She has a weakness for colour but her strength lies in style. Stylist and interior decorator Isabel Hernandez Lelli works from the heart. Her fashion and interior design creations stand testimony to a perpetually ignited love for beauty.
With more than 10 years of experience in the corporate world in Europe and Asia, and an almost equal number in fashion and interiors, Isabel Lelli is able to bridge the gap
between what people desire and what they can carry with grace.
Although she is currently based in Goa, Isabel does not restrict herself by geographical location. Her work and curated fashion collections are sourced from all over the world, mostly leaning towards European and Indian chic.
It all began when she was a student, taking a keen interest in redecorating her apartment in Bordeaux, France. Her ability to create beauty with practicality and comfort within the restrictions of a particular space found many admirers.
She took her talent for interior design wherever she went. Isabel found herself drawn to all sorts of spaces. The designer was able to translate energies and ideas into dream creations for a range of places – bringing an ultra-modern edge to a minimalistic duplex in the skyscrapers of Beijing to hand-selecting antiques for an ancestral barn high up in the Italian mountains.
As part of her projects, she immersed herself in a complete remodel of the interiors, paying close attention to setting up and placement of décor as well as landscaping the gardens and green zones to intensify a connect with nature.
Here in Goa, she has completely remodeled an old Goan-Portuguese home into a cosy yet elegant haven, balancing furniture and art from her travels around the world with the charming traditional structure.
She lay focus on the garden and outdoor areas, as well as the ‘middle zone’ – balconies, sit-outs and porches – which are used as a comfortable space to entertain friends and family. It strongly emphasised the warmth of her home more than a showcase of her talent.
Isabel has played an important role in the décor for Earth Body Spa at Little Red Door in Porvorim where she chose the colour theme and usage, and also oversaw space distribution and the placement of decorative items.
Her fashion stores in Goa – Bebel – also found her inimitable style running right through. Isabel designed every detail of her boutiques, positioning retail effectiveness and product display on the same level as customer comfort, layout and overall look of the store to enhance the attributes of her collections and increase sales.
Her design sense found an outlet in the collections she sold there too. She melded her experience from her travels across the world with a perceptive insight into changing trends to focus on styles that were chic, trendy, and yet laid-back and comfortable.
Through Bebel, she gave her clients what could possibly have been one of the best collections of curated accessories in the country. Shoppers were constantly coming away with non-conventional items that her roving eye picked up from various talented Indian designers.
Her collections stayed true to her fashion ideals – chic, impeccable design and high quality – and she always looked at wearability and value when choosing items. This work ethic is strongly reflected in her interior work as well, where she combines function and design to create beautiful spaces that more than meet their requirements.
For Bebel, she designed two stores in Goa each bearing a different look. In Calangute, she worked with a small area, creating fluidity and the illusion of space that highly appealed to the type of clientele visiting the area. At her seaside shop in Morjim, she adapted to the flair of the area, easing into a more laid-back, young look that took after a chic New York loft and brought in shoppers by the droves.
Recently, she has moved to hospitality interiors as well, taking on the responsibility of conceptualising and overseeing interiors for Boca Loca, a premium seaside lounge in Candolim, Goa. She drafted the mood board and chose the colour theme of blue hues and white to signify the ocean and added a dash of colour for life.
Her inputs are seen in the use of bamboo for the restaurant’s various cosy nooks, lighting, layout of spaces and design of cabanas. Isabel was instrumental in revamping the look of the furniture and adding decorative items to give the lounge an easy-breezy air. The barnyard-style chairs and tables are given a vibrant touch with clean lines, rustic overtones, a wash of white and blue accents.
The beachside restaurant offers a stunning fluidity in ambience, from relaxed day-time restaurant with soothing views of the Arabian Sea to sunset lounge with lighting and an ambience that does not take away from natural beauty yet still holds its own.
You’ll find a mix of bricolage from old-style bamboo with the contemporary rustic finish of pinewood flooring and furniture to match. Isabel’s focus was on drawing the customer with efficient use of beautiful décor.
She played with the layout by mixing intimate seating for couples or a small group of close friends with ultra-long benches and tables for large families, that can turn perfectly into stunning locales for large events such as weddings or other occasions.
With Boca Loca, her talent for layout and landscaping is evident and Isabel was able to design different yet complementary moods for day and evening, even bringing in plants and greens to complement the design, within a very tight budget. The gorgeous beachside lounge is a marvellous showcase of her capabilities in interiors and she is looking forward to newer challenges of every kind – hotels, old Goan homes, real estate, retail spaces and more.
Isabel Hernandez Lelli is a woman with a dream. She wants to bring quality and beauty to people and places everywhere she goes. And that dream is certainly taking shape right here in Goa.
Isabel is currently looking forward to newer challenges of every kind – hotels, old Goan homes, real estate, retail spaces and more. For Further Information – Contact Isabel on 9923326324
Sinéad McManus 