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    Eshita Marwah carves a fantastical reality inside a riverside Goa villa of JOSMO’s Anjali Mody

    DEC 22, 2023 | By Pratishtha Rana
    The room is decked with furniture from Red Oak, A Wooden Story, Josmo, Baro design, Chor bazaar with flooring by Pergo, the lights are from Mother Gone Mad Design Studio with artworks by Dhruvi Acharya and Dessine Art while the fabrics are by A to Z; Photography by Ishita Sitwala, Styling by Samir Wadekar
    The bedroom has wooden elements incorporated with the furniture by Red Oak, A Wooden Story, Josmo, Baro design, Chor bazaar with flooring by Pergo, wooden lights are from Mother Gone Mad Design Studio with art by Dhruvi Acharya and Dessine Art and the fabrics are by A to Z; Photography by Ishita Sitwala
    The furniture is from A Wooden Story and Anjali’s personal collection and the flooring is by Nitco. The white vase is by Eeshaan Kashyap, light is by The Kaleido Store and the wall artwork is by Rogan Design. The soft furnishings are by A to Z; Photography by Ishita Sitwala
    The furniture is sourced from A Wooden Story and Anjali’s personal collection while the flooring is by Nitco. The white vase is by Eeshaan Kashyap, light by The Kaleido Store, wall artwork by Rogan Design. The Dhurrie is from Art avenue and the soft furnishings are from A to Z; Photography by Ishita Sitwala
    The room consists of furniture by Josmo, House of Things and A Wooden Story and the flooring is by Magalogue. The light is from Mother Gone Mad Design Studio and wall artwork by Rogan Designs; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

    In the carefree clasp of Goa, the gushing breeze is not up for discounts at Villa Marina, roosted right on the banks of Nerul river that opens into the Mandovi river. The grand abode of Anjali Mody, clamouring, almost echoing sounds of the local ferries ring a curious bell to ears at first. The very next minute, the ferry horns transform into a panoramic view as my sight gets fixated on the glass-decked open doors in the living room that reveal the riverside skirted with the home’s private garden just a few metres ahead.

    The nearly 20-years old home in the vicinity of Coco Beach has long been a landmark for many locals around. However, the interiors of this imposing 22,000 sq ft home were up for a grand change. And that’s when Eshita Marwah of her interior design studio /e was entrusted with its makeover, a rather exciting challenge that encompassed reimagining the visuals, mood and functions of the six-bedroom home across four floors. In her company, I cruised around the home, surprised, elated yet deep in thought, as I ticked each section in awe of how wittily yet free-spiritedly the villa is knit together. Almost too fantastical yet easy to the eyes!

    The furniture is by Josmo and Hatsu, the wall artwork is by Rogan design, the lights are from Mother Gone Mad Design Studio and soft furnishings are from A to Z; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

     

    In the living room, furniture is by Josmo and Hatsu, wall artwork is by Rogan design, lights are by Mother Gone Mad Design Studio and soft furnishings are from A to Z; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

     

    The entryway has the furniture from Jain exports and Anjali’s personal collection, the planter is from Josmo and the soft furnishings are from A to Z; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

    Puzzles of whimsy 

    Perhaps the first time, Anjali, designer and founder of her studio JOSMO, leaped on to the other side of being the client, the homeowner. Tropical and eclectic, as Eshita dubs the overall theme of the home, tells me, “Anjali and Akshay had an idea of designing all six rooms based on different themes. While they thought it would deter me as a designer, I found the task exciting and fun. They wanted colours, textures and patterns. Something wild but timeless. An immersive tropical experience as you enter the home!” 

    The wall art piece by Tarini Sethi acts as the backdrop to the muted toned couch and furniture from Josmo and Studio Wood, with detailed touches of the rug by Ambiente Rugs and lights by Mother Gone Mad Design Studio; Photography by Ishita Sitwala, Styling by Samir Wadekar

     

    The wall art piece is by Tarini Sethi, furniture is from Josmo and Studio Wood, with detail touches of the rug from Ambiente Rugs and lights by Mother Gone Mad Design Studio; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

    A roomy yet snug entry foyer decked with an antique bench and a preserved wooden partition opens up to the rest of the home. The lower level is where a sprawling living area trickles into a dining area, carefully yet vividly dotted furniture, furnishings and objects.

    Eshita calls the arrangement, “An organised chaos.” With the space being extravagantly sizeable, each room uncovers a distinct theme, and is named as uniquely, too. From Wes Anderson 1 and Wes Anderson 2 to Jumanji, Eames, Old Goa and Montessori (kids room). 

    The furniture is from Josmo, with soft furnishing from A to Z, the carpets and antique chandeliers are from Anjali’s personal collection; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

     

    The furniture is from Natuzzi, Josmo, A Wooden Story, Gunava Design and Hatsu, the lights are from Mother Gone Mad Design Studio, the soft furnishings are from A to Z and the rug is from Jaipur Rugs; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

     

    In the living room, the furniture is from Josmo and Gunava design, the wall artwork is by Rogan design, the light is from Mother Gone Mad Design Studio and the custom rug is by Eshita Marwah; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

    “I was deep into my pregnancy with twin boys and was looking for someone who could help me bring my ideas for the house alive. The pressure was to get it done in just four months’ time.” 

    The first floor is where the maze run begins where each room is a discovery of wild, whimsical and the unexpected. It cradles the kids room with a custom made twins’ bed, the master bedroom called Wes Anderson 1 and the guest room, Wes Anderson 2.

    In the bedroom the furniture is from N Square Studio, House of Things and Josmo, the flooring is from Magalogue and the lighting is from Mother Gone Mad Design Studio, bed cushions are by India Madhavi x H&M’s collection and carpet is from Anjali’s personal collection; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

     

    The furniture is from House of Things, A Wooden Story and Josmo, flooring is by Magalouge, lights by Mother Gone Mad Design Studio and wallpaper is from Macro Walls & Floors. The cushions are from India Madhavi x H&M’s collection, with the striped vase by Eeshaan Kashyap; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

    While an uninterrupted string of playfulness stitches all of it together, each room layers up different narratives and points of visual interest. “As one enters, a captivating blue colour with stripes-and-scallop design meets the eyes, along with vibrant yellow velvet curtains, cushions, lamps, the carefully picked furniture, and artwork on the walls.”

    Ambling to the primary bedroom — laced with evident Wes Anderson-esque hints — visuals of a statement chandelier light, a ten-feet wide bed, handpainted art on the wall and recurring pops of colour beckon attention.

    Furniture is by Josmo, House of Things and A Wooden Story, with flooring by Magalogue and carpet is from Anjali’s personal collection, with wall artwork by Rogan Designs; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

     

    The bedroom with textures brimming from each corner is complemented by furniture from Anjali’s personal collection and A Wooden Story. The wooden flooring by Nitco with the Dhurrie by Art Avenue directs the wall artwork by Rogan Design and soft furnishings are from A to Z and Ruby’s Signature to add a playful feel to the room; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

    Volume, height and fantasy

    A designer playground? An intimate gallery? A cosy pitstop for leisure and art? The double-height family room is a convincing rabbit hole for design savants. “The walls sit pretty in a shade of blue and they’re decorated with colourful art pieces and sculptures from Anjali’s collection. The hanging creepers from the upper floor, along with all the big and small plants around the space add a ton of green.” On the second floor, sits the Old Goa room, a quiet, minimal but wisely decorated ode to the coastal state. With antique-looking refurbished furniture and curios in its periphery, the walls are drenched with blue-white handpainted art, and the floors reveal a unique terracotta hue.

    Jumanji room is yet another world of its own. It is wild, fun and modern. The highlight is the delicate yet sturdy live edge wooden table placed centrally in front of a sofa. As Eshita navigates, at the end of the hallway, overlooking the family room downstairs, is the Eames Room. Splashes of bright colours such as orange and red, along with leather accents bedabble the room. Anjali adds, “Eames was the most challenging room for me as it had to be the most sombre of them all. I don’t do sombre very well. My general disposition is that of a maximalist, so exercising restraint for it was difficult!”

    The Elemento wallpaper drapes the room to go well with the flooring by Pergo to deliver a cosy look to the room. The light by The Kaleido Store and furniture by Jain exports, Josmo and The Gulmohar lane; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

     

    With a rustic feel, the room fills the walls with the furniture by Jain exports, Chor bazaar and wallpaper by Elemento and soft furnishings by Cottons and Satins; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

     

    The furniture is from Anjali’s personal collection, with flooring from Magalogue, soft furnishings are from A to Z and wallpaper is from Macro Wall and Floors; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

    The reality of unthinkable  

    Villa Marina is indeed a party, a celebration of confidant experiments, where colours, prints, customisations and art know no limits. With ast rooms and charming little corners, the home is an everyday conversation on the new-age diversity of design and decor.

    As Eshita sums up, “This eclectic home is a wild mix of materials made to look like they belong to each other seamlessly. We’ve probably used all colours possible but they all come together as a whole.”

    Scroll for more glimpses of Villa Marina designed by Eshita Marwah…

    The furniture is from Josmo, A Wooden Story and Gunava Design, with a custom rug by Eshita Marwah and lamp from IKEA; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

     

    The furniture is by Josmo and A Wooden Story, with soft furnishings from A to Z and the lights are by Mother Gone Mad Design Studio; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

     

    From quirky lights by Mother Gone Mad Design Studio, to furniture pieces from Josmo and Studio Wood, and rug by Ambiente Rugs, the space settles in the quietude with intricate details; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

     

    The furniture is from A Wooden Story and Anjali’s personal collection, the flooring is from Nitco, the white vase is from Eeshaan Kashyap with the light from Kaleido. The wall artwork is from Rogan Design and the soft furnishings from A to Z; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

     

    The twirl light by Mother Gone Mad Design Studio rests in the corner with the plants inhibiting a warm habitat to the room with furniture by Josmo, House of Things; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

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