Sprawled across a three-acre plot, this 400-year-old villa in Goa is restored to its old charm

When owner Jaydev Mody, a leading businessman, found an old villa in Goa in a quaint fishing village, he decided to convert it into a holiday home. Fondly known as ‘The Chapel House’, it is spread over 12,000 square feet on a three-acre land. “The structure was in a dilapidated state so I wanted to restore it properly and start using it as a second home,” reveals Mody.

He approached Meetu Akali, the founder and principal architect at Studio Momo, to restore the villa in Goa to its former glory. Now consisting of seven bedrooms, an internal courtyard, lawns, a swimming pool and a helipad, the home provides the perfect respite from the hectic city life, transporting the residents to an oasis of tranquillity.

“The brief I got was simple — restore the home as much as possible yet make it functional for today’s time and keep the interiors muted to create a clean look,” shares Meetu. In order to create a microclimate within the home that provides relief from Goa’s humidity, the architect punctured the old walls to make large windows. These not just let natural light in, but also provide ample cross-ventilation. “I like to create spaces that don’t require too much usage of the AC, and by creating large openings, adding a lot of plants and a water body around, the air cools down and feels less humid,” she explains.

As you step inside the living room, the muted colour scheme of ivory and beige makes way for the art, decor and architecture to stand out. “You are instantly drawn to the wooden ceiling first, and later to the owner’s vast art collection. The lighting fixtures are custom-made by us to match the aesthetics of this home,” she reveals.

Using natural and locally-available materials such as terrazzo, stone, terracotta, fire brick and sandstone, Meetu has kept the old-world charm of the home intact, whilst replacing what couldn’t be salvaged like the flooring, parts of the roof and more. “We opened up the packed ceiling to expose the rafters and attain its original height. For the arched windows, we added solid wood shutters to control excess light from coming in,” she says.

In typical Portuguese architectural style, the home opens with an entrance porch followed by a passage that serves as a waiting area as well as cuts down the sun and rain from entering the main living spaces. “In such homes, it is common to have a corridor that runs across, and we retained this so that most rooms open into it,” Meetu adds. The courtyard features an archway running around the whole space, supported by columns which were added to the structure later to carry forward the home’s design language. “We wanted to retain the lime plaster detail because traditionally in Portuguese houses, this material was used for construction,” she adds.

The dining area is a work of art. A massive 14-seater dining table followed by a small seating space and a staircase complete this room. “We retained the coral couches and coffee table that were part of the home, along with the two different styles of doors that typically depict whether the section opens into an internal courtyard or the facade,” shares Meetu.

The family kitchen features the original well that helps keep the temperature inside cool, thanks to the water in it, but the brick flooring is a new addition. “The rustic material combined with a white grout gives it a worn out look which we wanted,” says Meetu.

The original structure that was built using laterite stone and mud plaster 400 years ago, has been retained, with a fresh coat of paint added on the external walls. For most of the furniture, Meetu collaborated with Jaydev’s daughter, Anjali Mody who runs JOSMO, a bespoke brand based in Goa known for its functionality and craftsmanship.

The pool area is adorned with vintage furniture to continue the design narrative. The newly-added helipad lies behind the arches. From retaining parts of the home to recreating a similar look 400 years later, Meetu has successfully created a microcosm that takes us back in time in the present era.

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