Bookmark it and underline the best parts. This whitewashed home in Sao Paulo, Brazil, affords plenty of rare book-lover opportunities. The living area with a double-high ceiling has a built-in floor-to-ceiling library. Though not completely full of books, there certainly are plenty of them. And two titles most likely gracing these shelves are Tropical Modern and Another 100 of the World’s Best Houses. Located in Brazil’s largest and richest city, this house is featured in both publications.

Two symmetrical marble staircases behind the bookshelves rise from the black, white and blue geometric artwork to the second floor’s library. Said Architect Marcio Kogan about the house during its inception, “I think of a single enormous volume wrapping everything: a white box.”

Where the house isn’t white, it’s nearly transparent – the wall-to-wall glass offers a view of the long, narrow pool and garden. The interior is white and minimalistic except for strategically placed splashes of color, like the kitchen’s shiny orange tabletop and bedroom’s Pepto-Bismol bed and floor covering.

And the mysterious owners? A couple in their mid-30s that drive a BMW X5, sport Prada, work in advertising and love books. They probably eat Japanese and enjoy simplicity and comfort. They may have a flare for white. Yes, I’d definitely say they like white.

You can take your yellow marker and highlight that… this is a house worth a thousand words.


