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ELEGANCE DESIGN STUDIO  /  SELECTED WORK03 — 06
Coonoor, Tamil Nadu  ·  2024

The Earth House

Earth-led contemporary

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The project

A home in
its own rhythm.

A hillside retreat grounded in local stone, hand-worked timber and the changing light of the Nilgiris.

LOCATIONCoonoor, Tamil Nadu
AREA4,100 sq ft
COMPLETED2024
DESIGN LANGUAGEEarth-led contemporary
Design concept

Rather than impose a finished image on the hillside, the home takes its cues from the land. Rooms are arranged to follow the slope, with stone walls holding a steady thermal mass and openings framing specific views through the trees.

The Earth House, hearth lounge interior
The Earth HouseHearth lounge / 01
A closer look

Room by room.

One clear design language, interpreted for the rituals and light of each space.

The Earth House, garden room: Deep openings frame the garden and provide shade through the afternoon.
01 / Garden room

Deep openings frame the garden and provide shade through the afternoon.

The Earth House, hearth lounge: Stone and oak gather around the hearth for the cooler hill evenings.
02 / Hearth lounge

Stone and oak gather around the hearth for the cooler hill evenings.

The Earth House, guest room: Handwoven wool and timber keep the smaller room grounded and warm.
03 / Guest room

Handwoven wool and timber keep the smaller room grounded and warm.

Selected with intention

Material notes.

Honest surfaces, chosen for how they feel and how they will live over time.

01

Local granite

Nilgiri foothills

Split face · honed
02

Reclaimed teak

Tamil Nadu

Brushed · natural wax
03

Wool dhurrie

Bhadohi, India

Handwoven · undyed
04

Lime plaster

Artisan mixed

Earth white
The plan, considered

Space for
what matters.

The planning study brings the principal rooms into a connected sequence while protecting quieter corners for retreat. This diagram is illustrative and not to scale.

Shared living Private rooms Circulation
A diagrammatic open-plan arrangement showing the relationship between Garden room, Hearth lounge, Guest room and the central circulation route. Not to scale.Garden roomDiningHearth loungePrivate roomsGuest room
The Earth House  /  DIAGRAMMATIC SPATIAL STUDY
The Earth House, garden room interior detail
The design story

Made to feel
like it belongs.

Local granite sets the base note, its irregular edges left legible where it meets smooth lime plaster. Oak and reclaimed teak temper the stone, while woven wool brings a softer layer to the rooms used through the cooler months.

The transition outside is deliberately gradual: a sheltered verandah, a stone threshold, then the garden. This sequence lets the house feel connected to its site in daily use, not only when the windows are open.

ELEGANCE DESIGN STUDIO  ·  COONOOR, TAMIL NADU
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