When we talk about small house design, a picture of comfortable living, a cozy corner, and a welcoming environment is drawn in our heads. In India, the small house design trends are leaning towards environment-friendly homes. From inheriting natural light through any medium during the day to focusing on open planning, the simple abode of light and ventilation are examples of a comfortable lifestyle.

The take of designers on small house design is more towards using varied materials with a minimalist approach. The planning of the house in a smaller plot area is considered a challenging factor for the architects. The small house design focuses on the residences with the 5000 sq. ft. or lesser area. To fit all the desired requirements and yet creating a beautiful milieu is what the small house design is about.

Elevating the trends of the small house design into functional and aesthetically pleasing homes, some of the firms who have worked extensively towards the very approach are:

1. Between Spaces – Cuckoo’s Nest

Cuckoo’s Nest is built on a corner plot measuring with roads on the western and northern edge in a gated layout and surrounded by a silver oak tree and some palm trees. The brief was a small house design that is simple, pragmatic, and modern for aging parents of the owners, the owners themselves, and their two sons. The entire narrative of this house is constructed around the idea of playfulness and pragmatism.

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Design Firm: Between Spaces

Photographer: Shamanth J patil

Area: 313.5 sq. mt.

Location: Bangalore, Karnataka, India

2. Meister Varma Architects – Maison Kochi

An open-plan arrangement of this small house design on both floors makes the interior spaces blend into each other seamlessly. Wall-to-ceiling windows enhance this flow as does the continuous black oxide floor. Windows are designed in steel and doors use bison board paneling. Bathrooms are finished in colorful ferrous oxide with lamps and counters cast in place.

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Design Firm: Meister Varma Architects

Photographer: Praveen Mohandas, Govind Nair

Area: 1700 sq. ft.

Location: Kochi, Kerala, India

3. Atelier Shantanu Autade – Tube Well House

The front Façade facing west is articulated to create a gesture like Indian Havelis. Graticule windows, projecting lattice boxes and large overhangs reduce surface temperature and regulate wind flow. Speaking about the structure, the Grandeur of the entrance is announced by the upright volume, created by a presence of a slender column and long a cantilevered wall.

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Design Firm: Atelier Shantanu Autade

Photographer: Kartik Ail

Area: 400 sq. ft.

Location: Ambajogai, Maharashtra, India

4. Manoj Patel Design Studio – Clay Screen House

The entire volume of the dwelling also replicates the pattern in the compound wall and entrance gate. The double V-shaped clay tiles, used as a vernacular material, were transformed into an appealing element for the east-facing façade design. The clay tiles are centrally placed tilt at an angle in series, where the grid pattern casts a shadow on one another, by keeping the interior cool and reducing temperature.

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Design Firm: Manoj Patel Design Studio

Photographer: Darshan Dave

Area: 2690.98 sq. ft.

Location: Vadodara, Gujarat, India

5. Srijit Srinivas-ARCHITECTS – White Skube House

The skewed shape of the restricted plot footprint organically allowed for a skewed cuboid form to emerge. This small house design was presciently painted in white to augment the sereneness of the morphed platonic form – highlighted as it were by the pandemonium of its busy surrounding neighborhood. The functional requirements for the tight site were particularly challenging and consisted of a car porch to house two vehicles, living and dining spaces, kitchen and attached work area, four bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, as well as a family rumpus room on the upper floor. 

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Design Firm: Srijit Srinivas-ARCHITECTS

Photographer: Justin Sebastian Photography

Area: 232 sq. mt.

Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

6. Arch. Lab – House Within

To achieve a quiet and peaceful living environment, the small house design, therefore, is conceived with an inward-looking spatial arrangement. The exterior of the house is a composition of solid granite cuboids and wooden jaalis that not only create a perforated skin between the courtyard and the outdoor neighborhood but also create a warm contrast softening the blocking.  The wooden jaalis, an introvert pattern complementing the design of the residence, characterize the façades of the residence while adding an element of playfulness to the structure.

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Design Firm: Arch. Lab

Photographer: Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

Area: 3130 sq. ft.

Location: Panchkula, Haryana, India

7. Design Inc. – Naman

The architecture of this small house design is driven by straight lines, cohered with striking contrast played by whites and browns. The bungalow forms a landmark of the lane, being stationed on a corner, therefore flanked by road on one side and open landscape court on the other, embarking its exclusivity. Because of the soothing exterior, the house appears to be completely in harmony with the surroundings, making the building off-site.

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Design Firm: Design Inc.

Photographer: Pratik Chandresha

Area: 4000 sq. ft.

Location: Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

8. Finder Studio – Kecheriyile Veedu

Traditional Kerala homes are rich in memories; of the long-forgotten smell of the first rain, the sound of raindrops falling in the courtyard, people sitting and conversing around it, the feeling of the warmth of mud walls and wood, the coziness of spaces; one may find him or herself drifting into their nostalgic memories of yesteryears every once in a while. ‘Kecheriyile Veedu’ is an attempt at recalling these memories. As a small house design for an elderly couple enjoying their retirement, all the spaces are limited to a single floor, easing their movement within the house.

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Design Firm: Finder Studio

Photographer: Prasanth Mohan

Area: 1520 sq. ft.

Location: Eranellur, Kerala, India

9. Alok Kothari Architects – The Brick Abode

We decided to anchor all the spaces in the small house design to a central ‘sky light’ which will draw in light during the entire day in the house. Also, having large windows in all the rooms was the logical way forward. The larger planning principle used was to divide the house into 2 functional zones – one for the private spaces & the other for the public spaces – along the north-south axis and according to Vastu shastra norms.

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Design Firm: Alok Kothari Architects

Photographer: Mr. Hemant A. Patil

Area: 2600 sq. ft.

Location: Pune, Maharashtra, India

10. Greyscale Design Studio – Brickly Affair Residence

It was a joy to design for interactive clients who come with a design view and vision on how they want their abode to feel. They wanted the language of the rawness of material to speak in their residence. Emphasis has been to bring about maximum beauty of every raw material used and let it speak. The diagonally placed brick structure forms the façade of the house. This not only creates a beautiful fascia but also helps bring the out inside this small house design during the day and showcases the play of inside light at night.

Design Firm: Greyscale Design Studio

Photographer: Anand Jaju

Area: 3500 sq. ft.

Location: Bangalore, Karnataka, India

11. Spacefiction Studio – Soul Garden House

A Large requirement on such a small plot called for an introverted solution with a garden at the center, around which the rest of the spaces will function. This garden’s small house design was lifted up to accommodate parking, a room for domestic help, and a games room on the stilt floor. An extra room was added on the terrace for guests. The central double-height court is covered with mild steel, with laser-cut perforations; parametrically designed to create privacy. The perforations are smaller where the adjacent building has an opening looking into the court and larger, where the building has a blank wall.

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Design Firm: Spacefiction Studio

Photographer: Monika Sathe Photography

Area: 3900 sq. ft.

Location: Hyderabad, Telangana, India

12. Ghoricha Associate – Sacrlet House

The project demanded a certain language that would reflect the likings and living style of the family. For concept and visualization, the designers started by questioning, ‘in what lies the essence of a home’, and in doing so, developed a project that is unique and has a distinct design language. The client’s ideologies and the designers’ conception found common grounds over luxurious settings involving pertinent elements. Every space is translated towards this vision and functionality towards individuals. 

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Design Firm: Ghoricha Associate

Photographer: Inclined Studio

Area: 4760 sq. mt.

Location: Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India

13. Crest Architecture – Framed House

Located within a gated community in North Bangalore, the square-shaped plot of this residence abuts the road on the southern and western sides. Based on the client’s requirements, our approach was to design a modest house with a specific emphasis on natural light and ventilation. The small house design process and choice of materials for construction were influenced by a cost-effective budget.

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Design Firm: Crest Architecture

Photographer: Shamanth Patil J

Area: 2300 sq. ft.

Location: Bangalore, Karnataka, India

14. New Dimension – Kotia’s house

A house that has to be minimal yet experiential and should reflect on the clients’ lifestyle. So the plan not only fulfills his complete requirements but also gives a lavish feeling. A double-height entrance on the northeast as per climatology and Vastu. A largely clad travertine marble wall beside the main door welcomes you into this plush home. The ground floor has a front kitchen with a corner window towards the main gate. A double-height living hall planed near the lawn gives a seamless and refreshing environment.

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Design Firm: New Dimension

Area: 4000 sq. ft.

Location: Udaipur Rajasthan, India

15. STO.M.P – House In A Grove

To combat solar radiation and facilitate cross ventilation, the architects developed a façade skin of terracotta jaalis, that thermally insulates and keeps the spaces ventilated with natural light. Two major light-wells, façade jaalis and skylights engage the interiors in a constant cavort of light and shadow. The lounge on the first floor made of filler slab, witnesses the play of light and shadows at sunrise, accelerated by the terra-jaalis and skylights endows a fleeting and shifting quality to the interiors through time.

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Design Firm: STO.M.P

Photographer: Prithvi M Samy, Balaji Pandiyan

Area: 3928 sq. ft.

Location: Tirupattur, Tamil Nadu, India

16. Anahata – Padival House

The entrance lobby leads to the courtyard on one side and the living space on the other. The living space, a floor height of the one-and-a-half storey, diminishes to single-storey height as it flows into the courtyard and thus resulting in a Library space on the first floor which looks into the courtyard on one side and the living space on the other. The transition from the living to other private functions of the house is through the well-lit dining area. The river finish tandoor flooring seamlessly connects the living and dining spaces to the courtyard.

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Design Firm: Anahata

Photographer: Shamanth Patil J

Area: 2290 sq. ft.

Location: Belagavi, Karnataka, India

17. TRAANSPACE – The Box House

The House is located in a gated community surrounded by bungalows on adjoining sides and access way only on the south. The client wanted the small house design to be outlined for a family of four. Having lived in a very utilitarian house until now, they desired a shift to a house closer to nature. Expecting the design to be very functional they at the same time believed in maximalism. Developing a concept which responds to the context and the client brief has been a journey for us.

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Design Firm: TRAANSPACE

Photographer: Tejas Shah Photography

Area: 4800 sq. ft.

Location: Vadodara, Gujarat, India

18. Utopia – Inara Villa

The luxurious and earthy villa is home to some fascinating new trends, smart concepts, mood lighting, and above all, a feeling of joy, happiness, and warmth for the family. The use of walnut wood, earthy tones, natural materials, and soft harmonic color palettes gives the villa a warm and welcoming look. Inara – the villa’s unique concept focuses on reinventing and discovering the magic of light in our homes.

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Design Firm: Utopia

Photographer: PHX India

Area: 3500 sq. ft.

Location: Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India

19. Parshwa Architects – Residence of Rajesh Chajed

A cubical volume cast in concrete and brick red walls highlights the residence as one passes by this small house design. Since the nearby houses are majorly g+1 structures, and the house sits in a lane distant from the main road, it experiences a serene environment. The site is free from vehicular noises, dust, and traffic.

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Design Firm: Parshwa Architects

Photographer: Rishikesh Bhandare

Area: 2900 sq. ft.

Location: Satara, Maharashtra, India

20. Ocube Architects – Kedia’s Residence

The site has its own challenges from having fewer setbacks to less private terraces. The whole concept is derived to create spaces that are open yet have a private touch. The project had a clear brief to design a luxurious, contemporary space that would have unique elements. The front facade is designed to create emphasis and maintain a balance between all the principles of design.

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Design Firm: Ocube Architects

Photographer: Studio Bluora

Area: 3500 sq. ft.

Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Thus, small house design in India has been focusing more on comfortable living and yet providing beautiful homes. The planning, details, material, and all of this keeping environment in mind is what makes these designs unique in their own way. Such designs break the regularity and generate possibilities of beautiful homes through a different perspective.

*The order of Projects has nothing to do with any sort of ranking. We have NOT ranked any projects in a sequence of 1,2,3, etc.