A Goan Retreat with Mint and Cane Accents
Indian sensibilities combine with Portuguese architectural traditions in this serene vacation home designed by Mumbai-based Studio Flamingo. Here, studio partners Esha Pandya-Choksi and Aashni Kumar share more about their approach
Design Anthology : How did you first meet the clients?
Esha Pandya-Choksi (EPC): The clients, a couple in their forties with two children, were introduced to us through Isprava, a luxury real estate development company. The clients had approached the developer to purchase a holiday home from their portfolio in Goa.
Can you tell us about them and their lifestyle?
Aashni Kumar (AK): The family resides in the bustling city of New Delhi. They were looking to build a holiday home to escape the trappings of city life, and Goa, known for its beaches and relaxed pace, was the perfect location.
What was their brief to you for the project?
AK: The clients had some functional requirements and some likes and dislikes, but we had a lot of freedom. The only real condition was that the home exudes a relaxed Goan vibe.
What’s unique about the building and the location?
AK: This home is part of a unique Portuguese village-themed luxury housing community in Assagao, a quaint neighbourhood known for its charming roads flanked by lush greenery and lined with homes and churches from a bygone era.
How did you approach the project — what design references did you try to incorporate into the space?
EPC: Our approach was guided by the clients desire for a holiday home where they could unwind and disconnect from the city. The objective was to create a space at one with nature, where the family can escape to a place of calm. To do this, we ensured that every space has a window or a door that visually connects to the outdoors. We wanted the design to appeal to all five senses.
Being a former Portuguese colony, Goa’s architecture and culture is heavily influenced by its past. We endeavoured to create a space rooted in Goan-Portuguese architectural traditions but reinterpreted with a fresh, unique identity. Conceptually, we treated the design process like a sieve — any idea that didn’t support the design intent wasn’t allowed to pass through.
Please tell us a little about the material choices for the space.
AK: We curated six main materials — wood, cane, glass, cement, mosaic and brass — but used them in a controlled way for the sake of harmony and balance. We wanted to create a natural vibe in tune with nature, so we selected a neutral colour palette. The repetition of these materials together with a tone-on-tone colour scheme brings a sense of rhythm and serenity to the home.
We also made an effort to contribute to the local arts and crafts community by incorporating large-scale fibre crafts across furniture, doors, artwork and accessories.
Which of the pieces are custom designed?
EPC: It’s not immediately clear which furniture pieces are vintage or modern, but all the custom furniture pieces have a similar language, one that celebrates traditional silhouettes presented in a minimalistic format. In India, cane is used extensively in traditional furniture, and we think that reimagining this craft in a modern format — in the bespoke cane bedheads and reclaimed antique doors restored with cane panels, for example — resonates with a new generation and will have long-lasting appeal.
AK: We also commissioned artists to create abstract pieces with no set forms. We created asymmetrical wall features with a group of slender niches crowned with intricate woodwork, a feature that now sets the tone of the home and acts as a backdrop to the living room. The compositions are a symbolic representation of what the home stands for — breaking the predictable routine and exacting demands of a fast-paced city life.
Do you have a favourite element or design detail in the architecture or interiors?
AK: One of our favourite design elements is the flooring. Inside, the grey and white cement terrazzo is coupled with a green and white terrazzo skirting inlaid with brass strips.
EPC: This is juxtaposed against the dramatic emerald green and white mosaic tiling outside on the pool deck and balconies. We wanted a vivid patterned floor and were drawn to bold geometric Portuguese pavement designs. It’s a visual feast that is still tied into the overall colour scheme for unity.
Images / Suleiman Merchant
