This 3,500-square-foot nature-inspired villa in Alibaug stands as the epitome of quietude
Representative photo: Pexels
At this villa in Alibaug, valley views sit in tandem with earthy, rustic interiors designed by GA Design.
Published on Architectural Digest, 8 August 2024
All you can hear are birds and rain, and the only colours you see from this countryside-inspired villa in Alibaug are sky blue and valley green. Making the villa ‘Ekaant’ (meaning quietude), a sacred space for a family of four from Mumbai. One where they gather to read, be one with nature, and of course, with themselves.
Designed by Sachin Goregaoker, partner and Shami Goregaoker, designer director at GA Design, this 3,500-square-foot villa in Alibaug is nestled atop a secluded mountain. Large windows make the most of the valley views and organic shapes, nature-inspired materials and palette are in focus.
A mix of custom-made furniture created in association with Rustic Home Mumbai, sit along earthy pieces from Bali and cane lights from Claymango. Sachin and Shami take us on a tour of the uncluttered home: the brief for which included spacious bedrooms, a study for WFH days, open spaces for yoga and for the interiors “a look that was minimalist bordering on bare, but warm and inviting at the same time.”
Creating A Material World
Ekaant was designed for its residents to relax. The focus, on easy breezy interiors, with light and wind flowing through. The designers say, “There is so much natural beauty all around that it was only reasonable to keep the décor as simple and nature-inspired as possible.” The theme reverberates throughout with the use of natural materials. Kota flooring and pale textured walls create the perfect canvas for a mix of exposed brick and wood rafters to shine. Cotton upholstery and linen curtains keep things cool.
Dotting the villa are custom-made rustic wood cabinets, bamboo pendant lights, and live-edge furniture — where the natural edge of the wood is incorporated into the design of the piece. Furniture is a mix of custom-made and bought from Bali. Even décor accents stay on theme — think woven baskets, terracotta pots and stone ware.
A precise attention to detail that rivals that of nature itself.
Bringing The Outside In
When it came to layout, the Goregaokers worked on a structure that was already standing. The key was to open up the bedrooms to make them expansive. They also re-arranged the kitchen and dining room positions and added decorative elements to the façade.
Spread across a ground and first floor, the villa’s aesthetic is rooted in nature. Reinforcing the natural theme, with a hint of quirk, at the entrance, two wooden ladders with rope lights usher you into a large living room with a beautiful sloped, double-height ceiling. The leather-finished Kota floor adds texture, while cane pendant lamps cast a warm glow.
A casual bar sits alongside, with the living room and bar opening up into a verandah overlooking the pool, allowing for languorous days spent making the most of the endless views. The son’s room, adjacent has the same open view. The ground floor encompasses the kitchen, guest room, study and dining room.
A warm dining room, with cane and bamboo lights, where the family gathers to break bread looks like it could have been transplanted from a villa in Bali. Perhaps because the weathered-effect dining table and chairs, are in fact, from Bali.
A wooden staircase with skylights leads you upstairs to the master, and daughter’s bedroom. While the colour palette across the home is beige, white, and earthy brown, tranquil green and grey appear in the kid’s bedrooms — giving the home pops of colour that reflect the valley green, and often grey-blue of the sky.
The Goregaokers sign off, “The USP of the home is that it transports you into a quiet, peaceful zone. No network is a blessing because it allows you to focus on the natural beauty outside, and enjoy the calm inside.” If a home reflects who you are, a holiday home is perhaps doubly important — it is after all, where you get the time and space to cultivate more of that ‘youness’. And Ekaant is a perfect example of a space where one can do just that.
