The 3,000-square-foot house features three bedrooms, a living room, a semi-covered dining room, kitchen, and a staff-room with a separate studio cottage. The client, being a couple, wanted a second home and more importantly a space to reflect a comforting, relaxed aesthetics that would be simpatico with the holiday-vibe of the region.
Nyrika and Yeshwant are very homely people and love to host and cook for their guests. The design of the house is an extension of their lifestyle. There are plenty of entertainment areas in the house, each space reflecting its own unique character.
The original house was submerged underground by about a meter. The main challenge was to work with the topography around the house. The house is made up of stone and mud, so the restoration work had to have a careful and sensitive approach. The original house didn’t have enough light and cross-ventilation, so several openings, doors and windows were added along with retaining the approximately 30-foot high ceiling.
Studio Momo worked with locally available natural stones, with the columns, steps and water-bodies all carved from laterite stone. Natural stone flooring is used throughout the house. Terracotta tiles have been used in the verandah, courtyard and other open areas.
Organic hardwax oil and bees-wax, developed by our in-house company, Chalkbarn, has been used to coat the interior and exterior wooden surfaces.
A state-of-the-art water system has been cleverly hidden within the design, which not only filters, but increases the economy of water usage.
Designers at Studio Momo were very inspired by the blue lime plaster that was used by the Portuguese in Goa. They have re-created that look by mixing indigo pigment with lime wash in certain areas. The overall colour palette of the house is very neutral and earthy, and the indigo accent lends a vibrant and royal look to the palette.
The furniture has been sourced from different parts of the country, with some of the furniture being found at various antique stores in Goa and restored by Studio Momo’s in-house carpentry team. Nyrika and Yeshwant found a beautiful door, carved from teak with brass details, during their travels and this has been used in the guest bedroom.
Project: Charao
Firm: Studio Momo
Principal Designer: Gurmeet Akali
Website: https://www.momo-studios.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studio.momo
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