Elisio Tiúba grew up surfing and playing outdoors in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil so when he began to raise his sons in a small Paris flat, he wanted to recreate some of his outdoor childhood. He first built a skate ramp to occupy the floor space (he crafted storage into the ends to compensate for lost real estate). Next to the half pipe he built a cabaña bed with a roof of recycled fruit boxes.

As the family grew, he built lofted beds for the two eldest boys- accessible by a climbing wall or rope swing- and a wooden storage tree with his youngest son’s bed at the base. Fortunately, the apartment is directly above a laundromat so noise is not usually an issue (the windows must remain shut while skating and there is insulation built into the bedroom.

Prior to moving to Europe, Tiúba was a sponsored surfer and surfboard artist. To adapt to the more indoor lifestyle, he began building furniture for others, as well as remodeling and furnishing the couple’s entire flat. Lacking space, he transformed his storage room in the building’s basement into a workshop.

*Footage credits:
— favela do Vidigal: Fred Rigor – Instagram @rigorimagens, @frederico_rigor
— Volkswagen Beetle footage- Gruposal