Some time back in the 1980s and 1990s, inclinations or small houses made outside the main home were quite common. It was called an outhouse, or ‘Chayppu’ in Malayalam. When construction costs and land cost mounted too much, people started avoiding these external attachments to save both money and space. But during the COVID-19 season, many people started reminiscing about their outhouses (‘Chayppu’), which were once a part of the Kerala household.
Outhouses (Chayppu)
Re-entry of outhouses (Chayppu) in Kerala household
A small building, near the main house within the compound, with a bathroom and an attached bedroom,, would have made things easy for the quarantine period, where many people would have benefited. It’s also a nice option for reading, gathering with friends or family members, or a space where one can stay in isolation if they want. Now, many people add an outhouse to their home construction plan. Thus, the outhouse, which was ‘out’ of home plans, is ‘in’ in new plans, intending to provide space for guests or family members in quarantine, if needed.
Points to be noted while constructing outhouses (Chayppu)
1. When you draw the plan outhouse, the entry point /door should never be from inside the main home. It should never affect the privacy of members of the home.
2. As it’s an isolated place, it’s better to provide outhouse as a separate entity within the compound. You can construct the outhouse near the garden, well, or car porch.
3. If you want to construct an outhouse in the terrace, provide a separate entry point to it, and separate stairs.
4. Use cost-effective materials for its construction. If you are building a new home, you can also use materials like bricks, windows, doors etc from old home. You can also make use of old furniture, beds and curtains too.
5. If you plan it perfectly, outhouses can provide you with good storage spaces too. A space for ironing, reading, storage space for old books and less-used home equipment, gardening tools, garage tools, etc. can be provided. But never make it a garbage space. Cleaning the space gives a headache. Instead, closed spaces for storage is the better option.
6. You can use this space for your creative purposes, like stitching, tailoring, writing, painting, embroidery, etc.
7. If your home is near to any tourist spot, you can use this space for providing a home stay to tourists. For that, you should keep this space neat and beautify your interior.
8. You can also modify this space to a workspace in the future if needed. It can also be used for the homestay of maids and workers.
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