#HousesOfIndia Story 49 - Curate

Visiting the Pingales' home in Pune is like taking a trip around the world. The couple that lives here, Sonali and her retired Air Marshall husband Prakash, are both avid travellers and art collectors. 

Following no set theme or pattern, Sonali has adorned this beautiful duplex home with artwork, sculptures and souvenirs both antique and contemporary. She is a collector and says she picks up anything that catches her fancy, and it need not necessarily be by famous artists or even expensive to buy. 

Sonali's interest in art and handicrafts spilled over to her professional life as well, and she owns a popular home décor and lifestyle store called 'Sanskriti Lifestyle' in Pune. 

The Pingales moved into this home 13 years ago. The only change they made to the structure since then is to break down one of the original five bedrooms to make the living room more spacious.

A home this spacious is a rare luxury in a big city. The Pingales' home has a few special features as well - a sun deck with green plants and wind chimes, multiple balconies and a large atrium in the front room with a ceiling that extends all the way to the top of the house.

Although the collection of art in the Pingales' home is eclectic, a lot of thought has gone behind the placement of each and every piece. Sonali says it is very important to have a lot of natural light in the house at all times, hence the large french windows running throughout the house, on both floors. A big fan of earthy materials like wood and brass, the colours that dominate the interiors of the home also reflect the same - white, brick red and bright yellow. 

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

#HousesOfIndia Story 46 - Heirloom

Tucked away in the southern suburbs of Navelim, Goa, with balcões (covered porches) and large ornamental windows, typical of and reminiscent of the state’s Portuguese heritage is the Da Costa residence. Currently occupied by the 4th generation of the Da Costa clan, the house makes for a charming picture with its compound of exuberant tall palm trees and two rescue dogs - Ginger and Pepper - at the gate.

Built in 1910, the the house as it stands now is the result of expansion - one room at a time - built over a course of many years. It has high ceilings for better ventilation to suit the Goan weather and the roof is made of Mangalorean terracotta. Hand-painted red and yellow laterite floor tiles and furniture made of rosewood adorn the house.

Hanging proudly on their Living Room wall is the portrait of Tenente Jose Antonio Ambrosio Da Costa, the patriarch who built the original house. He was a Lieutenant in the Portuguese Army and served till about 1943. The sword he holds in the portrait is still a priceless possession for the Da Costa family.

With chickoo, sweet lime, custard apple and coconut trees forming their small backyard garden, Maria Wilma Avelina Furtado, her husband Joseph Agnelo Ambrosio - retired teacher and banker respectively; their youngest son Nathaniel who works in advertising and also manages musicians; and of course, rescues Ginger and Pepper, currently reside in this 20th century home. 

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

#HousesOfIndia Story 44 - Susegad

Nirmala Sequiera, 64 years old, lives in this beautiful Indo-Portuguese house in Campal, Goa. She used to be a teacher, but is now retired. The Campal region in Goa falls under a 'Heritage Conservation Zone'. The area has twenty houses - eight owned by the Sequeiras.

Nirmala is a retired teacher, and now makes the most of the solitude that surrounds her in her quaint Goan home. Her husband Ricardo passed away two years ago. Now Nirmala spends her time reading, gardening and spending time with her grandchildren. She is also trying get back to her passion of painting.

The Sequieras moved into this house in 1974. The architecture is the typical Indo-Portuguese style you will see in this part of the country, and the house has 11 rooms and 2 bathrooms. Complete with wooden rafters and the original wooden ceiling, the unique feature of the house is that it has no windows! Every room has large doors, which when kept open make for a beautiful lit and airy home. 

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