Scandi Retreat by Studio Tilt Architects

Aimed at providing a unique holiday experience are three villas nestled in North Goa, each conceptualized in a distinctive design style. The idea to create a stark difference between all three spaces yet maintaining a casual, breezy vibe that spells out a vacation, led us to fabricating spaces out of the ordinary with a home-away-from-home feel. The layout of the two bedroom villa with an open kitchen is one that reeks of unobtrusiveness and simplicity. This villa has been conceptualized in a Scandinavian design style with an overall minimalistic compass that displays a sense of lightness and calm.

The living area with a large, glass front door, an abundance of natural light and a double heighted ceiling is nothing short of a visual treat. The house has an open floor layout with the only major challenge faced being the lack of a dedicated kitchen space, which had to be integrated into the living and dining zone with ease. The layout consists of a living and dining space with an open kitchen and one bedroom on the ground floor, whereas a second bedroom and a den-like lounge space on the floor above which we converted into a third bedroom. We tore down a heavy, conventional staircase and went in for a sleek, floating, wooden staircase that adds to the unobstructed openness. We also broke down part of the wall separating the living area and the bedroom and opted instead for louvered, folding wooden doors that truly opened up the space. Teak wood rafters add to the feeling of warmth and perfectly compliment the elegant pitch of the roof. The soft, warm lighting scheme chosen is an extension of the overall tone-on-tone aesthetic and sets the right mood for the villa.

The overall Scandi palette features cane, natural wood, a monochrome colour scheme comprising mainly shades of white, ivory and beige. To add a touch of sass, we highlighted some spaces with geometric patterned tiles in black and white. The space feels light and airy, aided by the tone-on-tone color palette and has a very clean and non-fussy furniture layout. The sophistication of the aesthetic comes from its warm, earthy color tones and soft lighting that highlights the 'less is more' ideology. The wardrobes are kept minimal yet functional, with a perfect balance of open and closed portions. Dried pampas and pot pourri used instead of plants add to the cohesive aesthetic value. A lovely kalinga stone was chosen for the dining table top to match the kitchen counter with its soft, sand colored cabinets. Terrazzo tiles in soft hues have been used in the bathroom as well as for the bedroom flooring, to bring out the beauty of the lovely, handcrafted cane furniture used in the space. A mosaic of ideas and personally curated mood boards and material palettes resulted in this zen-like holiday villa in sunny, north Goa.