Located in Thrissur, Kerala, and covering around 5000 square feet, is a classic Kerala-style mansion known as the Nalukettu. Built on ancient scientific principles known as the Thachu Sasthra, it has a central courtyard, or Nadumuttam, in the center of the house.
The Kerala-style mansion was built from scratch on a plot of land the client had inherited from her father. It housed winding verandas on both floors, a living room, dining room, 4 bedrooms, a kitchen, a work area, laundry, a pooja, a media room, and a library, which has been designed for a family of 5: the client, her husband, their son, and her elderly parents, housing 3 generations. It’s a quaint neighborhood close to the local temple.
The main entrance also referred to as the ‘Padippura’, is a roofed gateway that leads to the main part of the Kerala-style mansion. One of the most distinctive features noticed in this house are the long, steep roofs, gabled windows, and tall pillars to withstand the heavy monsoon rains. There is always a beautiful mix of stone, wood, and clay, which is intrinsic to the region.
As you enter the home, there is a veranda with winding passageways on both sides. Step into the inner space, there is a burst of color, and life is placed around the courtyard that connects all the other rooms in the house. There is a small but significant garden in the front that has been planted with Ayurvedic plants and flowers that are relevant to the region.
Everything in this home is bright and beautiful, from the emerald green brocade fabric on the bench to the canary yellow block printed dining seats and the green sideboard in the dining room with a collection of old keys, mirrors, and old lithographs.
It is not often that you get free rein to change spaces around and do the architectural detailing and the decoration. One of the favorite spaces in this home is the courtyard and the pooja room, where an enchanting mural of Yashoda and Krishna was commissioned, which was reflective of the beautiful relationship between Sandhya and her son. The mural was done by artist S Suneesh.
The dining room is a riot of colors. A stunning brass thali setting with Kerala fabric napkins and lotuses, an old wooden cooking utensil has been converted into a beautiful centerpiece that holds a garland of tulsi and pink Aralipoo or oleander from the garden. The walls are filled with vintage ceramic plates. The color from the rest of the rooms spills into the kitchen as well. The guest bedroom has a handsome headrest with vintage tiles, all custom-made at Temple Town.
The master bed is a symphony of muted shades and maroons, a vintage jewelry box that doubles up as a side table when not in use, an oil painting of the famous Carnatic singer MS Subalaxmi, whom the client listens to ardently, and a glimpse of the 200-year-old windows we had sourced from Karaikudi.
The artwork in this room is also very special. During the month of Ramayana, there is a tradition in Kerala where the Ramayana is recited throughout the 30 days. The designer chanced upon a copy of ‘An Adhyatma Ramayanam Kilipatu’ written by Thunchathu Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam. This was a fitting tribute to her roots and a beautiful backdrop for the colonial bed. The son’s room had a four-poster bed with traditional Kerala spindles and a beautiful painting in the Pichwai style.
Sandhya, the client, visited the designer’s house and was captivated by the traditional style of tiles, furniture, and antiques. Despite this, she had a clear vision for her own home. Having lived abroad for over twenty-five years, she remained deeply connected to her culture, traditions, and beliefs. Her goal was to recreate the traditional Kerala home she had grown up in, not only for her parents, now in their early eighties, but also as a place for herself whenever she decided to return.
She had traveled a lot around South India, collecting antique windows, doors, and columns. On my first visit to the site, the moment the designer saw those windows and columns, she was all in.
This was a labor of love; every nook and corner was carefully planned, going down to the tiniest of details, from the size of the cornice to the color of tassle on the paintings. For the 2 and a half years that this house was built, they developed a warm friendship, which was reflected in the interiors.
Location: Kerala
Designer Name: Meera Pyarela
Size: 5000 sq ft.
Photo credit: Meera Pyarelal
