“Each villa is a visual history of Goa and its place in the world.”

Overlooking the paddy fields and rolling hills of Assagao, Inaya Living’s villas carry the spicy scent of adventure on the high seas. They’re nestled in a forested enclave built by Megha and Krishna Patel, a Mumbai couple who travel the world only to come home to Goa. Each of the three villas has a global design perspective all its own, rooted in the principles of sustainable living, artisanal craftsmanship and slow luxury.

The entrance to Macassar House is shielded by sunburnt red laterite walls, whose modern latticework design creates a beautiful play of light and shadow.

From the family room and balcony on the first floor, Cotton House offers an uninterrupted view of Goa’s paddy fields, coconut palms and rolling hills.

In collaboration with the project’s architect Ahsan Ansari and his practice Clay Architecture, Pavitra conceptualised the villas to offer three visual narratives from Goa’s ancient history. After months spent studying old maps, travelogues and historical accounts of the spice route, she crafted distinctive design vocabularies for each home. Using this, original artworks for Inaya were created at the Pavitra Rajaram Design art studio. The villas’ names—Cotton House, Cinnabar House and Macassar House—hint at the cultural riches from South Asia, Europe and Africa that have flowed through Goa’s sun-kissed ports for centuries.

Sunlight filters through the latticework frame to create a checkerboard pattern of light and shadow over the dining room. The modern lines of the table are contrasted with a vintage African Kuba cloth table-runner and the woven rattan doors.

In the master bedroom, pieces of traditional craftsmanship are layered with organic natural textures to create a cocoon of comfort. On the elegant four-poster bed are custom-designed linens and furnishings from The Flame Store in Goa, and covering the windows are silken blinds made commissioned by Pavitra from the Pattamadai grass mat weavers from Tamil Nadu.

At the entrance ‘Rivers of Goa’, a light sculpture by artist Yaazd Contractor, shines like a beacon of sustainability in action. The installation was created using neon light pipes and material recycled from the construction site of the Inaya villas.

In the foyer, a delightful installation of origami birds leads to the courtyard. The installation, which consists of 50 hand-crafted leather sculptures, was created by the art studio at Pavitra Rajaram Design.

Named for the prized textiles that made their way from here to Sri Lanka to Indonesia and beyond, Cotton House celebrates Goa’s connections with South Asia. At the entrance, a flock of origami birds dot the ceiling and lead the way to a jasmine-scented central courtyard. Sculptural art installations, dramatic clashes of colour and an eclectic mix of décor elements define this contemporary tropical paradise. The unhurried charm of eastern living is accentuated here with statement furniture finds, like a deconstructed diwan crafted by architect Bijoy Jain at his atelier, Studio Mumbai. Cotton House’s collection of one-of-a-kind pieces, like the limited-edition ‘Manchaha’ carpets by Jaipur Rugs, highlight the originality of Subcontinental craft traditions and the irreplaceable imprint of the human hand. One of the villa’s most breathtaking architectural features is its Balinese rice barn-style family room with wraparound picture windows. This expansive space is infused with warmth through textural elements, like the exposed ceiling, and the carving of intimate nooks for card games, cocktails and endless conversations.

The largest of three terraces overlooks a line of nodding palm trees and hills. The comfortable patio furniture is upholstered in vegetable-dyed fabrics that can weather the elements beautifully.

The living room opens on all four sides to create a wonderfully fluid indoor-outdoor space. This airy element is emphasised by the swaying of the custom-made chandeliers constructed from scrolls of handmade paper. The tonal colours, bold abstract art and cluster of khantokes in the centre come together to evoke a chic modern farmhouse.

In the foyer, the graceful lines of a Dutch-style vintage wood bench and custom artwork by the PRD studio offer a quiet counterpoint to the cool mint stone-clad walls.

In the courtyard, sunlight spills onto the pebbled mosaic of the in-situ flooring which features hand-drawn floral motifs designed by the PRD studio.

The TV room upstairs carves out an intimate space wrapped in the lush forest colours of Botanica Champa, designed by Pavitra Rajaram for the Good Earth x Nilaya wallpaper series.

Cinnabar House is an ode to Goa’s long history of cultural exchange with the empires of the Mediterranean. Designed to reflect a modern Portuguese aesthetic, the sprawling villa is a study in elevated neutrals and organic textures. The palette is a nuanced exploration of the shades of white, ranging from the cool mint cream of the stone walls to the warm café au lait of the limestone floors. Earthy woods, lacquered blacks and elemental reds stand out against this tranquil background. A thread of whimsy runs through the décor of the villa, showing up here in the fluttering scrolls of a paper chandelier and there in the motif of fallen flowers in the pebbled mosaic of the courtyard.

The bed stories for Macassar House were custom designed by The Flame Store, Goa. All the bed linen is made from soft, hand-spun natural fabrics in an organic palette of earthy reds and creamy peaches. The wood bench at the foot of the bed is upholstered in traditionally woven Naga fabric in a contemporary pinstripe pattern.

The light-filled bathrooms are accessorized with a host of custom-designed features by PRD. These include the elegant vanities and hinged brass bathroom mirrors, as well as the ceramic and wooden door handles. In the background, custom-designed ceramic tiles quietly steal the show.

In the courtyard, the Scherezade takht creates a perfect island of peace, ideal to curl up in with a book and a cup of coffee. This generously proportioned diwan was custom-made by the PRD Studio.

This bedroom comes together in layers of thoughtful textile stories. We start with the vintage Suzani, a traditionally embroidered wall hanging sourced from Istanbul. Next comes the island bed, styled with irresistibly soft naturally dyed bed linen by The Flame Store, Goa. The wonderfully organic texture of the hand-woven jute rug from Jaipur Rugs completes the picture of tranquility.

For over 2,000 years, Arab traders have conveyed the finest of Persian and north African design to the shores of Goa. Macassar House honours these connections by conjuring up the statuesque proportions of Turkey’s waterfront yalıs, the romance of Morrocco’s riads or mansions, and the graphic power of Mauritanian art. The villa is coloured in the muted shades of a sand dune. A rugged, homespun charm defines its décor. From the original Berber carpets indigenous to the Atlas Mountains to the hand-embroidered suzani on the wall to the powder-room painted to resemble a traditional Moroccan tent. There’s an irresistible sensuality to the plush textures, natural colours and soft-patinaed gleam of Macassar House.

The dining room is a gorgeously moody space, perfect for intimate candlelit dinners. The specially commissioned and curated artworks are a mix of b/w photography, vintage posters and botanical art. The metallic accents of the brass pots and golden threads in the Jaipur Rugs carpet add a dollop of drama to the space.

One of the upstairs bedrooms holds a charming little surprise in its walk-in closet. To evoke the romance of desert nights, the walls have been hand-painted with the classic stripes of a Moroccan safari tent. The beautiful bold lines are broken up by frames featuring delicate botanical watercolours.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

Talib Chitalwala & Ashish Sahi

“Each villa is a visual history of Goa and its place in the world.”

Nenagh