For years, artist and make-up man Babu and his family had been living in a rented house in their native town of Irinjalakkuda in Thrissur district of Kerala, thanks to their ancestral house in the locality that was uninhabitable. But Babu faced an emotional discomfort of staying in a rented house in his native locality, which ultimately prompted him to approach COSTFORD designer Shantilal for a low-budget house plan that exudes simplicity and bucolic charm.
Shanthi Lal, an exponent in low cost housing ideas, came up with a sweet cute haven for the family. The house also echoes humble lifestyle of the family members.
It is hard to imagine that a sit-out, living area, dining area, courtyard, kitchen, work area, three bedrooms and a creative space are given due prominence in 1,100 sqft area. The open space theme lends an element of spaciousness to the interiors. The living room cosily fits to one side of the main entrance that lead to the main hall. The dining space and courtyard are situated in the main hall.
A versatile artist, Babu's ingenuity is reflected in every bit of interior spaces. His drawings, paintings and artworks are congruous with the aesthetics in the design and narrate an unusual sense of personality and aura of the occupants. A separate 'work-from-home' space is devoted for Babu and his wife, who is a beautician.
The irresistible charm of the abode lies in the inner open courtyard where rain and sunrays stream inside from up above. A water body at the centre serves the purpose of collecting and draining out water. This region is given a classic oriental touch with a beautiful mural painting of lord Ganapathy and curio of Kathakali, both artworks of house owner, that adorns the adjoining wall. Creativity has been sensibly used to disguise two unplastered columns that are wrapped up with braided coir ropes. This has helped the house owner in saving the additional expense of plastering the pillars.
The bedrooms are humble to the core with one of them having attached bathroom facility, while the other two a common bedroom. The kitchen is also highly simple in design.
An amazing feature is the pleasant indoor temperature when the sun is beaming in its fullest. The humble exterior outlook is quite pretentious in sense that the structure puts up a sturdy barrier against strong sunrays, keeping the utility of fans and lamps to the bare minimum during day time, the reason why the family always has low power bills.
One would be marvelled by the fact that the house owner had to shell out a mere Rs 14 lakh to complete the whole structure and do the furnishing. It stands as an inspiring model for many who invest their hard-earned money in unnecessary extravagance while building a home. Amid skyrocketing construction cost, this sweet abode presents a style statement to tread the eco-friendly road that offers to cut down expenses drastically.
The cost-effective factors
» Locally available laterite stones used to build walls
» Clay tiles used for concreting roof. Old roofing tiles reused
» The exterior wall of the house left unplastered while inner walls were mud plastered
» Limited use of wood. Old wooden frames reused
Project Facts
Location: Irinjalakkuda, Thrissur
Plot: 10 cents
Area: 1100 sqft
Owner: Babu
Design: Shanthi Lal
COSTFORD, Thriprayar
Mobile: 9747538500
Y.C: 2020
Budget: 14 lakhs
