Timeless design, new holiday rentals ready for your festive season and more, this October

17th October 2017

A DREAM HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Some say it’s captivating at first sight. Others say you will get lost in its embrace the moment you arrive. Villa Capela is many things, but never the same thing twice – and it can be all yours this festive season.

Where rustic meets refined and elegance meets extravagance. All roads, the winding ones and the ones dotted with pretty little daffodils, lead to one this season—to Villa Capela. Located in a secluded part of Parra in North Goa, a spot carefully handpicked for its idyllic calm, as well as its close proximity to powdery sand beaches, popular bars and pulsating restaurants, this is where time stops, and the memorable times begin. Reminiscent of a Mediterranean fort, its doors and windows open up to a space that will take your breath away. Antique furniture, projecting balconies and quaint bridges that connect the bedrooms—and this is just the tip of the iceberg. The four-bedroom fully furnished haven features courtyards where you can bask in the sunlight, a swimming pool that spills into palm-fringed paddy fields and charming bedrooms replete with bespoke furnishings and custom designed flooring, that offer distinct views from every vantage point. Away from the sprawling living and dining room, the staircases of Villa Capela lead to one discovery after another, like the spacious terrace onto which the branches of a banyan tree have taken over. But it’s the sloping pergola where you’ll spend most of your evenings, sipping tea and watching the sun set between the hills. Here, you can get completely lost, and find exactly what you’ve been looking for. Villa Capela, now available for you to rent, is the only place to make your best memories this festive season.

TIMELESS IN A TIME OF CHAOS

While most are distracted by the fashionable and the trendy, Isprava is obsessed with the timeless, with design worthy of the ages.

Have you ever seen a picture of something from another era and thought to yourself, this could be something you could be looking at today? While glossy magazines propagate bold and contemporary design trends as well as an experimental mix of styles, Isprava appreciates classic, understated beauty that offers an everlasting appeal. Design that has a staying power. Never design that was created to be temporary. But design that was created to endure the years, and the varied style sensibilities that come in its view. Design that will outpace the fads and frenzies of a few, but captivate the attention of many for a very long time. Design that will stay as fresh and relevant today as it was yesterday and will be tomorrow. It’s neither avant-garde, fussy, ornate or opulent. It’s simple and sophisticated. It’s functional, yet not boring. It’s subtle, adaptable and belonging of its space and its environment. It features colours and materials that are traditional, the ones that have been created to outlast. It is inspired from the ages of yesteryear, from Greek architectural marvels to British heritage masterpieces—replete with strong columns, arresting statues and aged mouldings—the things that will always look good on any kind of canvas. It features natural resources and fibres—wood, stone and brick—that give a new lease of life to any kind of space, big, small or lavish. These are just a few of the indelible things that contribute to timeless design—the cornerstone of beautiful living, and the mandate Isprava swears by.

EXPERIENCE THE NILGIRIS, INSIDE-OUT

There’s something about the Nilgiris that stays with you, long after you leave. Especially when you experience Isprava’s Nilgiris, from the inside-out.

Once the summer home of the British, where age-old mountains, archaic railway tracks and quaint tea plantations reigned, today, ever more so, is the perfect setting for the 21^st century vacation-seeker. But not only for its lush beauty or gleaming Blue Mountains that stand tall on the outside, but for what’s on the inside too. That is, inside an Isprava haven. There is nothing ordinary about Isprava’s Nilgiris. Drawing inspiration from the untouched beauty that surrounds, the rich culture that captivates and the abundant nature that embraces, each Isprava home is a reflection of its destination. As soon as you enter, you will be compelled to stay. The climate on the outside will beckon. But it’ll be hard to let go of the warmth Isprava’s walls bring to your homestay. Nature lovers will want to explore their surroundings. But only when they are done discovering what’s around every corner and behind every bend—design and luxury that can’t be found anywhere else. Equestrian enthusiasts will be tempted to tee off at a nearby golf retreat, but only after they lounge long enough in the indulgent luxury that Isprava offers. And while all of the Nilgiris is waiting to be discovered, inch by inch, Isprava offers you the chance to discover it, experience by experience, within its intimate embrace.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ISPRAVA'S HEAD OF OPERATIONS - KAMINI GILL

From an art collector and antique lover to renovating Portuguese villas in Goa and now running the day to day at Isprava, frankly, like a boss, Kamini Gill’s inner most passions, and inherent talent make her a force to reckon.

Her mornings begin with a prayer of gratitude to the universe, and ask her where her heart is set on for a dream holiday home, and she quickly retorts: Florence or London. She’s brought not only her infectious personality to the Isprava field ground but also a business acumen and design sensibility that is set to take Isprava places, perhaps even Florence and London one day! In conversation with Kamini Gill...

How did Isprava find you, or you find it?

It was no accident that the path I was on for so many years led me to the doors of Isprava. I always had a passion for art, antiques and beautiful spaces. I spent many years managing my own family’s holiday homes, some of which are heritage properties which required significant restoration and renovation. After a lot of hard work, customized touches and an obsessive attention to detail, I was satisfied about ensuring an unforgettable staying experience for all my friends and family. In many ways, those three pillars hold up Isprava’s operating philosophy, and the company therefore seemed like the perfect place for me to be and do what I love doing on a much grander scale.

As head of operations, what’s usually on the agenda?

Well, everything really. The main goal is to execute the management’s unparalleled vision in a high quality, timely and cost efficient manner—so I have to be hands on with almost every aspect of the company and brand, and almost every member too. But that’s what makes my job that much more exciting. I thoroughly enjoy the process of aligning the internal team and external stake holders, from the architects and interior designers to the suppliers, vendors and contractors to ensure a highly motivated and high performance operating environment. This is what empowers me, and makes me tick.

What do you love most about the company?

It’s an extremely driven organisation with a strong collaborative culture. We here at Isprava emphasize a great deal on delivering and creating value. This is deeply institutionalized as the Chairman, Mr Darshan Shah and CEO & MD Nibhrant, personally set the tone from the top. Every employee of the company pulls in the same direction and that makes for a very fun and trusting work environment.

What’s your take on luxury in India and Isprava?

I believe the luxury space in India is still evolving. As societies become more affluent, luxury follows a certain life cycle. Initially it is about asset creation, but eventually it graduates to more experiential spending which encompasses travel, art, bespoke holiday homes if you may. That is the stage that pockets of India are now starting to reach. But it’s a space with very exciting growth prospects. As for Isprava, the final frontier of luxury for us is exclusivity. And that is the very beat of our drum—crafting highly bespoke spaces and experiences. Making each home unique to the owner’s unique taste and sensibility, often achieving the impossible blend between classic and contemporary.