Sanctum Of Solace

- Deepa Nair

Some homes are special — they may not knock you off your feet with ostentatious fine detailing, a luxurious demeanour or simplistic charm, but would captivate you with the many tales it holds within its walls. You can read them in the beautiful furniture and accessories; and uncover them while watching the roof or gazing out of a window. Soul spaces — as I like to call them — come by rarely in this age of spic and span, modern and no nonsense design. Goa-based Turiya, a boutique villa, owned by Sandesh Prabhu, principal at Mumbai-based Sandesh Prabhu Design Studio, is one such exception that will stay in my memory forever. For Sandesh, it was “love at first sight” when he stumbled upon an old Portuguese-style house in Canacona, Goa, in 2010. “Even before entering, I knew this was the one — I am very fascinated with anything and everything that is old and has some history,” he asserts. Being a Goan, Sandesh always wanted to go back to his roots at some point in his life. He tells me that he always loved Canacona, a quaint little village in South Goa. Canacona is surrounded by some of the state’s most beautiful beaches — Palolem, Patnem, Galjibag, Agonda — alongside over 1,000 acres of forest reserve, the Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary. “It’s the best combination of sea and forest which no other part of Goa has to offer. This area is what North Goa used to be like 20-25 years ago when I was growing up. This made the decision to purchase the house even more special,” explains the architect.