The house in question was an ancestral home left in a neglected state for the past 15 years after the owners moved to their new home. The house was falling apart and many in the family were of the opinion that it should be bought down. Another group felt, the house could be renovated and put to use.
A majority vote fixed the destiny of the house and it was on the road to renovation. Here is the catch though- the interior designer Geordy was asked to complete the makeover in 17 days on a shoe-string budget of 2 Lakh Rupees.
The changes done:
Structure
The house measures up to 520 sq ft. Time had taken its toll on the house and hence, along with beautifying, the house had to be made sturdier too. On the first day Geordy replaced the old, run down rafters with new ones. The roof tiles that had aged and was covered in moss was taken down one by one and washed thoroughly. The outer walls of the house were all retained.
Bedroom
There were 2 bedrooms in the old house. He demolished the wall that was between the sitting room and a bedroom and converted this into a hall. The second bedroom did not have a door to the front room. When the hall was constructed, they got enough space to add the door to the bedroom.
Kitchen & Toilet
In the back of the house there was a rather long kitchen. One portion of this was converted into a bathroom. Concrete was done on top of the bathroom and a water tank installed. The old exterior bathroom was done away with.
Veranda
The wooden beams supporting the roof on the veranda were replaced with concrete pillars. They had to redo the plumbing and wiring.
Compound Wall
The cow shed behind the house was removed and a 2-feet compound wall took its place. The windows of the earlier home were of wood. This was replaced by glass windows with wooden frames. The addition of one more window in the front gave the rooms ample light. On top of an ordinary concrete floor, new tiles of terracotta and vitrified were laid down.
False ceiling
The house was given a false ceiling with PVC ceiling material. For the walls in the front to have a fine finish, panelling was done PVC again.
Roof
The final touches to the house was in the form of a Thoovanam made of fibre and a Mukhappu of wood. This gave it a regal look indeed. A coat of spray paint on the roof tiles and the house looked nothing short of brand new! When Geordy completed his handiwork on the 17th day, the entire family gave him a standing ovation impressed with the result. After purchasing sanitary ware for the toilet, the 2 lakh budget was on the dot. The modified home is now used as an outhouse by the family. With the landscaping complete, the house was a splendid sight to behold.
Source:manoramaonline
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