Quirk Studio has designed Villa H a holiday home in Goa that retains the essential Goan ethos and also provides all the modern luxuries to suit the client’s lifestyle.

Fast-paced urban living and the pandemic have been wake-up calls for many about the importance of balanced living and well-being. A holiday home by Isprava, designed by Principal partners Disha Bhavsar and Shivani Ajmera Architect/ Designer Quirk Studio in the green lap of Goa, identifies with these themes of a simpler way of life.

Spread over an area of 2,350 sq ft this home away from home oozes zen-like peace for a Mumbai-based family in the textile business. Reflecting the holiday vibe, the spaces exhibit a neutral shell juxtaposed with natural materials and earthy textures, such as wood, stone, cane, rattan, and locally sourced art pieces. The designers inject their signature charm through an understated play of prints and textures, lending the home a timeless appeal.

The spatial planning accommodates living and dining areas, a kitchen, a dry powder room, and a bedroom on the ground floor. In addition, the first floor has the master bedroom, the guest room, and a serene terrace area filled with houseplants, lending a beautiful balance to the residence. Engaging with the beauty and freshness of the outdoors, the design opens up vistas to the greens through a verandah along the pool area, a cosy terrace, large windows and panelled doors; lighting up the residence in sunlight and natural air, accentuated by the double-height volume.

Upon entry, the choreography of the spatial planning offers to sneak peeks of the living room and glimpses of the deck. The expansive living room spills into the seating and dining areas, introducing views of the landscape on three sides. The interior is a neutral shell featuring white walls, contrasting with a natural river-finish Kota flooring that remains cool in the summer, creating the feeling of a tropical getaway. The highlight of the home is a sunroof with a suspended chandelier, infusing luxury into the room and transforming its ambience throughout the day. Below this chandelier, a pair of sofas, a lounge chair, and an ottoman come together to form a cosy sitting area, ideal for hosting a large group of people.

The Kota flooring in the living room, bordered with a black tile on its edges, flows into the tread of the staircase, which has a classic printed tile for its riser. A rhythmic pattern of wooden balustrades leads one to the first floor, where the designers experiment with the limitless possibilities of decor elements. Locally sourced jute rugs are used as art pieces on the landing wall to celebrate the Goan essence. The landing transitions into the bedrooms and a terrace.

The master bedroom is a linear space with provisions for a home office. Aligning the aesthetic with the residence, the room is adorned with neutral walls and playful Bharat Flooring Tiles in white and mint green stripes. The space has a dreamy ambience with minimal furniture, where a cast in-situ IPS desk extends to become the bed, with bedside shelves.

“Balancing the muted palette is the distressed timber furniture, which adds warmth across the room. The pedestalsupported dining table channels vintage charm with its texture and the cane-backed chairs surrounding it. It is the foreground of a custom IPS shelving unit that displays memorabilia and locally sourced artefacts, grounding the home through memories and nostalgia.” Disha Bhavsar.

Additionally, chequered, striped and floral prints add a playful touch through the upholstery of the sofas and dining chairs, the cushion covers, and ornate lamp shades. The artworks depicting verdant landscapes further underpin the idea of establishing an intimate connection with nature.

Vivid elements become art pieces, such as frames on the wall, miniature pieces hosted in a recessed arch behind the study, and an ingeniously placed ladder in green that adds a refreshing pop of colour. A walk-in wardrobe is lined with storage units featuring a cane sandwiched between glass in the shutters. It leads to the master bath with mint green tiles on the lower half of the walls that frame a classic wooden vanity.

Both the guest bedrooms carry forward the timeless aesthetic featuring neutral walls dotted with cane and clay art pieces, respectively. The one on the ground floor features printed flooring tiles with a centrally placed bed. The furniture pieces feature black polished wood complemented by rattan in the bed-back. “Locally sourced cane baskets continue the visual language of the room. Adjacent to the bedside table, the white door opens to an element of surprise, the bath. Departing from the neutral aesthetic, the space has terrazzo flooring paired with a yellow Jaisalmer stone on the lower half of the walls, which transitions into the vanity.” Shivani Ajmera.

The outdoor spaces — the open terrace and the poolside verandah are a reprieve from the confined, claustrophobic city life of Mumbai. Designed to create a distinct outdoor experience, the terrace on the first floor is a weatherproof and minimalistic IPS intervention, partially shaded with a classic sloping shed with Mangalore roof tiles. The hero material, IPS, is used to cast an L-shaped seating peppered with printed cushions along an IPS bar equipped with cane bar chairs to create an alluring setup for intimate gatherings.

On the other hand, the semi-covered verandah is layered with chequered black and white anti-skid tiles, aiding the functionality of the star of the show — the classic blue pool. In addition, the space features seating for vivid moods and purposes, such as a lounge for morning breakfast, a traditional charpai for an evening nap and a set of pool chairs for a day in the sun.

With Villa ‘H’, Quirk Studio marries its unique trademark to a classic Isaprava home. Its neutral palette, natural materials, subtle prints, locally sourced art pieces, and lush green plants craft a serene home that celebrates minimalism. Through a conscious approach, the designers shape a holiday home that is dynamic and responds to the subtle poetry of the sun, opening itself to fresh air and the joys of the small and slow moments of life.