Home Tour: Asha & Vidya Sagar’s Amazing Home built in the Old Style

Asha and Vidya Sagar’s home in Vijayawada, AP is special. They live here with their two daughters Kiranmai and Shrimahalakshmi, and their cute pup SeethaChari who they say, is like a son to them!

The couple has an interesting story to tell, that I am keen on sharing simply because I have known too many people tell it to me recently! Of architects and interior designers who refuse to listen to homeowners, and subtly bully them into compromising their dream homes for a standard, boxy looking home! Ashagaru refused to budge, and in the end went ahead with her dreams anyway, with the help of a local contractor. The challenges were many and sometimes painful, and it didn’t turn out 100% the way she wanted it to! But, look at the pic above and the ones below, and you will love what her passion has done for her! She is a satisfied soul today, knowing that her home is truly where her heart is!

The home is built in the old style, and the courtyard is beautiful, with its built-in seating, garden plots and a tulsi in the middle. Lovely pillars and wooden accents mark the design elements in this part of the home. The following pictures will take you around this lovely, open space which many of you may have experienced in your ancestral homes.

This is Ashagau’s story, and I want you to hear it from her! So read on, as she tells you all about her home building journey!

I love our traditions and I don’t get influenced by living styles. I never follow trends. I prefer to live like in the olden days with everything from food recipes, jewellery, cooking utensils, maintaining relations, inviting relatives for festivals, etc.

These days if anybody buys a flat, the first thing they would like to know is the number of bedrooms which means they are expecting more privacy. The communication between parents and children is lost.

In my house there is no master bedroom, no children’s and guest zones. If I have guests, we share our rooms with them, in true old style, and laugh and narrate stories to each other in the dark, until we doze off!

Thirdly, a house should be more spacious, an open concept and not congested. I didn’t consciously follow Vaastu. I was particular about convenience and proper ventilation. Recently a Vaastu Pandit visited us and told me the house is built according to Pakka Vastu principles, and he was very happy to see a perfect Vaastu house and then only my husband relaxed.

Our home occupies only 2250 sq ft, is located in my home town and is perfect for my husband, my two daughters and puppy Seeta Chari.

Construction work is tough for me but I am clear as to what I want in Structure and elevation. I have been discouraged by many, but that has never disappointed nor discouraged me. I know what I want. I have been told not to waste space, to plan for 3-4 bedrooms, questioned as to why a courtyard was necessary, but now the same people enjoy sitting in my courtyard!

On the difficulties in finding the right people to execute her ideas!

We initially met a famous engineer in Vijayawada who was ranked as the second best there. He did not agree with my views on the house and discouraged me by questioning all of my ideas. It was at this point that I decided that I did not want an engineer working on my home. Later on I met a graphic designer and explained what I wanted. After a few corrections he gave me a picture of what I wanted, which I promptly showed to Taapi Mestri. There were a lot of arguments but the finally the structure was created and I was 90% satisfied with it.

Problems showed up when the work was nearing the end, and it was time to make the embellishments like the niches, and other features. They were not able to understand my ideas and designs as they had never seen a design like mine previously. My designs are modeled after designs of an older era. After drawing what I wanted and many in depth explanations, they managed to understand 50% of what I was trying to tell them. Most of the time I was irritated with their egos. I was very hurt when they refused to listen. The memories are exciting and painful at the same time 🙁

On the biggest challenge she faced during construction

We planned for a concrete floor. We tied up with the Aditya Birla Group and told them that we wanted polished concrete flooring inside the house and for the outside, stamped concrete floors. I like floors of this type as it gives a traditional and ethnic look. The floor on the outside came out perfect, but the flooring on the inside was a disaster! They mixed the colors for the concrete for the interior flooring all wrong, and while polishing, the floor started chipping. They suggested re concreting but I had lost my patience by then. Because of this, we were forced to use tiles. I was bitterly disappointed. If the concrete flooring idea had succeeded, my house would have looked so different and much more beautiful. This is my House Story.

And wasn’t that a story just waiting to be made public? Too many people ‘give-in’ to bullying by interior designers, architects and contractors. But this is meant to inspire you. So go for it, follow your dreams and explore options until you get the home of your dreams!

And guess what! The Keybunch blog now decorates homes, your way! Your happiness, our inputs. 

The homes we design also cost a lot less than what you would have spent on a boxy, boring home! If you are looking to create beautiful unconventional homes that suit your lifestyle, with a mix of tradition and memories, minimalist yet meaningful, contact us at www.decordrama.com