Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla’s indulgent holiday home in Goa

With their large collection of art and objects on display, the designer duo doesn’t shy away from maximalism

Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla’s home is a reflection of their design philosophy – Indian at heart, intricately detailed and completely indulgent. Their sprawling holiday home in Goa was restored by the duo from a state of absolute disrepair but is today an extension of everything they love. “We like creating a sense of belonging where ever we go, bringing our magic to it. It is not about being perfect, but the imperfection that creates a mood,” says Khosla, describing his design philosophy.

As is typical with colonial Portuguese construction, the house they discovered came with tall ceilings and wide spaces making for an ideal canvas for their creative minds. “We are so restricted in the metro cities, so this was great,” Jani says. Not surprisingly, Bollywood’s favourite designers are obsessed with cinema. And it plays a huge role in their décor too. Their bespoke dining table has been created with old laser discs of their favourite movies. The movie viewing room has a ceiling-high library of nearly a thousand titles, from across a choice of film genres. Even the photographs of their collection displayed on the walls were shot in the same house in which ‘The King’s Speech’ was filmed.

Beautiful art and quirky things collected from all over the world are displayed in every available space in the home. One section of the ceiling has an installation of water lilies sourced years ago from a thrift market. “It has these extraordinary light bulbs, and we thought let’s put it on the ceiling instead of the wall,” he adds. Flowers have been used to energize the spaces and art plays an important role. A life-size wooden sculpture of the Narsimha finds a spot in the passageway going into the cinema room. They found the colourful piece on their travels through the south of India but stripped it off the paint for a natural look. “Our décor revolves around the objects, but there is a method to the madness. As we travel, we find things that add a new dimension to our rooms,” says Jani. “However, the inspiration for our design is always Indian. India is our muse.”