Hurting mother earth to build a dream dwelling was not Sibi's way of doing things. Sibi Maliyekal, whom hails from Pala was very particular that his dream home would in no way necessitate cutting and leveling of land, a fact that looked pretty impossible given the nature of the land he chose to build his house upon.
The 'plot' here was a bare hill top. And the owner stood firm in his decision to build it signature style, close to Nature, imbibing its charm. The task before architect Josna Raphael was not easy. She had to accept the owner’s demands and bow down to the constraints of building a structure on a not-so-friendly round hillock.
Planned landscaping
The highlight of the house is its well-planned landscaping which blends with the lush green vegetation around. The landscaping has been worked in several levels with each level merging into the other. The sprawling garden space and the driveway along it are the other attractive features of the landscaping. Natural stone paving on the driveway adds to the style quotient and allows the rain to seep down. The Mexican grass on either side looks healthy and strong and is a visual treat with its green spread. There are garden seats around where folks can chill out and breathe in fresh air. The compound walls have been kept deliberately low with a view to keeping the greenery inside unblocked. The main gate works on automation.
Like a huge wave
The first design element that strikes one is the balcony roofing in polycarbonate sheet which looks like a huge wave. One side of the wall has been finished in double height with cladding tiles adorning it. The spacious car porch has a poly carbonate covering. Tiles in rustic finish cover the floor of the car porch. The custom-built windows complement the wave shaped theme of the house. In fact, the landscaping, its layout and the balcony roof give out the effect of one huge wave all over the place.
The interiors are in several design levels. You have the public space, the private nook and the semi-public space inside. The designer has seen to it that the interiors are easy to clean and maintain. A sit out, foyer, drawing room, family living, prayer area, guest bedroom, landscaped courtyard, dining room, two other bedrooms, kitchen and work area are the ground floor features.
The floor up comprises a living space, home theater, bar space and two bedrooms. A lot of care has gone into utilizing the floor space to its maximum capacity.
Style and substance
The custom-made sofa set in leather finish heightens the ambiance of the drawing room. The gypsum-veneer fold ceiling with its stylish lights brightens up the living space. With its wallpaper decor and wood paneling, the living is the ultimate in style and luxury.
The family living stands overlooking the courtyard adjacent to the kitchen. The TV stands mounted on the wooden paneling on one side of the wall.
The cantilever style staircase winds to the living space up. The space below the staircase has been converted into a pebbled courtyard. The highlight of the place is the striking leaves-clad wallpaper that covers the entire stretch of the staircase wall. The handrails have been beautifully crafted in glass and MS wood.
The staircase landing has been tastefully converted into the upper living with pergolas on either side brightening up the space. No artificial lighting is needed here by day.
The prayer space has been done up aesthetically with CNG jali work partition providing the much needed privacy for the prayer space. A wallpaper in 3-D is the main attraction here. The dining space has been given double height with the upper living just above it. A pergola bathes the place in sunlight.
Aesthetically done interior
Though it’s an open style kitchen here, it’s enjoys privacy. The theme is black and white theme for the formal kitchen. The counter here has a Korean top. A small space can seat the family for a happy meal. A nature-themed wallpaper here is an apt setting for this small dining space.
The five bedrooms are an experiment in color themes. Luxurious and sprawling, all the bedrooms have attached bathrooms, wardrobes and sitting space. A sky-blue themed bedroom has varied shades of blue splashed all around, on the curtains, ceiling and headboard. The other bedrooms have orange and green for design themes.
The bar space up is unique in that a vineyard-themed wall paper heightens the bar-room spirits.
The night-sky themed home theater room has a stunning visual for its ceiling. Unique in every way, this house on a hillock in Pala is a style statement.
Know the architect:
Thrissur-based architect Josna Raphael heads the Dept of Architecture in the College of Engineering in Thrissur. With a BArch from College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram and masters in architecture from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, Raphael is an ace at experimenting with new mediums of architectural style.
Project facts:
Location: Pala
Owner: Sibi Maliyekkal
Area: 5000 sq ft
Architect: Dr Josna Raphael
Kavyam Designs, Thrissur
Email: josnaraphaelp@gmail.com
Mob: 9847632116
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