Serendipity Media

Culture & Living

This quaint 100-year-old Portuguese villa lets you time travel to a Goa of the past

A relentless labour of love, former flight attendant Pria Watsa’s heritage home tells a story of careful restoratio

By Aditi Bhimjyani

14 May 2021

The charming 100-year-old Serendipity House is located on a hillside in the village of Reis Magos on the northern bank of the Mandovi River in Bardez. Some 11 years ago, former flight attendant Pria Watsa bought this rambling, weather-beaten heritage property and renovated it into a family home. The undulating topography of the land it stands on adds to its structural charm. Today, it is a well-appointed modern home that still stands as a testament to its past.

The old Portuguese villa opens to green vistas all around

Inside Pria Watsa's quaint heritage home

To back up a little, according to Portuguese land records, this villa was built by the Delgado family (of Indo-Portuguese descent) in 1921. And though the property once comprised a much larger area, where neighbouring houses have since been constructed, the original structures remain intact to this day. Reis Magos itself is famous for its restored 16th-century fort and church (the first in Bardez). The vistas, as you can well imagine, are something else.

Natural light uplifts the entire property

Old Portuguese houses commonly reflect the lifestyles and social habits of their original inhabitants. These homes are also famous for being labour intensive to maintain. For that reason alone, explains Watsa, many people prefer to purchase a new home and avoid the hassle of the upkeep of a heritage property. “But if you are able to look past the burden of maintenance, these homes have an unmatched feel and character.” And Serendipity House is no exception. At 100 years old, it is also a special part of Goan history.

As the daughter of a Malayali father and a Parsi mother, Watsa says she learned to embrace India’s cultural diversity from a pretty young age. Her father, Admiral EC Kuruvila of the Indian Navy, raised Watsa and her siblings to have great respect for their traditions. “But we moved so frequently (depending on where he was stationed) that I couldn’t say with much accuracy whether or not I belonged to a particular place. I eventually settled down in Mumbai, where I raised my two daughters and began a long and storied career with Air India,” she says.

The home features many perfect corners for susegad life

The sprawling pool

And then, after 35 years with Air India, when it was time to retire, Watsa had no place to which she felt an obligation to return. “I decided to begin searching for a home in Goa. I was drawn to the easy-going nature of the residents and the conviviality of the local culture,” she explains.

This search for a home, to put down roots per se, took Watsa through many properties, old and new, across Goa. But nothing felt right. It reached a point where she began to question her plans for retirement itself, until that one day when she came upon Serendipity House in 2010, as the name suggests, quite by chance.

It took two years to refurbish the structures and clear the grounds, after which the home was more or less ready to live in. That said, this home where Watsa has lived for the past 11 years is still an ongoing project, a labour of love, a work-in-progress, which continues to this day..

An Indo-Portuguese theme runs through the house

Striking Indo-Portuguese elements stud the space

Set amidst lush trees on a sunny hillside near the Nerul river, this bungalow had clearly laid empty for years, the untamed foliage and battered appearance a clear sign of abandonment. “But unlike the other houses I had seen, I could clearly see its potential and started to visualise everything I could do with the space,” says Watsa. “In all of five minutes, I knew exactly how I would restore the bungalow and reveal its magnificence. I fell in love.”

The inspiration behind the design was the house itself. Watsa considers herself lucky to have been introduced to Arvind D’Souza, who she brought on board as the architect for this project. “My brief was simple: we needed to restore the home to its former self, in form and spirit,” she says. Most of the design and refurbishment process for this home was the result of open and candid conversations between Watsa and D’Souza and his then assistant, Archana Kurien. “The restoration was not a simple process, especially considering the condition of the house when I purchased it,” explains Watsa.

The soothing living area

As per Watsa’s brief, Serendipity House was to be renovated into a family home, one that reflected her tastes and sensibilities as well as D’Souza’s expertise and professional experience. The layout of the property, built into a sloping hillside, presented a challenging but unique design opportunity. No themes or motifs were discussed here. “That said, in retrospect, if I was to choose a theme it would have been Indo-Portuguese,” says Watsa. Incidentally, Lisbon is also her absolute favourite city in the world. “My time with Air India opened up the world to me,” she says. “I am fortunate to have travelled extensively, and I wanted the home to reflect those adventures.”

The master bedroom, formerly a common room, features vibrant floor tiles

The vibrant master bedroom

Because the home is built into the sloping hillside, the elevation increases as you explore deeper and further back into the grounds. You enter through a grand staircase which is enhanced by its positioning on a steep slope. The arched entryway reveals a long corridor connecting two bedrooms positioned opposite each other, eventually leading to the kitchen and dining room at the far end. What was once the ‘sala’ (a meeting room in Portuguese times) is now the master bedroom.

This large master bedroom (the Macau room, as it is called) has jade and cream flooring and a dull gold wall, highlighting the rich history of Indo-Portuguese trade. Originally with a high false ceiling of wooden rafters, Watsa and D’Souza decided to open up the space, take advantage of the height and reveal the natural shape of the slanting tiled roof. The same process was repeated for the smaller and equally stunning bedroom across the hall, which takes influence from a more Goan-Portuguese aesthetic. Throughout the main villa, Watsa has used Bharat Tiles to add some colour and versatility.

Vintage artefacts complement the quaint vibe of the house

Interesting vintage artefacts complement the decor

Amongst the many interesting artefacts in this house are a series of twelve individually painted plates on the main wall in the living room, showcasing the Ten Commandments. It is Watsa’s favourite. “My mother knew an English couple that painted one Commandment a year and each year she would purchase a plate from them,” says Watsa. She waited patiently for years, one plate at a time, until the collection was complete. For Watsa, that is truly special. “Looking at the set, you would never know its significance unless you asked.” The same could be said about many other objects at Serendipity House.

All of the objets d’art here are of Indian, colonial or South East Asian origin, including a number of hand-embroidered hangings and tapestries and Japanese scrolls which Watsa found in thrift shops abroad. “Most of the pieces at Serendipity House have been bought from thrift shops all over the world and from bazaars in Mumbai. I find that antiques have a particular warmth and charm that new objects lack. Everything I have chosen for the house has a combination of utility and beauty.”

Artworks and antiques feature on the walls

Artworks from India and around breathe life into the walls

The dining area showcases many artworks by emerging artists

Watsa bought many prints, including those of MF Husain, from museums across the globe as well as artworks by emerging artists. Watercolours from Vietnam, Indian miniatures from Rajasthan and literally anything that caught her eye on the artist’s walk outside Mumbai’s Jehangir Art Gallery have made it to the walls of Serendipity House. Her mother in-law, an avid art collector, has generously given her some beautiful paintings that now occupy the walls of this house. Even her sister maintains a large collection of antique objects and furniture. “I am blessed to have a family with similar tastes and sensibilities to my own,” she says.

Heirlooms and thrift buys coexist across the space

The living room is decorated with thrift buys and heirloom pieces

Scattered across the house are pieces that they have given Watsa over the years, mixed with her own buys: old teak furniture, pews from an old church from Mumbai’s Colaba district, vintage sunburst cupboards and captain’s swivel chairs from Chor Bazaar, writers’ desks, and wind chimes (from her daughter who lived in Bali). “All around the house are pieces which reflect what matters most to me—my family,” shares Watsa. “When all of these objects and details come together, the result is greater than the sum of its parts—it is a personal home, which no brand can replicate.”

Watsa recollects an incident that occurred shortly after the restoration to Serendipity House was complete. An older gentleman, a doctor, showed up at her doorstep. It turned out that the home had belonged to his forefathers and he had grown up in the villa before eventually leaving India to settle in Portugal. “It was a special moment to be able to show him all the work we had done, and he was thrilled to see the villa brought back to life,” says Watsa.

The patio divides the property into two levels

The relaxing patio

Like most old Portuguese homes, the original washrooms were separated from the main villa. “These structures all had the potential to be repurposed and incorporated into the escalating design scheme to create a truly special experience,” explains Watsa. Amongst the most interesting spaces carved out is an independent patio at the back of the house, dividing the upper and lower levels of the property. In one direction it overlooks the garden and the house’s fully functional well. In the other direction, the expanse of the downward sloping hill.

All the bedrooms open to a view

A bedroom with a view

From the formal dining room, a staircase leads to two bedrooms on the first floor, as was common practice at the time the house was constructed. This was originally purposed as the private sanctuary of the landlady, Senhora Delgado, and her family. “In keeping with tradition, I chose these rooms for myself and my daughters,” grins Watsa. The two bedrooms open out onto a sunny terrace overlooking a garden. Watsa’s neighbour’s lovely silk cotton tree is clearly visible from these little terrace vantage points. With that are generous vines of bright pink bougainvillea and the occasional peacock strutting across the terracotta tile roof. It’s Goan susegad all over again: the trees, the birds, the scent of frangipani.

The al-fresco dining table echoes Goan susegad

One of the highlights of the house is the al-fresco dining table. It overlooks the garden, planted with bougainvillea, frangipani, passion fruit flowers and palms. “The garden is one of my great passions. It is arranged so that you smell the flowers everywhere you turn,” says Watsa. Raat ki rani (queen of the night) scents up the home by night and frangipani blooms perfume the balmy walk to the swimming pool.

The vacation home is open for guests

The guest room

At the far end of the property, on the hillside, once stood a small broken-down structure. D’Souza felt it was the perfect spot to create an independent two-storied cottage with a fully equipped kitchenette, two bathrooms, a bedroom and a living room. This cottage now overlooks the full-sized swimming pool, partly covered by a natural canopy of prominent old palms and teak trees among which nestles a hardy and aged jackfruit tree. “Serendipity House was meant to be shared with others,” says Watsa. Over the years, it has evolved as a homestay of sorts (though perhaps less rustic than your typical homestay). “I enjoy hosting guests while I am staying in the house and have done so on many occasions. And when I travel or shift to my home in Mumbai, Serendipity House is available for rent.” As such, it’s typically rented out for three to four months of the year, rarely at a stretch, though there are exceptions.

The well-lit balcony

“The house has a very special feeling, an aura,” says Watsa. She has already lost count of the number of people who have met in this house and gone on to become great friends. For Watsa, her home is rendered even more special by the people that pass by its walls. “Most guests who have stayed here want to come back. For that, I am truly grateful,” she says.