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Architecture

29-07-2026

Text provided by the Architect

On a picturesque plot in the verdant hillside of Wayanad, stands an abode spreading horizontally where the contours allow. Along the outskirts of Beenachi town, where homes settle beneath trees and the air carries the charm of Kerala's hill country, this 2500 sqft multi-generational residence retains an existing home while accommodating the family’s growing spatial needs.

The site already held stories, and the design approach honours them. The philosophy reaches back to Kerala's architectural heritage, to Naalukettu houses where joint families once gathered around central courtyards, and translates that centuries-old wisdom into a design language suited to contemporary demands of functionality and durability. Here, the courtyard is linear, rooms radiate outward and each space forms its own relationship with light, ventilation and views.

Arrival begins at the veranda, introducing the material and structural language of the house as one approaches its threshold. The silhouette of the house marks its spot. A sloped roof rises overhead, clad in terracotta Mangalore tiles catching the hill station light in shades of rustic red and grounding the structure within its regional memory. Beneath this canopy, sun blockers crafted from discarded teak planks line up, filtering harsh tropical brightness into softened patterns.

Sulthan Bathery,Kerala,India

Architects	:	Tales of Design Studio
Area	:	2500 sq. ft.
Year of Completion	:	2025
Website	:	https://www.talesofdesign.in

Verandah of House on a Slope by Tales of Design Studio

Stepping into the entrance veranda, four pillars stand in quiet strength, their bodies crowned with intricate wooden brackets. The flooring displays ornamental tile patterns placed centrally, traditional motifs extending a welcoming gesture. Facing the entrance, a bench sits to the left and a swing to the right, making the space nostalgic of older times while accommodating casual interactions.

The main door, crafted entirely from teak with bespoke handles, swings to reveal the lower level of the house where shared family life takes precedence in spaces that feel familiar at once. Living, dining and kitchen occupy a continuous open plan that prioritises connection. The parents’ bedroom is also located at this level. Furniture and flooring throughout the house assert themselves subtly. Be it wooden furniture in acquainted armchair forms and storage units with intricate mouldings, to flooring that selectively highlights traditional tile patterns placed in key zones.

Verandah of House on a Slope by Tales of Design Studio

Living room of House on a Slope by Tales of Design Studio

Living to Dining view of House on a Slope by Tales of Design Studio

This shared zone begins at the threshold with the living area, transitions through dining and finds its opposite end at the kitchen. Configured around an island with a circular workflow, the kitchen allows simultaneous preparation and cooking without any interference; a need born from specific requirements but resulting in something that changes how this room functions socially. Rather than isolating whoever cooks, the open plan keeps them connected to conversations happening in the living and dining zones.

Adjacent to these common spaces, the parents' bedroom holds ground. Its location, a gesture of consideration and design to the liking of most parents, simple and functional and free of any elements that may cause hassle. As the home transitions from one block to the other, a patio and puja form an intermediate threshold. Above this sacred zone, a cutout frames the sky and planters fall downward through it.

Dining of House on a Slope by Tales of Design Studio

Kitchen of House on a Slope by Tales of Design Studio

Pooja room of House on a Slope by Tales of Design Studio

Courtyard of House on a Slope by Tales of Design Studio

Beyond this, the courtyard emerges as the home's beating heart. What begins as a subtle shift in floor level transforms into a three-foot cascade of steps bridging the two-house levels while becoming an experience beyond mere circulation. treads change in material and dimension. Black granite gives way to terracotta tiles, sunlight gushes into the space through a skylight as indoor plantations bring the landscape inside. This composition draws direct inspiration from Kerala temple stepwells.

Ascending these steps leads into the second block through a branching corridor distributing into three bedrooms arranged around the linear courtyard. Natural light floods this upper level from multiple directions. Cement-textured walls, off-white plaster, applications of grey and accent walls in yellow highlighting specific zones. These surface treatments layer across each other, creating depth that shifts with movement, altering how light and shadow are perceived.

Courtyard of House on a Slope by Tales of Design Studio

Bedroom 1 of House on a Slope by Tales of Design Studio

Bedroom 2 of House on a Slope by Tales of Design Studio

The furniture throughout follows a consistent philosophy: dark matte rosewood finish for wooden pieces, whether newly commissioned or refurbished older items given updated upholstery or frames. Bay windows form intimate niches overlooking the landscape. At the corridor’s end sits a study and library, positioned in quiet separation from the home’s active zones.

For a joint family navigating contemporary life, this house becomes both an anchor and evolution. It carries forward the familiarity of inherited ways of living while adapting to present-day rhythms. The true power of architecture reveals itself in the enhancement of everyday life. You sit a little longer reading the newspaper because the sunlight feels just right. You remain seated after dinner, conversations stretching into the evening as a soft breeze moves across spaces.