PAINT-PLAY

Thrissur based Lijo Reny Architects use natural light and paint colours to dot the ‘House that Rains Light’ with a sense of cheer, in Ernakulam.

Sheer contrast

Against a background of all-white and natural greens furniture painted in primary colours fills the space with character.

The House That Rains Light re-imagines a lush natural landscape, recreating dappled shade under the trees, informal play nooks for kids, gardens with flowers, birds and butterflies within the built space. Most of these elements, once an integral part of daily life, are being lost to rapid urbanisation. The architects have, in this project, managed a sleight of hand with colours and textures, even while they were constrained by a tight plot within a typical residential city-layout.

The materiality of the built structure creates a neutral backdrop for the burst of bright colours positioned strategically throughout the house by means of furniture, soft furnishings, decor and flooring patterns. Given the limitations of the plot and square footage available, stereotypes had to be broken throughout in the design. The shaded front yard becomes the parking area, a sit-out and a play area. A variety of flowering creepers and climbing vegetables grown onto three large frames fixed on the exterior becomes a sort of garden extension on this tight plot while providing shade and privacy to the house.