Interiors

Teak is the most forgiving timber there is for a humid climate — but forgiving is not the same as indestructible. A practical guide to keeping solid teak furniture beautiful through a Kerala monsoon, and for generations after.

Cane breathes; upholstery comforts. In a humid climate the choice between them is not about taste alone. How to decide, room by room — and why the best Kerala homes use both.

A bespoke piece is made once, for one room and one family. What the process of commissioning handmade furniture actually involves — from the first conversation to the day it arrives — and the questions worth asking along the way.

A four poster bed changes the rules for everything beside it. Height, width, the posts themselves, and whether to match or contrast — how to choose bedside tables that hold their own next to the most commanding piece in the room.

The Nalukettu is Kerala's great contribution to domestic architecture: four wings around an open courtyard. What it is, how it works, and how to furnish one for contemporary life without losing what makes it remarkable.

Ceiling height, open versus canopy, headboard, post carving and the questions worth asking any maker — a practical guide to commissioning a four poster bed.