Live the designer life in são paulo

This month, the eyes of the showbiz world were on Brazil, as celebrities descended upon São Paulo for its annual fashion week. While models were strutting their stuff on the catwalk, though, 20 minutes away, the spotlight was being stolen by a villa.

Located in Granja Viana, an upscale district of Cotia, the home oozes designer style from every square metre. The six bedrooms include a master suite with sauna and balcony overlooking an orchard and a triple suite with swimming pool view. The dining room has a thin glass table and wine cellar. The library has a sliding ladder to browse the built-in shelves.

For Marcia Trevisioli, the elegance fits right in with Granja’s local character. "This is a neighbourhood populated by artists, musicians, marked by its gastronomy and joyful people," she explains. "Living in Granja... it's a lifestyle."

She has now enjoyed that lifestyle for 25 years.

It is easy to see why: one can easily imagine lying in the air-conditioned living room by the fireplace watching the 60-inch TV, or stretched out in a hammock reading a book.

Outside, things are equally jaw-dropping: we are greeted by a sports court, with tennis and volleyball nets, plus basketball and football facilities, as well as the private pool. Marcia points out the underwater night lighting, before moving on to the garden and solarium.

Surrounded by an orchard with orange trees and, next to the estate, a patch of preserved Brazilian forest, there is an extraordinary sense of peace – even with the fully-stocked gaming room and "Tarzan House" (with slide) to entertain the kids.

For Marcia, it's the Gourmet BBQ Area, in particular, that proves a source of fun and happiness. (Between the jukebox, pizza oven, wood stove and seating for eight friends, it's not hard to picture the party atmosphere.)

That positivity also extends outside of the home's walls.

"People here are always in such a good mood that you can easily spend hours chatting in a grocery store that prepares beautiful fresh fruit juices," she smiles.

It's a welcome Change of pace to São Paulo, she continues.

"Life in São Paulo was too boring. Having to worry all the time about safety and traffic made my life become something that now I can’t understand or recognise." "It took me some time to get used to the silence!" she laughs.

Vibrant yet tranquil, the area's unique feel means that it is largely overlooked by foreign tourists, but Brazilian tourists are attracted by both the gastronomy and leisure.

"It's a prime location," she says of the property, which sits less than 500 metres from Granja’s central restaurants, cafes and shops. Downtown Cotia, meanwhile, is 13km along the highway, with the bustling city of São Paulo half an hour's drive away.

"The experience of Granja Viana has changed my life, improving it 110 per cent," she adds. "Here I came across life balance."

After a quarter century of such stunning living, why would anyone leave? Marcia explains that her children have now grown up and are finding their own homes elsewhere.

"We are not using the house as much as we did before," she admits. With so much beautiful house to enjoy, not using every inch of it feels like a crime against fashion as much as function. As they say in showbiz, if you've got it, flaunt it. And this is one property that has it in abundance.

For more information or make an enquiry, click here. http://www.themovechannel.com/property/details/17496644