The family had owned the plot for eleven years and visited only in December and January. The monsoon, they said, was simply not a season for the coast.
We disagreed, but politely, and then spent a week there in July to make sure we were right.
Silver light
Monsoon light is entirely different from tropical sunshine. It is flat, silver and diffuse — much closer to a Northern European overcast day than anything you would expect at this latitude. Warm materials look muddy in it. Cool greys come alive.
The entire palette was set under a hose. Every sample was reviewed wet as well as dry, and anything that darkened unpleasantly was discarded.
We chose the stone in the rain, standing under an umbrella, arguing. It is still the best material decision the studio has made.
Water made visible
Every veranda drains into an open channel rather than a concealed gully. The sound of the house in July is, by design, the sound of water finding its way somewhere.
The family now spends more time there in monsoon than in winter.
Written by
Rhea Kapadia
Filed under Travel on 19 July 2025.
