In Goa, A 20-Year-Old Villa Gets A Modern Facelift With Rooms Inspired By Wes Anderson And Charles Eames

Breathing new life into an old home to meet every modern convenience is an undertaking best pursued by those truly appreciative of the enduring charm and value of the old-fashioned. To retain an old structure’s integrity while infusing it with modern design requires a keen and sensitive eye. When Eshita Marwah of the Surat-based design studio /e was entrusted with the redesign of a 20-year-old villa in North Goa, the designer worked closely with the homeowners who came with eclectic and evolved tastes—Anjali Mody, founder of Josmo, and her husband, part-owner of Goa FC along with other ventures. In doing so, Marwah crafted a dwelling of incessant delight with design-driven spaces inspired by a blend of diverse influences, ranging from Old Goa to Charles Eames. 

Sitting on the banks of the Nerul River that flows into the Mandovi, Villa Marina is a 22,000-sq-ft home with six bedrooms and nine baths spread across four floors. The two-decade-year-old structure came with good bones and all it took was a mere refresh to its façade and extensions to balconies to bring it up to habitable standards. Keeping the overall shell intact and steering clear of tampering with character-defining features, Marwah’s studio then set out to upgrade the flooring and finishes of almost all areas before they began revamping the villa’s interiors.  

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The homeowners’ only asks were to be handed over a home with an immersive tropical experience through the inclusion of colour, texture and patterns. “The clients have eclectic tastes. They wanted something wild but timeless, and they had an idea of designing all six rooms based on different themes. They already had some themes in mind, and we stuck to four of the six themes. ” says Marwah, adding that they then settled on two Wes Anderson-esque rooms instead of adding a Kusama room. 

With an unobstructed view of the river from a majority of the bedrooms and social spaces, the home lent itself well to Goa’s irresistible tropical charm. The living room and dining area open up beautifully to the river, and floor-to-ceiling glazing to maximize the most blissful riverine views. “There’s no telling outside from inside because of the tropical-themed interiors,” Marwah adds. 

If the homeowners envisioned being engulfed in nature’s bounties at their soon-to-be-home, then this is exactly what played out. Verdant shades complement the sage-green living room with indoor plants and a nature-inspired hand-painted mural by Rogan Designs. Two social spaces sit adjacent, a larger living room and a more intimate and chic space, distinctly carved out yet united in their lush green aesthetic. 

The starting point for every distinct space in this villa was extensive mood boarding based on the pre-decided themes. Another interesting aspect of the design process was Mody and her husband’s larger-than-life inventory of furniture, rugs, art, and lighting that was already on site. “We decided what we needed, what we wanted to keep and reuse in new ways, and how to design and procure the rest so that it would pair with our final mood board and themes,” Marwah explains. In addition, rugs were sourced from Jaipur Rugs and soft furnishings from A to Z, while a statement light was custom-made by Mother Gone Mad. 

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The living room, for instance, is abundant in Josmo’s unmistakable furniture and pieces by Hatsu, The Wooden Story, and Gunava Design, but it also features fabulous pieces from Mody’s private collection. Marwah designed a huge custom rug for this space, while sofas in a soft shade of seafoam, a pair of handpainted tiger seats, and cane lamps lend a sense of being cradled in the lap of nature. 

“The day after they finalized the project and contract with me, Anjali was going to be delivering twins,” says Marwah, citing the challenge of time constraints since the family wanted to move into their home very soon. Still, the mammoth task of renovating the huge villa was completed in just four months.

A floor-up, unique colour palettes take over three bedrooms and an airy, sun-drenched family room. Two bedrooms perfectly articulate Anderson’s signature symmetry and quirks. Both rooms focus on a range of colours, patterns and prints, says Marwah, who used the existing couch, curtains and rugs to design the rooms around that. “They are all very curated.” 

The children’s room designed entirely around the Montessori theme carries a minimal look for the twins. “This room was designed to be clean and neat and takes care of specific Montessori method-related requirements including custom furniture and other elements that allow the kids to have enough space to move around and explore. We designed a custom floor bed and added some fun lighting and artwork,” says Marwah.

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In the master, a soothing shade of blue is interspersed with Wedgewood blue accents. The laminated wooden flooring by Magalogue, a quick fix to avoid civil work, replaced the older flooring of this two-decades-old Goan villa. Carpets from Mody’s private collection fit into this highly curated space with a candy-striped bed that aligns with the Anderson-esque aesthetic.

Given that the homeowners came with an extensive collection, Marwah admits that organizing pieces and art proved to be a challenge. “Many things were in storage and at different places, so getting an inventory was a challenge. I wanted to reuse and refurbish as much as possible to place things where they belonged as per their new themes,” the designer explains. It was also no easy feat to bring together the many different themes into one and ensure the clients’ personalities still came through.

A spectacular wall art piece by artist Tarini Sethi is hard to miss amid fascinating pieces of collected art and a custom Mother Gone Mad lamp in the leafy double-height family room. Furniture by Josmo and Studio Wood and a rug by Ambient Rugs ground this space in warmth and vibrancy.

Further upstairs, three more bedrooms beckon with their distinct themes. The first draws inspiration from the quaint charm of Old Goa. Since there was no real-time constraint in readying this extra guest room, civil work was undertaken to employ terracotta tiled flooring that brings the room and its theme together. 

Again, this room was built around existing vintage furniture from Mody’s collection. Rogan Designs was yet again employed to weave its charm into the room through the visual depiction of Old Goa as it were. The artwork is reminiscent of Azulejos, or the quintessentially Portuguese blue-and-white hand-painted tiles also ubiquitous in Goa.

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The next bedroom is a nod to the late, great American designer and architect Eames. “This room was designed around existing artwork and with refurbished furniture. We added more artwork and quite a few new pieces of furniture and lights while using existing rugs too,” shares Marwah. A lounger in the likeness of the iconic Eames lounge chair finds a fitting place here, as do artworks by Dhruvi Acharya and Dessine Art. At this juncture, it is important to note that recreations of Eames chairs are legal so long as they comply with certain copyright laws and aren’t passed off as authentic.  Even more intriguing pieces of furniture sourced from Baro Design, Josmo, Red Oak, The Wooden Story, and even Chor Bazaar find a home here.

Here, a raw wood table by Josmo, refurbished Natuzzi sofa, other pieces by Jain Exports and Gulmohar Lane, and a foliage-rich wallpaper by Elementto are excellent touches that tie in with the jungled ways of Goa and its wilderness.