This group of shops does not sell the type of merchandise implied by its name (“Red Light House”), but it certainly supplies its customers with a lot of amusement.

Spunky, on Casa da Luz Vermelha’s ground floor, caters to the skate and BMX crowd by stocking funky equipment, t-shirts and sneakers. Upstairs, the vintage clothing shop Legado Acervo shows off a collection hand-picked by its owner Lady Fernanda. The backyard café/bar Cash provides some much-needed respite from all the shopping: its walls are painted with graffiti and it sits next to an art gallery.

In fact, art is everywhere at the Casa. Posters, photos, drawings, magazine pictures, ancient ads—the overall effect is both chaotic and strangely harmonious. Suddenly it feels comfortable to sip a coffee while sitting on a cushioned bidet and staring a picture of Iggy Pop that is surrounded by cooking recipes.

Visit Casa da Luz Vermelha’s blog to find out about its sporadic but equally life-affirming parties.