In the contemporary lexicon, ‘luxury’ has become a ghost word. It signals a checklist of predictable features—Italian marble, modular kitchens, a perfunctory swimming pool—but rarely does it promise a genuine sensory experience or a deeper connection to place. For those who know, this hollow term holds no allure. The search is for something more resonant: a space that offers not just manufactured comfort, but an authentic and soulful sanctuary.
This search for substance ends with Vilāsa. Emerging from India’s most respected atelier of opulent design, Vilāsa is not merely presenting another portfolio of premium properties. It is introducing a new philosophy of living, an answer to the dilution of luxury expressed through the creation of ‘Signature Vacation Residences’. These are homes born from a vision of a more refined, more artistic, and profoundly more graceful way of life, built for those who understand that true richness is found in the quality of one’s time and the beauty of one’s surroundings.
The Vilāsa Philosophy: Defining Graceful Luxury
The entire ethos of the brand is encapsulated within its name. ‘Vilāsa’ is a word of Sanskrit origin, denoting a specific and nuanced form of beauty: a graceful luxury, an elegant and refined sense of opulence and comfort, often found in artistic expression. This is a crucial distinction. It is not the boisterous luxury of spectacle and overt displays of wealth, but the quiet confidence of impeccable taste. It is an elegance that does not shout for attention but earns it through its perfect composition, its tactile richness, and its profound sense of harmony. The Vilāsa philosophy is about cultivating an atmosphere of effortless poise, creating homes that are as deeply comfortable and welcoming as they are aesthetically breathtaking. It is a belief that the most beautiful spaces are those that allow their inhabitants to live more gracefully.
This philosophy is given form in the ‘Signature Vacation Residence’, a concept that fundamentally redefines the second home. This is a deliberate departure from the transient, often impersonal, nature of a holiday property. A Vilāsa residence is a permanent sanctuary, a personal gallery reflecting a life of achievement and taste, designed for deep rejuvenation and the creation of a lasting legacy of memories. These are not just places to visit, but homes to return to, season after season, generation after generation. To realise this vision, Vilāsa offers a range of homes, from palatial villas that command their landscapes to magnificent duplex and triplex apartments that offer sweeping views from the heart of a vibrant community. Regardless of the scale of the canvas—be it a private villa or a soaring vertical home—the artistic signature remains unmistakable. The common thread of rich, Indian-flavoured maximalism and an undiluted sense of opulence runs through every single project, ensuring that the Vilāsa spirit is present in its full, undiminished glory.
The aesthetic of these homes is a masterclass in curated opulence. It is a sophisticated and worldly interpretation of Indian maximalism, a vibrant counterpoint to the starkness of global minimalism. The experience is immersive and sensory. Imagine interiors where light filters through hand-carved stone screens, casting intricate shadows upon floors of custom-laid marble. Walls become canvases for significant works of contemporary Indian art, holding a silent dialogue with antique colonial furniture and rich, handwoven textiles. Every detail is considered, from the weight of the door handles to the texture of the wall coverings. This is a design language that is layered, intelligent, and deeply personal, celebrating India’s rich artistic heritage while feeling entirely modern. Whether situated on the sun-drenched, cosmopolitan shores of Goa or nestled in the crisp, pine-scented air of the Kasauli Hills, each residence is a sanctuary that is both grand in its vision and intimate in its feel.
The Provenance of Excellence: The Uncompromising Vision of Nip & Ash
Such a refined and flawlessly executed vision could only spring from a source of unparalleled expertise. Vilāsa is the creation of Nip & Ash, the revered luxury real estate conglomerate founded by visionaries Nippy Sawhney and Avinash Setia. For decades, they have been the quiet force behind some of India’s most spectacular and ambitious private homes, operating at the very apex of the market and catering to an elite clientele of the nation’s most powerful and influential figures. Their legacy is built on a foundation of discretion, artistry, and a profound understanding of the mindset of those for whom the exceptional is the only acceptable standard.
Nippy Sawhney and Avinash Setia have built their reputation not just on what they build, but how they build it. The Nip & Ash philosophy is an obsessive, relentless pursuit of perfection. It is a belief that true opulence lies in the flawless execution of a grand idea. Every material is sourced, scrutinised, and selected for its integrity; every blueprint is refined to a point of absolute precision; every finish is applied with an artisan’s touch. This deep-seated commitment to quality is the bedrock of the entire conglomerate. It is therefore crucial to understand that Vilāsa is not a secondary brand or a diluted effort. It is the focused application of the group’s entire wellspring of knowledge, passion, and uncompromising standards. The same exacting minds and hands that have shaped landmark estates via The Asavilas and Bottega Di Lusso, are the ones shaping every Vilāsa residence, guaranteeing a level of quality and character that exists in a class of its own.
The Creative Engine: The Bottega Di Lusso Signature
The most compelling proof of Vilāsa’s extraordinary pedigree lies in its creative engine: Bottega Di Lusso. This is not an outsourced firm or a temporary collaborator; it is the celebrated, exclusive, and highly sought-after in-house design atelier of Nip & Ash. Bottega Di Lusso operates in a sphere of its own, a creative powerhouse of architects, artisans, and visionaries renowned for providing a complete, turnkey design service to India’s leading industrialists, celebrities, and cultural tastemakers. The studio’s work is legendary in these rarefied circles, its remit absolute. They orchestrate the entire symphony of a home’s creation, from the initial architectural drawings and structural engineering to handcrafting furniture, commissioning monumental works of art, and sourcing rare materials from across the globe.
The involvement of Bottega Di Lusso in Vilāsa is the brand’s defining feature and its quiet promise to its clientele. It represents an unprecedented opportunity: direct access to a tier of design genius and artistic execution that is otherwise completely inaccessible, reserved for a select few at the very top of the wealth pyramid. The very same creative minds that conceive of and execute palatial estates for the crème de la crème are the ones personally crafting the story and soul of every Vilāsa home. This is the core of the Vilāsa value proposition. It is the chance to own not just a beautiful home, but a piece of an artistic legacy, designed with the same passion, authority, and meticulous attention to detail as a marquee estate. It democratises genius, making an otherwise unattainable world of design excellence an attainable reality for a discerning new audience.
The Vilāsa Circle: A Community of Discerning Leaders
Vilāsa is conceived for a specific and discerning clientele. These are not homes for the passive inheritor or the merely wealthy; they are for the architects of their own success. The Vilāsa owner is an influential leader, an individual who has left a significant mark in their chosen field. They are the Managing Directors and CEOs who helm successful companies, the senior political figures who shape public life, and the astute wealth advisors and financial leaders who command the markets. These are accomplished individuals who, having reached a certain pinnacle of professional success, now seek a personal life that reflects the same standard of excellence. They appreciate the nuances of true quality, understand the value of great design, and aspire to a lifestyle of grace and sophistication.
Vilāsa serves as the bridge to that world. It speaks directly to this clientele by offering a tangible connection to the aesthetic and quality previously reserved for the absolute top tier of society. It is a brand that respects their achievements and understands their aspirations. Owning a Vilāsa residence is a statement of arrival, an investment in a lifestyle that prioritises beauty, comfort, and the creation of meaningful experiences.
A New Legacy of Living Awaits
Ultimately, Vilāsa emerges as a powerful and articulate response to the noise and confusion of the modern luxury market. In a culture that often prizes the ephemeral, it stands for permanence, substance, and the quiet confidence of true quality. It is a bold declaration that the most valuable luxuries are not material possessions, but the time, space, and beauty required to live a fuller, more meaningful life. A Vilāsa home is a definitive statement, a sanctuary brought to life by the unparalleled legacy of Nip & Ash and the rarefied artistic mastery of Bottega Di Lusso. For those who have mastered the art of their profession, Vilāsa offers the chance to master the art of living. A more graceful life is not just an aspiration; it is a destination.