A laidback vacation home in Goa

Get a taste of relaxed coastal living in this tastefully done up villa in Goa

Away from the hustle of the beaches, this early 19th century house has the quintessential Goan ‘susegaad’ vibe albeit with oodles of style. Comprehensively remodelled into a luxury four bedroom riverside residence for Vivara Homes by Raya Shankhwalker Architects, this villa in Bardez borrows heavily from vernacular building styles while maintaining an eco-sensitive balance. 

Cocooned by lush green paddy fields and swaying coconut palms, it offers luxuries of a vacation home along with the comforts of a residential property. The seamless connection between the surrounding landscape and interior spaces is the hallmark of the design. The home is designed to accommodate semi-open large verandahs and balconies at both levels. All spaces connect seamlessly to the outdoors. The property includes a car park, herb garden, staff quarters and a yoga pavilion overlooking a vast swimming pool that is surrounded by lush tropical foliage.

Raya used a very natural material palette for the home such as brick, laterite stone, recycled wood and Mangalore tiles with extensive use of stone and wood. The colour palette is a combination of whites, browns and greys that effortlessly blend with the hues of green in the landscape around the house. Pop coloured highlights have been introduced in form of accent cushions, rugs and art pieces.

Designed to have a casual ease synonymous with Goan living, drawing inspiration from traditional architecture yet engaging with contemporary elements, the villa is effortlessly chic yet comfortable.