A 70-year-old family home inspires the layout of the owners’ new bungalow in Kerala

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A 70-year-old family home inspires the layout of the owners’ new bungalow in Kerala

Most new homeowners are accustomed to compliments—the kind that gush over their impeccable design choices, chic décor, and a kitchen so picture-perfect it’s practically a shrine to Pinterest. Designer Jishnu Vijay, however, experienced a different kind of flattery. “Someone mistook it for a movie theatre,” he guffaws when asked what kind. To be fair, the home, situated on green farmland with towering trees and open skies, wasn’t like anything nearby—or anything remotely within driving distance. “It was an enormous novelty in a village like Thamarakulam,” continues the co-founder of Kerala-based Idam Design Studio, who grew up in a 70-year-old home just a few metres away on the very same landscape. “Our old home had dark rooms and narrow corridors, and we’d sort of outgrown the place. But the land was too dear, and building nearby felt like we were being faithful to its spirit.” With faith came fear—leading Jishnu and fellow team members, architects Prijith Vijayan and Govind Mohan, to create a methodical mental checklist: tall ceilings, open layouts, minimum walls, lots of ventilation, and sunlight. In short, everything the old house was not.

Made for Family

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The facade unfolds in surprising parallelograms. “It’s as if two cuboids exploded out of each other—slightly misaligned, yet firmly grounded,” says Jishnu.

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“Through the many windows, we are greeted with different views of the outside world,” says Vijayan.

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As farmers, the family—comprising Jishnu, his brother Vishnu, their parents, Vijayan and Beena, and their pet dog, Piku—held a deep respect for the land, and their reverence for nature, by the same token, served as the lodestar for the design. “Their lives have always been steeped in the landscape, and this served as inspiration to design a home that allowed the elements to flow in and out naturally,” says Prijith. It wasn’t just the elements that were welcomed across thresholds—people were too. While the old home, with its walls and low ceilings, separated people into private corners, the new home brought them together. The walls that were created—few as they were—were inspired by the trees: standing tall and breathing freely while still rooted to the ground. “The home became a fun study of height and volume,” Govind shares, adding that the two double-height brick jalis on either side serve as welcoming inlets for the breeze, cooling the home on torrid days. Of course, achieving them wasn’t without its challenges. “They needed to stand four metres high and there were concerns about their stability,” Govind adds. “We resorted to interlocking standard brick with jali brick to reinforce the structure’s width.”

An Ode to Nature

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The hole in the (living room) wall is perfect for reading and reflection.

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The living room sweeps outward and upward, the open plan connecting to the dining area and kitchen. “The layout encourages communication and shared experiences, yet offers quiet nooks for contemplation,” says Prijith.Out of Focus

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The sofa is from Fairy Tales Furniture and Interior Studio, while the carpet and throw are West Elm India finds.

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For a bungalow in Kerala like this—one that bowed reverently to the land—it was essential that nothing detract from the true star: nature. The living room was therefore calmed with a cement finish, while the reading area was enlivened with red oxide and a jali-inlay floor—a contrast to the tiled flooring elsewhere. The sea was channeled in one bedroom with a Prussian blue accent wall, while the exterior was muted in grey. As for the décor, the design team drew inspiration from history. Traditional terracotta pots, like those once used by Jishnu’s grandparents, took pride of place on the dining table, and an old arippetti—a box traditionally used to store rice—salvaged from the old house, was repurposed into a coffee table. The design team also reused Mangalore tiles from the cowshed for the retaining walls of the garden.

All in the Mind

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The open kitchen is the heart of the home. “We love the double island,” says Beena. “It has let us discover the joy of cooking together.”

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Two full-height jali walls envelop the dining area, allowing for excellent cross-ventilation, while inclined concrete slabs cast sunlit tapestries across the Concrete Factory table. “The space is bathed in natural light, but the height keeps the room cool,” says Govind.

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Red oxide walls in the reading room open to a verdant sit-out.

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For all the praise coming their way Vijayan admits that the architecture wasn’t exactly what he or Beena had envisioned. “At least not at first,” he says. “We initially struggled to accept the design, which broke away from conventional norms. The question, ‘How can a house look like this?’ echoed in our minds.” Jishnu confesses that it was a journey. “The local masons, carpenters, and contractors from the village were heroes. Despite never having worked on something like this before, they showed remarkable trust and courage in collaborating on the project,” he notes. Ask Vijayan if the risk paid off, and he nods emphatically. “We were skeptical, but the final result is quite something,” he avers, before putting a finer point on the subject. “Waking up to see greenery through our windows is great, but what’s even greater is that we achieved it without losing many trees.” If Piku’s ever-flapping tail is anything to go by, it’s safe to assume that it isn’t just the humans that are thrilled. “She’s got a view to everywhere: the outdoors, each room, and even the kitchen. She always knows what’s going on before anyone else,” laughs Beena. It’s been a while since anyone mistook this bungalow in Kerala for a cinema hall, but Vijayan says the attention hasn’t waned. “Many people knock, requesting to see the home or take photos. We don’t mind them—in fact, we’ve never felt prouder,” he says.

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Prussian blue lends the master bedroom the spirit of the briny deep.

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A serene window allows for ample natural light to enter the home.

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Also read: This renovated retreat in Kerala reminds you of your grandmother’s modest house

Also read: This 3,500-square-foot bungalow in Kerala’s Karunagappally is an oasis in nature

Also read: This 4,500-square-foot villa in Chennai harks back to the Allepey backwaters in Kerala

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