to another level. Renata and her team in Lisbon made what could have been an overwhelming experience genuinely enjoyable.
From our very first call while we were still stateside, they were warm, attentive, and went well beyond what we expected. [...] They turned an empty apartment into our home. Five stars isn't enough.
Pritesh Shah · Google review · relocated from the US
A selection of residential projects across Lisbon, Cascais and Comporta.
Palácio Santiago · LisbonPraça de Espanha · LisbonAvenidas Novas · Lisbon
The atelier
Designed by Renata, personally
Atelier Renata Santos Machado is a luxury residential interior design studio in Lisbon. Twenty-four years, more than two hundred residential projects, and clients in Portugal and abroad, including the United States and Luanda. The work has been recognised with the MUSE Design Award Gold and the Lusophone Architecture and Interior Design Awards.
I founded this atelier in 2002, and I'm still personally involved in every project. When you write to me, I'm the one who reads it. We'll talk about your home, in English, and I'll guide it from the first sketch to the day you walk in.
Renata Santos MachadoInterior designer & founder
Questions
Before you reach out
Can you manage the whole project while I'm abroad?
Yes. Most international projects run entirely remotely: video calls and clear visual reports at each stage, with an optional on-site visit. You review and approve the design, and we handle what happens on the ground, in English, through to the final installation.
How do I know the home will feel like mine if I'm not there to choose everything?
Because the design starts from how you live, not from a house style. Renata listens and adapts rather than imposing a look, and nothing is ordered until you've seen and approved it.
Will I keep control of the budget?
Yes. We plan around the budget you set and stay flexible on where it goes, with more in the statement pieces that matter to you and a lighter touch elsewhere.
Will you coordinate with my buyer's agent, architect and builders?
Yes. We work alongside them and manage the build on the ground, so one team is accountable for the result.
Do you help with the practical side of settling in, not just the design?
For clients arriving from abroad, we've helped with the things you don't think about until you're standing in an empty home: utilities, water, electricity, and getting settled.
Where in Portugal do you work?
Across the country, with projects in Lisbon, Cascais and Comporta.
How long does a project take, and what happens after I reach out?
The timeline depends on the scope, and you get a clear one at the first stage. Renata replies to every enquiry personally to set up a first conversation, with no obligation.
Let's begin
Let's talk about your home in Portugal
Tell us about your project and we'll set up a first conversation, in English, with no obligation.
Step 1 of 3
Renata replies personally, usually within one business day.
