This earthy vacation home in Konkan captures a wave of experiential nostalgia

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Furniture, art and décor collected by the homeowners during their travels decorate the walls of the rooms, as seen above in the double-height living room. The house boasts a mellow and earthy mood throughout its spaces, embracing the wabi sabi vibe that reconnects with natural textures and effortless simplicity.

Syam Sreesylam

Configuring Masses

Maison Rouge, as this home is christened, blends into its slow, rural setting, nestled among tall trees and covered in the aforementioned laterite stone. An amalgamation of public and intimate spaces unfolds inside, orchestrating a collection of memorable spatial moments tied together through a variety of open and semi-open passages. Split into 3 volumes spread across the site to accommodate existing trees, the sprawling 5,200-square-foot home—which boasts 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a double-height living space, a kitchen with an outdoor dining area, a gym and staff quarters, all dotted with verandas and terraces—blurs boundaries between the inside and the outside, making way for a free passage of the refreshing coastal breeze—a much-needed respite against the humid climate.

An architectural block splits to create a covered veranda, visually connecting the lawn to the paar (seating) under the chickoo tree while allowing a cool sea breeze to circulate through the site.

Syam Sreesylam

Creating intimate, experiential spaces for each member of the family was the cornerstone in the planning of the house—such as this meandering colonnade.

Syam Sreesylam

As one winds their way through large trees to enter the double-height living room, they are greeted immediately with an expansive view of a verdant field. The guest bedroom flanks the right, while a covered verandah with a wing beckons towards the left, connecting to the second bedroom with an experiential, liminal colonnade. A capsular staircase winds up onwards from the porous colonnade—a particular favourite of the designer—opening into a cosy terrace kissed by the branches of the chickoo tree on the east and the gentle sea breeze blowing in from the west. The open-to-sky terrace revels in a charm of its own, calling to mind nights spent under stars, while demarcating the two master bedrooms on the upper floor.

Also read: 3 South Indian farmhouses immersed in rustic allure

Simple forms, earthy finishes and a pared-back aesthetic with white-washed, textured walls allows the protagonist of the design—nature and natural light—to shine through.

Syam Sreesylam

A pop of colour makes itself known through the flooring of the guest bedroom, as bespoke flooring patterns with polished Kadappa and Jaisalmer stone inlays balance the neutral walls of the house.

Syam Sreesylam

Manmade form and the natural world become one as the outsides percolate inside and walls disappear, allowing refreshing coastal breezes to playfully interact with the architectural volumes without obstacles—as seen in the dining room here.

Syam Sreesylam

A Sustainable Journey

For Rohit, Maison Rouge is a project that comes a full circle–”from a bustling family home to being abandoned, derelict and taken over by nature, and now reclaimed by the young family as their own.” Indeed, as the old and dilapidated house was dismantled, components from it were absorbed into the new design, bringing some old-world charm to the invigorated home. Stones from the walls filled the plinth; seasoned wooden joists and beams transform into load-bearing columns and bed frameworks; old, terracotta roof tiles find expression right next to new ones. Several doors from the original house found a renewed purpose in the new building after thorough repairs and restoration. “The old house was reclaimed into the new structure in a symbolic way that marks continued legacy not just emotionally, but even physically and architecturally,” elaborates Rohit.

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