Our Story
ONDJO
At ONDJO, we offer a complete experience for those seeking quality, comfort, and familiarity. We are the partner you can trust to solve your complex needs, allowing you only one thing: to rest in your own home.
Hi, from Janete and Luís...
...and together we built Ondjo with passion, dedication, and creativity. After growing up in Angola, where we experienced an intense and colorful childhood, we returned to Portugal in 2018 with the dream of creating spaces that combined beauty, comfort, and authenticity.
The story as told by its founders.
Our first ONDJO in Portugal...
It was a holiday home where we spent time as a family every year. When we arrived in Lisbon, we realized it didn't make sense to live there with three young children. We were looking for proximity to the sea, a milder climate, tranquility, and space to breathe, away from the hustle and bustle and traffic that marked our life in Angola.
This house was the first to be remodeled with the collaboration of architects and engineers, and it marked the beginning of our professional journey in renting houses for local accommodation. We were inspired by what we brought from Angola, investing everything in this dream: the first house in Expo, the second in Areeiro, and others in the Alentejo region. Although initially we thought about living in some of them, it was in Tavira, in the Algarve, that we gradually felt truly at home.
The change...
The move to concentrate all the properties in Tavira happened during the COVID-19 period. Luís quickly made the decision to focus our energies and investments here, and that's how we went from short-term rentals to long-term rentals, keeping only one house in Lisbon, in Expo, an area we love. Today, we have four houses in Tavira and one in Lisbon, all occupied and meticulously maintained.
Our biggest challenge was building our own Ondjo.
When we arrived, we had a plot of land on a quiet street near the school, but several houses needed renovation as a priority, since they were our livelihood. For six years, we lived an intense journey of permits, projects, works, construction, and decoration. We moved house three times during that period: we started in a small apartment, then a villa with a backyard and outdoor space, and we also stayed in the house of relatives, which we renovated.
Combining creativity, detail, and functionality.
Each change and each project was an opportunity to learn, experiment, and combine creativity, detail, and functionality. I have always dedicated myself to decoration, colors, fabrics, and African crafts, while Luís coordinated projects and managed construction. This collaboration brought a unique identity to our homes, where every detail counts and each space conveys warmth, welcome, and joy.
Homes that make life easier and nourish the body and soul.
Today, with our house in Tavira completed, we feel something we've never felt before: an Ondjo entirely our own, where we can enjoy every detail we've always created for others. Now is the time to share this experience, so that more houses can become true homes.
Every Ondjo space is designed to make life easier, nourish the body and soul, and transform houses into homes. It is here that we rest, recharge our energies, and inspire new stories. And that is what we want to share with you: our vision, experience, and passion for transforming homes into places that celebrate life and where your greatest treasure resides – well-being and quality of life.
Welcome to Our Home, which will transform Yours.
Janete and Luís
