#HousesOfIndia Story 67 - Pyaare

A quaint villa nestled in the heart of Goa speaks volumes of the labour of love and attention to detail that has gone into restoring it to its former glory. With almost two years of restoration work, the 100-year-old villa adapts to the tranquility of its surroundings with a peach facade that blends with the colour of the soil and use of laterite rock which is the natural rock from the area.

Meet Elizabeth - the proud owner of this gorgeous villa. A well-known designer of Bridal Wear in UK, Elizabeth chose to settle in the beachy town of Goa after much deliberation between Goa and Rajasthan. Tough choice we’d say. 

She lives here with her four dogs - Bruno, Baby, Paws and Nancy. Her son and two daughters visit her every now and then. Elizabeth recollects a heart-wrenching story dating back to the late 1800s, when a Sikh holy man picked up an 18-month old baby struck with leprosy from a dumpster, took care of him and named him ‘Pyaare’. It’s what led her to name her abode ‘Pyaare’. She has taken tremendous efforts to give this previously dilapidated house a new lease of life.

One finds an eclectic mix of different cultures in this villa. From Rajasthani handicrafts on the furniture, to the traditional Korean ‘hanbok’ hanging on the wall, to carefully curated paintings and sculptures by Indian and foreign artists. The bright shade of red in the aptly named ‘Red Room’ adds a Moulin Rouge-sque touch to the place. Old-world chandeliers, golden architraves, baroque mirrors, and glass candelabras further add to its regal aura.

The entrance of the house is serene and welcoming. A waterbody peppered with fragrant flowers stands in the middle of the foyer lending the place a sweet fragrance. A majestic gold gate with filigree work stays open, welcoming people to a sensorial experience that the house offers.

This Photo Essay was made exclusively for Housing.com for their campaign 'Houses of India'.
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