Interior designer duo Neha Gupta and Sachin Gupta, the creative directors and founders of high-end luxury brand, Beyond Designs, are self-proclaimed maximalists; but the Goa home we feature here made them think in terms of spare and minimal — without veering excessively from their signature style. Neha and Sachin were commissioned by Richa Malhan and Anuj Malhan from New Delhi to design their 8,000–square-foot beach house in Goa. “As we’ve worked with them before we were on the same page vis-à-vis the design scheme for this abode,” says Neha. “The serene Coco beach, which the bungalow faces, was our inspiration for the residences’ pared down tone that matches its geographical context,” adds Sachin. This led to a home which sees clean and tranquil spaces — with whites and blues reminiscent of the Mediterranean style, dotted with subtle classical details, textural interventions and impressive artworks.
When the designers first visited the site, it was a four storeyed villa which was planned like a regular city home. Some areas of the house were rejigged and it underwent some civil changes before Sachin and Neha completely redesigned it with a Goan Portuguese flavour. “The home is laid out such that it takes advantage of the blue expanse of the sea. The overall decor is an amalgamation of exquisitely crafted furniture, unique prints on fabrics and European refinement. Even though white is the base, the property boasts abundant textural flair and an authentic, intimate vibe, owing to the use of quality natural materials such as marble, wood and local stones,” explains Sachin.
Most of the furniture, accessories and lights seen across the home is designed and manufactured by Beyond Designs, while the carpets were sourced from The Carpet Cellar.
A design detail that’s seen across all the floors here is the collage of family photographs and artworks — some customised by the design team, others picked by the owners during their travels abroad. The voluminous, double-heighted living room is conceptualised on the first floor. Here, a carved wood panel forms a gorgeous feature wall, with bespoke single seaters and sofa created by Beyond Designs complementing it. Meanwhile, furnishings in a light shade and a mosaic stone coffee table in blue and white add nautical freshness. On the other end of this space is an all-timber mezzanine that serves as a play area for the children, who also make the most of the spiral staircase designed which connects one to the mezzanine.
On the same floor the couple’s suite is accommodated. Painted in a sober blue shade, the room sees a four-poster bed and ornate wooden framed mirrors paired with modern night stands. A key highlight in the ensuite bathroom of this room which features striped patterned flooring created using local pink and white stones. A bedroom with a cosy lounge area and a bathroom with an attached balcony reveals itself on the second level. On the lowest level, two sea facing, white and blue bedrooms with balconies are placed. The ensuite facilities of these bedrooms open out to a balcony of their own — it makes room for an outdoor bathtub which gets its privacy from the canopy of a tree, and a green patch around them.
“Interestingly, the bungalow stands on stilts, so we used half of the stilt area to carve out a dining room, bar lounge and courtyard,” the designers inform. Surrounded by greenery and furnished with classic contemporary furniture, the bar lounge is a relaxed space with a leather bar cabinet from Trunks Company. Meanwhile, the upper most floor accommodates a wooden deck to soak in sea views and an infinity pool that seems to merge with the blue waters. Connecting all the four storeys is a vintage-inspired staircase, its landing spaces vibrant in a zesty mustard orange hue.
“It took us nine months to finish the project; it proved to be one of the hardest because of the constant rain and heavy moisture in the air. Of course, it was all worth it as the owners loved the ethereal interiors,” smiles Sachin and Neha.
