Homes

This villa will make you yearn for good ol’ laid-back living in Goa

JUL 18, 2016 | By Nupur Ashok Sarvaiya
(L-R) The bathtub from Kohler lends a clean, sophisticated look to the bathroom ; The centre table was sourced from Jodhpur and chairs were designed in house and executed by Raya Shankhwalker Architects’ team of contractors ; The villa is primarily in off white, beige, brown and green thanks to the vegetation surrounding it ; The living room displays a sofa that was designed in-house and executed by Raya Shankhwalker Architects’ team of contractors. It boasts of a solid wood framework and is upholstered with a linen fabric ; The first flight of stairs is a masonary staircase finished in IPS that transitions into the lighter second flight with a steel framework with wooden treads ; Photographs by Harshan Thomson

In keeping with the simple needs of the Goan life, Raya Shankhwalker Architects envision a stylish field-side villa that makes for a tasteful addition in Assagao, North Goa.

From the colour palette, materials used in its construction to the furniture peppered in the space…every element was incorporated for a seamless flow of easy-going aura the state of Goa evokes.

On the overall design of the villa, Raya avers, “The villa was designed with a simple tropical aesthetic and quaint Goan ambience.

Most key rooms give a picturesque view of the paddy field outside along with the semi-open large verandahs at both levels. The interiors of the house boasts a minimal contemporary style mixed with eclectic pieces. All spaces are well lit and seamlessly connect to the outdoors.”

To create a space that is comfortable, illuminated and ventilated, while being styled in a culture sensitive contemporary manner, Raya reveals, “We achieved this through by using a combination of natural materials on the floor that are both casual and comfortable but look extremely chic and stylish when combined with clean off white walls. The much needed dash of colour to brighten up the mood was added with accent cushions, rugs and art pieces.”

The colour palette used throughout the space is a combination of white, beige and timber. The area fusing modest design with natural elements like wood and earthy tones was a well-advised decision.

“This approach is extremely suitable to tropical living and it effortlessly blends with the hues of green in the landscape around the house,” he adds.

Raya also discloses that the challenge is always in finding the right kind of materials and objects for a project, which as per their practice is sourced from across the country. “In this project too we have sourced materials and objects from Rajasthan, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru,” he cites.