Harrington Home | A Contemporary Home Rooted in Memory

Harrington Home is a unique exploration of memory, heritage, and modern living, designed for a young family seeking a home that feels intimate, functional, and personal, yet connected to the larger multi-generational household in which it resides. Located on Harrington Road in Chennai, this 2200 sq. ft. residence occupies a single floor of a three-storey family home, yet it carries a distinct narrative shaped by light, materiality, and personal histories.

The brief for this project came from a young couple with a one-year-old son. They wished for a home that reflected their lifestyle while resonating with the warmth and familiarity of the wife’s Kerala upbringing. For the husband, a food consultant, the home needed to center around the kitchen and dining areas, celebrating cooking, gathering, and conversation. Together, they envisioned a sanctuary that was contemporary yet deeply rooted in personal memory a space that was theirs while remaining connected to the broader family context.

The design style of Harrington Home is contemporary with layers of Kerala’s vernacular traditions subtly interwoven throughout. The aim was not to recreate traditional motifs but to reinterpret them in a modern idiom, giving the home a timeless quality that balances heritage and functionality. This balance between past and present guided the architectural and interior choices, shaping every spatial, material, and sensory decision.

Central to the design was a desire to bring natural light and greenery into the heart of the home. The living, dining, and kitchen spaces are arranged in a seamless flow, allowing the family to move freely between intimate moments and social gatherings. Bedrooms are positioned as private retreats, oriented to capture treetop views and the quiet presence of the Cooum River nearby. This configuration not only ensures privacy but also roots the home in its natural surroundings, creating a serene environment despite its urban location.

Chennai,Tamil Nadu,India

Architects	:	Coexist Architecture
Area	:	2200 sq. ft.
Year of Completion	:	2025
Website	:	https://www.instagram.com/coexistarchitectureindia/

Living room of The Harrington Home by Coexist Architecture

Dining of The Harrington Home by Coexist Architecture

Kitchen of The Harrington Home by Coexist Architecture

The project presented its share of challenges. The kitchen, envisioned as the heart of family life, demanded extensive iterations. Initially divided into wet and dry zones, the layout felt fragmented and restrictive. After multiple revisions, the walls separating the two zones were removed, resulting in a single, expansive kitchen. This transformation allowed the space to meet all the chef’s professional needs while maintaining warmth and intimacy, ultimately becoming one of the most rewarding aspects of the home.

Another structural constraint was the floor height. A sunken slab cut through the living room, creating a sense of imbalance. To address this, carefully designed rafters were introduced across the living and dining areas. These rafters visually tied the zones together, concealed the level changes above, and evolved into a defining architectural gesture, reinforcing the Kerala-inspired character of the home while adding warmth and rhythm.

Family living of The Harrington Home by Coexist Architecture

Bedroom 1 of The Harrington Home by Coexist Architecture

Bedroom 2 of The Harrington Home by Coexist Architecture

The material palette was deliberately chosen to bridge memory and modernity. Natural plantain teak wood furniture crafted by Maakaram Studio in Kerala, rattan, brass accents, and handcrafted lighting infuse the interiors with tactile warmth and familiarity. Lime-washed walls add a soft, handmade quality, capturing light subtly and giving depth to muted tones. The outdoor deck features an exposed brick wall, creating a visual anchor and textural contrast that complements the earthy, natural palette. These materials are layered with soft fabrics and neutral backgrounds, resulting in spaces that feel understated yet rich in detail.

Color is used sparingly but thoughtfully. While earthy tones provide a grounding backdrop, carefully placed pops of color enliven the home: a canary yellow sofa on the deck, a bedroom painted in serene green, and a bathroom wrapped in burnt orange. These moments of vibrancy add personality without overwhelming the calm, intimate atmosphere.

Among the home’s standout features are the rafters and the deck. What began as a structural necessity evolved into a signature design element. The rafters anchor the living and dining areas, echoing the spatial rhythms of Kerala homes, while the deck, with its warm wooden ceiling, earthy wall, and river views, offers a space of pause and reflection, a place where the home seems to breathe.

Bedroom 2 of The Harrington Home by Coexist Architecture

Bedroom 3 of The Harrington Home by Coexist Architecture

Dressing Area & Wardrobe of The Harrington Home by Coexist Architecture

Dressing Area to Washroom view of The Harrington Home by Coexist Architecture

Toilet of The Harrington Home by Coexist Architecture

Passage to workspace of The Harrington Home by Coexist Architecture

Workspace of The Harrington Home by Coexist Architecture

Lounge of The Harrington Home by Coexist Architecture

Harrington Home’s true uniqueness lies in its ability to feel deeply personal while maintaining a contemporary sensibility. The design does not imitate tradition but instead interprets Kerala’s essence in a way that suits modern urban living. Every element from spatial configuration to materiality and light was carefully curated to reflect the family’s lifestyle, memories, and aspirations.

For us, this project was more than a design commission; it was an intimate collaboration with friends, translating their routines, narratives, and heritage into a home that is both functional and poetic. Despite occupying a single floor within a larger home, Harrington Home carries its own story of a contemporary sanctuary where memory, light, and heritage converge, offering a space that is intimate, lively, and unmistakably theirs.