Most Keralites dream of having vast and spacious bedrooms, probably bigger than the living area, with all the facilities. Choosing to have spacious bedrooms is obviously a personal preference. However, the truth is that we use bedrooms only to sleep at night. Architects agree that the common man often feels pressured to include the same facilities and luxurious features that are usually seen in the huge mansions owned by rich people, without thinking twice about the exorbitant expenses.
In most Malayali households, people are drawn out of the bedrooms either by their parents or partners if they spend a minute after 7 am there. Its usually the Arabs and the Marwaris who spend the day in the bedroom as they usually run their businesses from the luxury of their bedrooms. They sit or lie down on the bed as they manage their daily affairs on a busy day. So, they mostly prefer spacious bedrooms with all the possible facilities. But, Keralites like to get out of the bedroom as early as possible.
We enjoy our morning tea while reading the newspaper in the sit out or in the living area. Meanwhile, kitchen is one of the most active spots in Malayali homes. The breakfast or other meals are had at the dining area. We enter the bedroom again, only at night, probably to relax and sleep after a day of hard toil. No one would then care about watching the TV that is mounted on the bedroom wall.
Even during those seasonal bouts of flu, one would prefer the cosiness of the couch in the living area rather than the cot in the bedroom. Who would care about the vastness of the bedroom when all you wish is to slide under the blanket? It is important to note that the budget skyrockets when the size of the bedroom increases. Besides, it would force you to reduce the size of other important areas in order to balance the expenses.
Some people insist on having separate dressing areas inside the bedrooms. In fact, you could ‘convert’ your bedroom into a private dressing area just by closing the bedroom door. In a regular house, the bedroom needs to be large enough just to accommodate a cot, dressing table and an almirah.
In order to make the bedrooms look and feel contemporary, materials like gypsum, plywood and LED light fittings are often used. However, most architects agree in unison that such bedrooms with over-the-top furnishings do not have any aesthetic appeal.
