The most important room in this Fort Kochi home is the kitchen

The Restoration Challenge

The property’s proximity to the sea posed several challenges because it fell under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and had heavy rainfall during the monsoon season. Even though the existing structure was rundown and in shambles, the rules and regulations didn’t allow much room to increase the overall footprint. In addition to this, smaller rooms made up the building which had to accommodate a large, open cooking studio.

Since it was an old building, there weren’t too many drawings to begin with. Despite these challenges, Inspiration’s in-house team of restoration specialists and skilled artisans developed solutions that were modern but simultaneously era-appropriate.

A team of carpenters dismantled the roof meticulously to salvage the wood from the beams and rafters which was used to make windows and doors. Steel beams and lighter Aerocon panels were used to reinforce the building. An additional floor was created in place of the attic with sweeping views of the sea.

The Design Aesthetic

Two large verandahs flank a large, airy classroom with plenty of natural light and ventilation. Movable, light wooden furniture—a mix of Nimmy and Paul’s own, some custom built on-site and a few purchased from antique store Crafters in Kochi—allow the classroom to transform into a formal dining room for guests or a warm contemporary living room for the family. At the centre of the room, a large dining table can be split up into six smaller trapezoidal tables when Nimmy’s classes are in session.

To retain an overall rustic aesthetic and offer visitors an authentic experience of visiting a traditional home in Kerala, the architects have also made use of local materials like terracotta and oxides in yellow and red. Leaf-stamped stone tiles and pebbles highlight the entrance and various parts of the large verandahs. Murals depicting scenes from Nimmy’s classes are painted on the walls. Exposed rafters flank the high ceilings throughout the building.

“During the process, Latha and Nimmy became such great friends that they nearly pushed me out of whole equation,” says Jaigopal as he fondly remembers the rapport they shared, Nimmy’s baked goodies and the overall pampering the team enjoyed during the renovation. “Nimmy stuck a good chord with the site engineer, the masons and the carpenters—providing key information to what she needed in the process.” 

Not one, but two kitchens were carved into the Fort Kochi property to showcase Nimmy’s culinary prowess as well as the collection of kitchen tools, cutlery and crockery. The first is a state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen, complete with an island equipped with a hob top for guests to hover around. When classes are larger, a camera and mic are set up along with a screen. The island itself has storage for all of things Nimmy needs handy during her cooking sessions—there’s even a dedicated rack for her masalas box. Hiding behind it, is a prep kitchen boasting of professional-grade appliances and several wooden cabinets.

At the other end of the house, a traditional model kitchen design holds treasures like Nimmy’s large pickle jars, clay pots, urulis, grinding stones and coconut scrapers passed down her family for generations. A special wood-fired stove is custom-built into the kitchen countertop. Nimmy is also a stickler for cleanliness so a rack for sun-drying vessels and louvered wood cabinets ensure that utensils used have plenty room to breathe. Glass-front cabinets and open shelving hold Nimmy’s prized cookbook and kitchen artefact collection.

“When I look around the house now, I can see my mother, and her mother all around me,” says Nimmy. “This is my way of keeping them and their legacy alive.”