This abode built in Idukki to feel nature is inspired by song, 'Malamele...'

The house, a weekend getaway for Rijoy and Varna, a couple from Fort Kochi, is a tiny tower house built on a hilltop in Irattayar. The film 'Maheshinte Prathikaram,' specifically the song 'Malamele Thirivachu,' and a documentary about tiny homes in the UK, inspired the couple to build their dream home in Idukki. The visuals of the song evoked the cool climate of Idukki, even from their residence in Qatar.

Initially, they built an A-frame house, which they sold at a profit to a friend. They then acquired a half-acre plot in Irattayar and constructed this more spacious house. The property is surrounded by coffee, cardamom, and pepper plantations. The couple desired a signature home, and the wife suggested a tower house model, suitable for the region's rainy and misty climate.

The house features an Athamkudi tile-laid sit-out and an aluminium-framed glass front door leading to a minimal interior. The ground floor consists of a hall (which can be used as a living, dining, and kitchen area) and a bathroom. Upstairs, accessible via stairs, is the bedroom with glass windows on all sides and a stunning open balcony offering breathtaking views of the surrounding greenery, hills, and mist.

This 870-square-foot tiny house cost approximately ₹ 20 lakh including the main structure and furnishings. It's a prefabricated house, built in three months, offering several advantages: quick construction, light on the land, suitability for challenging terrains, and the possibility of adding, rearranging, or even dismantling and relocating the structure. The structure is made of GI framework and fibre cement, allowing for steel and iron to be reused or resold.