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Old house, new look
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Narayanan Nair's house at Kaudiar wore an old dilapidated look. But instead of tearing it down, he hit upon the idea of tastefully renovating it.
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KERALA'S ARCHITECTURE is part of its rich heritage.
But with winds of change blowing in from all sides, there is little interest towards preserving it.
The home of Narayanan Nair at Kaudiar is a blend of the traditional and the modern.
It is also an example of how an old, dilapidated house can be converted into a house with modern amenities.
"Even our relatives had started asking us why we were living in this apology of a house. When we couldn't take it any more, we thought of rebuilding it. But the builder whom we approached, Shankar of Habitat, was against it. He suggested renovating the house. And the results were fantastic," says Narayanan Nair.
The exterior and interior of the house have retained the old look.
Terracotta tiles have replaced the old cemented floors.
A small verandah has been added and it has changed the entire look of the house.
It is flanked by two benches made of pure wood, taken from the roof of the old house, the kind you find in old houses and palaces. Beneath these chairs are small racks to store footwear.
The small and cosy living room has a palisade in the middle, beyond which is a skylight covered by glass.
The long hall, as it was called then, has been divided to make up the living room and a small room beyond.
The bedrooms have retained their antiquity, but the design of the kitchen has been made more functional, with the addition of a work area.
Earlier, a small door from the kitchen led to the dining room.
With the shifting of the dining room during renovation, this door had become dispensable.
But instead of removing it, it was conveniently and aesthetically converted into a cupboard.
The roofing is of concrete and more windows and ventilators have been added in the rooms to bring in more light and air.
A.V.
Photos: S. Mahinsha
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