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    • Homes

    Architect Arun Nalapat reveals this contemporary house in Wayanad

    JUL 7, 2020 | By Aneesha Bhadri
    Arun Nalapat Architects conceptualised the swimming pool to run along the length of the house, overlooking the hilly landscape of Wayanad; Photographs by Vyas Kalathil
    The deck is furnished with seaters from Crate & Barrel; Photographs by Vyas Kalathil
    The view of the other end of the pool deck. Partially seen are furniture pieces from Crate & Barrel; Photographs by Vyas Kalathil
    The pool is surrounded by lush greenery that adds to the tranquil feel of the duplex house; Photographs by Vyas Kalathil
    The layout of the house is designed to hug the sloping land and seem like a natural part of it; Photographs by Vyas Kalathil
    Against the muted palette of the living room are seaters from Arketipo Firenze; Photographs by Vyas Kalathil
    The dining area features a table from Cattelan Italia and offers a view of the swimming pool; Photographs by Vyas Kalathil
    A somber palette of brown and grey is coupled with panoramic windows to blur the lines between indoors and outdoors; Photographs by Vyas Kalathil
    Wide private decks are a common feature in the minimally furnished bedrooms. On the Beola Grey floor tiles from Niro Granites are accessories from The Purple Turtles; Photographs by Vyas Kalathil
    One side of the house opens up to panoramic views of the forested and lofty region of Wayanad; Photographs by Vyas Kalathil
    Large overhangs covered in wood extend out to provide shelter from inclement weather; Photographs by Vyas Kalathil
    In the living room, seaters from Arketipo Firenze and decoratives from The Purple Turtles complement the muted palette that highlights the natural beauty of the materials; Photographs by Vyas Kalathil
    The flooring is made of Beola Grey tiles from Niro Granites, while the lighting is from The Purple Turtles. The dining table from Catellan Italia adds to the warmth; Photographs by Vyas Kalathil
    Ribbed quartz over the bed from Arketipo Firenze in the master bedroom flows out to meet the swimming pool; Photographs by Vyas Kalathil
    The two storeyed, 10,000 sq ft house lies on a slope and offers breathtaking views of its untamed environs; Photographs by Vyas Kalathil
    All bedrooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows and attached private decks; Photographs by Vyas Kalathil

    A quiet getaway from the “frenetic urban landscape” was the brief given to architect Arun Nalapat for this 10,000 sq ft house that rests on a 1.5-acre plot in the rural district of Wayanad. Set high in Kerala’s Western Ghats, the villa’s design is guided by its breathtaking context and conveys a simplistic notion of beauty, rooted in the undulating landscape surrounding it.

    A driveway leads to the two storeyed abode, which is perched on a slope. It seems quite at home in the forested lands with large extended overhangs, enveloped in wood, sheltering its inhabitants from the local monsoons. Panoramic windows open the house to gorgeous green vistas, while a spacious common deck for the bedrooms is the perfect spot for meditative solitude.

    Serene contemplative spaces make up the lower level. The upper floor slowly opens up to the hills beyond. Here, the living and dining spaces run along the poolside deck and offer unobstructed views of the verdant hillside.

    The poolside master bedroom is flanked on both sides by private decks. In the bedroom, the ribbed quartz on the bed head wall flows outwards from the interiors of the bedroom into the pool, creating a subtle demarcation between the spaces sharing the deck yet giving the impression of a continuous whole.

    The interiors of the home are kept relatively clean, devoid of excessive embellishments and clutter. The furnishings are spare but comfortable, inviting one to simply bask in the evening sun that filters into the rooms. “This house is designed as a retreat into pastoral tranquillity from the hectic concrete jungle. Cloaked in greys and browns, the layout blurs the boundaries between the built and the natural spaces,” says Nalapat.

    The earthy geographic context permeates the house, with spaces bathed in muted tones. This simplicity accentuates the effect of the green locality, that is at once, strong and dramatic yet placid and peaceful. As night approaches, cloaking the hills in inky darkness, the lights come on, and the house expands, extending its warmth to the open decks by the cool swimming pool.