With an entrance that belies the true extravagance of the Saraf residence, this little getaway tucked in a quiet corner of Cacra village near Bambolim in north Goa has over the years become a retreat and a collection of memories of the Saraf family’s many travels and adventures
The Saraf residence is just a few minutes away from the main road in the village of Cacra and the short walk through the luscious driveway barely prepares one for the exceptional experience that lies just beyond the main door.
To create a dramatic entry for the home, architect Gerard D’Cunha has used a curved laterite stone wall, which leads visitors to the canopy.
The main door to the house is, interestingly, cast iron grill with fiberglass sheet backing. Enveloping the entrance walls to the house is a narrow circular verandah besieged by circular columns.
Once through the door, the entrance lobby opens up into a double-height space and is connected to all other areas. It is then that you notice that you are actually standing at the mid-landing of a circular staircase and what appears to be a single-storey house from the entrance is actually a double-storey one built on a slope, opening up to wonderful vistas of the Arabian Sea. The staircase well is covered by a dome above and has a giant statue of Natraj in the centre on the lower level.
The first thing that draws attention on entering the meticulously designed residence is the expansive spaces and focus on both comfort and functionality. The architecture is defined by its slanting tiled roofs, ceilings with good height and spacious open decks, all of which have been accessorised with a confluence of art, artifacts and furniture. Shirish Saraf, the proud owner of the house, admits, “I bought this house that was built for someone else, but since the spaces are so well designed, I did not feel the need to make any changes. Every room has a panoramic view and spaces flow seamlessly into one another.”
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Mogal Dr Manjunath
Prominent International Commercial Law Seminar held in Goa.