This renovated Alappuzha house retains the essence of Kerala

Unnikrishnan, a teacher, always loved to live in a beautiful house which emanated the serene charm of the traditional architectural style. He wanted its unique features to inspire nostalgia of an enchanting past and sheer joy among people. The family had initially decided to demolish the old ancestral house and build a brand new house in its place.

However, as the members shared a great emotional connect with the 600 sq ft quaint house and they didn’t want to demolish it. It was then the decision to renovate it by retaining the original structure took shape. But architects Mithun Balan and Arun convinced them about the difficulties of retaining the old structure which has already showed signs of decay. The family, now, proudly show around their 1600 sq ft renovated house, built within a reasonable budget of Rs 20 lakh. Some parts of the house were demolished and few other features were added to transform the house into a unique dwelling, which elicited the traditional charm, while offering comforts of all the modern facilities.

The colour of the sand in the front and the back yards and the sit-out projecting to the front of the façade are the highlights of this scintillating house built in traditional style. The earthy shade that adorns the elevation amazingly complements the surrounding lush greenery. The laterite stones on the pillars in the front aren’t plastered with cement, to give it an effect of a mud house. As it was extremely difficult to renovate the old structure, only a few walls of it are retained. The floor of the old house too has been retained which play a major role in giving a rustic charm to the beautiful house. The new house is perfectly designed in the traditional architectural style as per the wishes of Unnikrishnan.

The new house has been built by including all the necessary modern facilities. Most of the materials from the old house were reused while constructing the new one. Old furniture are renewed with new upholstery work and used again. The interiors of the old house weren’t spacious and natural light shied away from entering it. There were just a hall, verandah, kitchen and two bedrooms in the old structure. Meanwhile, the new house has formal and family living areas, dining space, kitchen and four bedrooms.

The pleasant shade of off - white lights up the interior spaces making it look amazing and spacious as well. The spaces are designed meticulously giving prime importance to utility and facilities. The living – dining areas are arranged beside the entrance door. The interiors, designed in the open style, make the spaces look vast and spacious. The elongated verandah is another striking feature of this house. Unnikrishnan possesses an impressive collection of antique objects which are exclusive and incredibly special as well. So the family didn’t have to go shop hopping to buy interesting curios to decorate the interiors.

Among the many factors which helped reduce the expenses, reusing the materials collected from the old structure played a vital role. The ceilings were removed after marking all the measurements. These were re attached after the construction. Ceilings are built in the newly added bedrooms as well. Old roofing tiles were repainted and used. The living space, dining area and two bedrooms are built by retaining the floor of the old house. The construction materials were carefully chosen to avoid wastage.

Project Facts

Location – Alappuzha

Area – 1600 SFT

Owner – Unnikrishnan

Designers – Mithun Balan and Arun

Yuuga Designs, Manjeri

Ph – 8943661899, 8589881899

Email – yuugadesigns@gmail.com

Budget – Rs 20 lakh

Year of completion - 2019