A stunning new holiday home in Alibag, India, demonstrates the evolution of luxury vacation property design through its thoughtful integration of indoor and outdoor spaces. Villa Iksa, designed by ARA Designs and developed by the Neelkanth Group, spans 6,500 square feet across half an acre of picturesque land, featuring a unique C-shaped layout that maximizes both privacy and connectivity.
The property sits on an exceptionally beautiful plot nestled along the banks of a flowing stream, with lush green hills on one side and dramatic rock formations on the other. Principal architect Amey Dahanukar of ARA Designs, who has completed nearly 80 luxury properties to date, drew upon his extensive experience in vacation home design to create what he calls a masterpiece of "relaxed living."
"Design enough holiday homes and you start to notice a pattern in how people like to relax," explains Dahanukar. "When it comes to second homes, we now have mastered what people like and don't like, we know what works and what doesn't, what's going to last and what's not." This expertise is evident throughout Villa Iksa's innovative design approach.
The home's most striking feature is its emphasis on layered transparency and connection. Dahanukar notes that "a second home is more about the outside than the inside," while acknowledging that "what happens in large homes is that people tend to lose connection with each other purely because of the scale." To address this challenge, the team developed a C-shaped floor plan where each space maintains visual connections to others.
The property boasts impressive amenities including a pickleball court at the front entrance, a swimming pool at the rear, six bedrooms, separate living and dining rooms, and a cozy den. The layout ensures that occupants can glimpse multiple areas simultaneously while maintaining privacy. "The public spaces have been designed in such a way that, when I am in the padel court, I can have a glimpse of the courtyard and a little bit of the pool, without taking away a sense of privacy," Dahanukar explains.
Upon entering through the main foyer, visitors immediately experience the home's signature "layered transparency." While the entrance space features vibrant furnishings, design objects, and artwork, the eye is naturally drawn to the view beyond. The first visual layer consists of an enclosed courtyard featuring a serene lily pond, which serves as a semi-outdoor divider between the living and dining areas. Beyond this lies a landscaped garden designed by Enviroscape that wraps around the entire property.
"Even though you're technically standing at the edge of the house, this view gives you a sense of the three layers of the house right as you enter," Dahanukar notes. This carefully orchestrated visual experience establishes the home's connection to nature from the moment guests arrive.
The interior design follows a sophisticated palette of muted beige and white tones, accented with rustic elements including wood, wicker, and soft furnishings. The structure combines concrete and basalt stone construction with natural granite flooring throughout most areas. Custom artwork by The Mask Studio complements strategic light installations to create atmospheric dining spaces.
All furniture was crafted on-site by Colour Coats Furniture, while Studio Assort handled styling and sourcing of decorative objects. The design team made thoughtful material choices, such as using wood veneer flooring only in bedrooms "to ensure that one can place one's feet on a warm floor first thing in the morning." The monotone stone flooring in common areas maintains visual continuity while emphasizing the natural outdoor views.
Each room showcases carefully calibrated ratios of soft whites, beiges, wicker, and wood elements, with variations based on intended use. The living room employs muted tones to keep focus on the surrounding greenery, while the den features woodier tones and heavier furnishings appropriate for its role as a gathering space for games and entertainment. As a three-sided glass box with views of both pool and garden, the den represents the home's commitment to transparency.
The six bedrooms each receive unique character treatments, including green paneling in one room, fluted wall features in another, and colorful furnishing accents in a third. "You wouldn't want to come into a mundane setup," Dahanukar explains. "Even though it's the common spaces that people spend the most time in while on holiday, the individual room still matters—even if it's just for that one moment where you walk in to put down your bag and claim the room as your own."
A core principle guiding the design was ensuring that the holiday home provides all amenities and freedom of movement available in a primary residence, regardless of weather conditions. The courtyard-centered layout achieves this goal by allowing spaces to feel both independent and naturally integrated. "Even when you're inside with the AC on, you still feel like you're right outside," Dahanukar observes.
Strategic positioning enhances the sensory experience throughout the home. The den, typically the most heavily used space, sits closest to the stream so occupants can hear trickling water. "You can't really see it, but the sound makes the space feel really peaceful," notes the architect. This attention to auditory elements demonstrates the team's holistic approach to creating relaxing environments.
Dahanukar emphasizes that human psychology plays a crucial role in holiday home layout planning. While client preferences vary widely—some wanting spacious bedrooms, others preferring pools nestled deep within landscaped settings—practical considerations ultimately drive successful designs. "You can think of all the whims and fancies, but eventually it comes down to the fact that nobody spends time in the bedrooms," he explains. "The closer the pool is to the living room, the more people tend to use it—otherwise making a trip to the pool would become a task."
Villa Iksa represents the culmination of ARA Designs' extensive experience in luxury vacation property development. The project demonstrates how thoughtful architecture can address the unique challenges of holiday home living while creating environments that naturally promote relaxation and human connection. With its innovative blend of transparency, privacy, and natural integration, the property establishes new standards for vacation home design in India's luxury market.
