The Verandah: A Bare Yet Beautiful Rustic Chic Home

This post is about a rustic chic villa located in the dreamy beach village of Kihim, Maharashtra. Designed by Kavan Shah Design Studio (KSDS), it is a nice reset to take us closer to nature; away from the prim and proper interiors you’ve been seeing of late here.

Project Name: The Verandah

Designed by: Kavan Shah Design Studio

Location: Kihim, Maharashtra

Type: Villa

Design Aesthetic: Rustic Chic

One day when we retire, we would like to go back to a community and surrounding like this that is free of pretenses, non-stop chatter, and a high maintenance house. A house where the boundaries between the interior and exterior fades.

A no-frills home where everything from the furniture to utensils are made of natural materials; a sustainable way of life. In simple terms, it is large house with roof and windows surrounded by a large garden.

This property has been rightly named by the architects as the Verandah. This villa set in the picturesque village of Kihim is within ear shot distance of the Arabian waters.

Kavan says, ”

The green surroundings, ideal daylight and western breeze from the close by Arabian Sea were our starting point.

Fluid Layout

The layout is simple taking full advantage of the space. There are no interior walls. So, one gets a view of the garden all around from the far end of the house.

A rough concrete portico encircles the main structure of the home, offering generous connections to the forest beyond. This also gives unobstructed views of nature and light to stream in to the house.  Windows are strategically placed on the eastern and western sides of the building to allow air to flow through
the building, and to ensure daylight can enter at all times of the day.

The home is surrounded by a lush garden that can be accessed through multiple openings. Direct access to the outside, either terraces or gardens, makes the layout as fluid as it can get.

There are no separate rooms for different uses. Instead they have connected with each other, aiming at producing the general feeling of spatial expansion. The area includes lounge furniture, dining spaces, and informal outdoor seating.

The kitchen and dining area can be accessed from the living room using partition doors.

Material Palette

The most interesting aspect is how large the space is, and how seamlessly the interiors look like a continuum of the garden. Thanks to the large windows and doors thrown open. The only materials that meets the eye are bare essentials: wood and concrete.

The furniture is minimal comprising a day bed and relaxed folding chairs. The choice of furnishing are again earthy colors like blue and rust that blend with nature.