This delightful home is nestled in the coffee estates of Kodagu & belongs to my aunt and uncle, Yamuna and Bharath Mandanna and their two children. 

They recently built their home and considered going green, so building one from scratch gave them the flexibility to do so. The couple being environmentally conscious used sustainable practices by using compressed interlocking laterite earth blocks as the material for the walls, Kerela terracotta clay tiles for the flooring and Mangalore tiles for the roof of their home. They also rain water harvest, use solar for power and compost their kitchen waste. 

If you’d like to reduce your carbon footprint, Yamuna says use as much reclaimed wood as you can. She’s reclaimed red cedar wood from her old home for her now hardwood floor, a door frame from a second-hand shop made into a mirror in her lounge and collected ceiling wood blocks from old homes to use as a panel. So if you see something you love being discarded- go right ahead and accumulate, you never know when it can come of use! 

‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ 

Size: 3000 square feet

What do you love most about your home?

I love its comfort and elegance and the skylights. Yes, that’s one feature present in every room of our home- including our bathrooms. 

Oh, the cast iron fireplace holds a special space in my heart too! Living in the tea gardens, we always enjoyed the warmth of a fireplace in winters. So we couldn't do without one here. 

Describe your design aesthetic? 

Modern yet rustic! We are not minimalists, but we make sure to utilize what we have effectively. I love collecting art and decor while my husband is a book collector. We’ve travelled as a couple and with our children extensively, we’ve also lived in Africa for a few years so we’ve got numerous african artifacts displayed all over our home. 

You built your home from scratch, what was the most challenging part of the build?

The most challenging part was to meet the expectation that I had in mind. When you stare at an empty plot of land, sometimes you find it hard to visually see the outcome. The design/layout changed a couple of times and vastu constrictions always makes it testing, but now the layout and design just works for us as a family. 

Favorite room in the house?

The mezzanine floor, I always pictured having one since I was a little girl. It also opens out into a balcony, where I liked adding touches of some quirky window designs. 

What do you like the most about Kodagu that made you decide to move there?

The weather and quality of life would be the main reason but primarily it was close to our ‘roots’. 

The home is built on a very open concept and the couple with the help of their children have brought in their creativity and created a wonderful flow from one room to the other. They love to experiment and find beauty in the unexpected, and call their retirement home a sanctuary. 

Adjoining their bungalow, is a two bedroom cottage home stay run by them called Manan Homestay. Thank you Yamuna and Bharath for opening your doors to us, and be sure to check out http://www.mananhomestay.com/ for a tranquil stay in Kodagu.