Interior designer, owner of Poeira – interior décor shop and atelier.

At 21 Mónica Penaguião went to Belgium to work as a photographic model. The experience of living in the centre of Europe, near Paris and Amsterdam, and the desire to begin her own business gave her the idea to bring to Portugal the representation of international high end fashion brands of great prestige. And so Poeira was born.

Between 1984 and 1987 she attended the Design BA Honours degree in IADE, Portugal, deepening the knowledge in art and design she had acquired while studying at the undergraduate school of arts António Arroio. Later she also attended the “Drawing and Painting for Textile Design” course at the prestigious University of the Arts in London - Central Saint Martin’s.

Slowly clothes gave place to the design of customized furniture and soon she began doing her first interior décor projects: private houses, bars, hotels, restaurants and even the Rolling Stones dressing rooms in Rio de Janeiro.

With increasing prestige over the years, Mónica has participated on several design events in Portugal and Brazil - Casa Décor, Casa Aberta and Lux Décor – and her work is frequently featured on national and international magazines.