This quaint house at Karukachal, Kerala, is a clear departure from the usual homes you are familiar with. It is located in a 20-cent plot that previously housed a 50-year-old bay leaf tree. Welcome to Nidhin and Lakshmy’s new home that’s original and aesthetic! They retained that tree and designed a house accommodating it. Interestingly, the house does not have a regular structure. In fact, if you look at it from different angles, you can see numerous shapes.
The house is characterized by several designs of exposed walls. The interiors are done in a rustic finish without the exuberance of colours. The wall design with offset air holes facilitates cross ventilation along with aesthetics.
The house has three floors inside as it has been built keeping the nature of the terraced plot. So there is a verandah, dining, open kitchen, workshop, and one bedroom on the basement floor. They have also arranged a veranda, living, courtyard, puja space, and a bedroom on the ground floor. A guest bedroom, upper living room, kids' bedroom, courtyard, and balcony are arranged on the first floor.
You can reach the main entrance through a small courtyard. The main door has been built in a sliding-folding method. It can be opened up as required to increase the size of the formal living and the courtyard can be part of the formal living.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that they had to cut new trees to build the house. All the windows and exterior doors are made of metal. For bedroom doors, they made use of old wood. And reused old wood to make stairs. They have only used customized furniture.
They have kept the dining and kitchen open. Dining has been provided with double elevation. Here, the window made of a perforated metal sheet is used for ventilation, letting in sunlight and reducing the heat inside.
The kitchen cabinet is made of a marine ply and laminate finish. So were the wardrobes. The bedrooms are furnished simply and elegantly to allow plenty of light and air. Nidhin and Lakshmy are a happy lot. And excited to greet the visitors who keep gushing about their differently designed house.
