The Collectors Residence by The Modern Spaces x Luso Collective
In Lisbon’s Marvila district, The Modern Spaces and Luso Collective have joined forces to present The Collector’s Residence—a townhouse conceived as both a home and an exhibition. Opening its doors from 25–28 September 2025, the project brings together collectible design, contemporary architecture and a spirit of collaboration, offering a rare chance to step into a lived-in environment where craft and everyday life align.
Once an industrial neighborhood, Marvila has steadily become one of Lisbon’s most dynamic areas for art, food and design. Against this backdrop, The Collector’s Residence offers a new model for how homes can function as platforms for dialogue and cultural exchange.
“The idea for The Collector’s Residence was born out of a mutual appreciation for craft and timeless quality,” says Mathilde, co-founder of The Modern Spaces. “We always wanted to work with like-minded architects and designers, and when we met Studio THER, that spark gave us the energy to move forward.”
The Modern Spaces, founded by husband-and-wife team Rafael and Mathilde alongside longtime collaborator Daniel, brings a background in design-led real estate and a vision for connecting owners with architects, designers and makers. Their approach is grounded in clarity, trust and a belief that homes should be as thoughtful and well-crafted as the lives they contain.
Luso Collective, led by Natasza Grzeskiewicz and Tomás Fernandes of Studio THER, operates as an evolving design platform. Each edition brings together independent studios and practitioners under a shared curatorial framework, emphasizing material exploration and the intersection of functionality and art. For this latest edition, Luso has gathered a diverse group of creators, from experimental lighting studios to architects and ceramicists.
“What initially sparked this interaction was a shared sense of community and local input,” explain Natasza and Tomás. “The idea of a residence takeover made sense—where we could connect a home with like-minded people and capture what it feels like to be in Lisbon, at this exact moment in time.”
The townhouse itself is a study in light and flow. Double-height south-facing windows illuminate the open living and kitchen area, while upper levels offer more intimate corners. The clean, considered layout, shaped in collaboration with Lisbon-based interior practice Quiet Studios, ensures circulation feels effortless while framing the objects within.
The curation balances collectible design with everyday utility. Among the highlights, a Mecheia lamp with an algae-based shade introduces a laboratory-driven approach to materiality. A polished stainless-steel pouf and pedestal by Zoé Wolker lend sculptural elegance, while Studio THER’s seating pieces emphasize handcrafted structure.
Natural-fiber carpets soften the underfoot experience, and a monumental Paul Boucher table anchors the living area as both centerpiece and sculpture. Smaller ceramic works by Natasza Grzeskiewicz bring warmth, while the Alma Mater totem by AB + AC Architects—crafted from iron and beeswax—imbues the home with quiet authority.
“The diversity within Luso is what excites us most,” says Rafael. “Seeing this landscape come to life with so much potential, we’re thrilled to witness collaborations like this happening in Portugal.”
Rather than a static gallery, The Collector’s Residence embraces the lived-in qualities of a home. Visitors encounter a carefully orchestrated dialogue between light, architecture and design—where handcrafted furniture, experimental lighting and sculptural ceramics coexist naturally.
Conceived as both a residence and a platform, the project sets a precedent in Lisbon, offering a vision of how interiors can become sites of cultural exchange. It also offers a rare opportunity: the townhouse is available to purchase, inviting future owners to inhabit not just a home, but a work that embodies Lisbon’s evolving design energy.
“The Collector’s Residence is about more than objects,” says Mathilde. “It’s about creating an atmosphere where collaboration, craft and daily living come together in ways that feel both deliberate and inevitable.”
