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The kitchen is the heart of this home in Goa

Ideas & Inspiration

By Rachana Nakra

Aug 14, 2025

A man and a woman are standing at a wooden table covered with banana leaves, serving food for a meal - Beautiful Homes

Sujit and Sudha Sumitran’s home is built of rammed earth and made for lazy afternoons, shared meals and moments filled with the chatter of family and friends

One can easily capture the essence of most lived-in homes just through its very specific smells and sounds. In the quietness of Sujit and Sudha Sumitran’s Goan surroundings, it is the sizzling and steaming sounds from the kitchen that you first register. And depending on what’s being fried with lunch—fish or poppadum (or both)—you can sniff your way into the centre of their house. It is not a surprise to realise that the kitchen is indeed at the heart of this couple’s home life. It is where they spend time with family and friends, and indeed their calling card to the world outside. Sudha cooks three to four meals every day. If Sujit is having his day in the kitchen it could be the malty, earthy fragrance of baking sourdough that you receive. Scroll through his Instagram and a plate of food is at the centre of almost every image. It’s not a surprise that their son and daughter-in-law run Larder & Folk, one of Goa’s most-loved bakeries. Their daughter, also a Goa resident, is a food writer and permaculturist.

Made of rammed earth, the Sumitran’s house is inspired by both Goan and Kerala design styles.

There’s one thing common between most families that love food—they enjoy entertaining and sharing meals just as much as cooking and eating. Our crew also gets to experience their hospitality at its warmest display. Without any fanfare, while we are busy shooting the space, Sudha has prepared a full sadhya lunch for us. Sujit lays out the banana leaves on the dining table in the verandah, and both serve us before we all sit down to eat. Over a second helping of payasam, we only complain about feeling too full to work afterwards.

A candid shot of a happy couple and their dog relaxing on a traditional wooden swing inside their home - Beautiful Homes — Sujit and Sudha Sumitran on their verandah swing.

A detailed shot of a custom "Feni" sign mounted on a wall. Below it, a hanging rack holds wine glasses and a string of beads - Beautiful Homes — A locally-made feni board with wine glasses with artefacts and a bar cabinet sourced from a Parsi family placed near the kitchen area.

If you come to their home early in the morning, you will hear the swooshing of the broom as Sujit gets to his routine of sweeping the leaves and the dust in the outdoor area. “I walk about five kilometres every morning, and when I come back, I sweep the whole place. It’s a very fulfilling thing to clean it myself and, along with the walk, a great start to my day.” Sudha, in the meanwhile, is in her garden with her cup of herbal tea. “I just keep pottering around to find out how the new chillies have come up, or if the pumpkin has flowered…. I’m like a child here, I'm clapping and jumping around,” she laughs.

Down to Earth

When they started construction on this piece of land in 2022, the couple had already been living in Goa for almost 10 years, having moved there from Bengaluru. They wanted a life as different as possible from their city existence. Sustainable living was a key part of their move to Goa so when it came to building a home, Sujit decided to use the rammed earth technique. He approached the Bhuj-based Hunnarshala Foundation and they guided the whole process, including suggesting an architect based in Goa. “We looked at different options and we figured that rammed earth was probably the best option for Goa considering the heat and the humidity here. It took us about three to four months to get the design done. We wanted a little bit of Goan and Keralite in the style. It was also important to us that the design allow us enough space to entertain guests,” says Sujit.

A section of a house exterior with a red brown textured pillar, a brown arched window, and an intricate terracotta planter box - Beautiful Homes — The open-to-sky courtyard with a sacred tulsi plant in the middle.

Now, the long verandah with a swing and dining table is that space where family and friends gather. “That's the idea behind making an open kitchen and to have this verandah connected to the kitchen. It becomes the space for all the friends to come together, we just pull up chairs and benches and all of us are in this space. So, while I am in the kitchen I don't feel left out, you know, I am also part of the conversation. And if they have to come into the kitchen, it is not a problem. It's a great warm inviting space for us,” says Sudha.

A close-up shot of two framed paintings of handprints hanging on a textured, reddish-brown wall - Beautiful Homes — The entrance artwork consists of mud and haldi handprints of all workers that constructed this home.

Interior view of a dining area with vintage wooden furniture, a display cabinet, and a high ceiling - Beautiful Homes — The furniture in the dining area is mostly antique, collected over the years by Sujit.

Sujit holds his sourdough baking classes here. Sudha exchanges notes on her kitchen garden and permaculture process with her daughter here. The four bedrooms in this home are cool and airy thanks to the rammed earth construction, the furniture is mostly antique pieces collected over the years, the kitchen is fully equipped with modern appliances and many traditional ones—but this home is about the open areas and the shared spaces. “For me a beautiful home should be warm and inviting for friends to come in and enjoy themselves,” says Sudha. “Where you want to be irrespective of what plans anybody outside calls you for,” smiles Sujit, sipping his afternoon feni on the swing.

All images by Ritesh Uttamchandani

A man and a woman are standing at a wooden table covered with banana leaves, serving food for a meal - Beautiful Homes — Verandah with a swing and dining table is that space where family and friends gather.

A wide shot of a living room with a unique vaulted ceiling made of terracotta tiles - Beautiful Homes — Lounge cum library space in the verandah that opens into the garden is an ideal space for guests to gather, read and enjoy nature.

A wide shot of a traditional Indian home interior, looking through a pair of large, open wooden doors - Beautiful Homes — Entrance, living area and the open verandah are all connected.

A living room featuring dark wooden furniture and a large, colourful framed painting on the wall - Beautiful Homes — Repurposed antique furniture carried on from their Bengaluru home sits in the living room.

Rustic dark wood kitchen cabinets with decorative handles, black granite countertop, and a yellow tiled backsplash highlighted by sunlight - Beautiful Homes — The open kitchen is fully equipped with modern appliances and many traditional ones.

A corner of a dining room with a glass topped wooden table, a vintage wooden cabinet, and two framed pictures on the wall - Beautiful Homes — An antique cutlery cabinet in the dining area.

A bedroom with a large wooden bed, two matching wooden nightstands, and blue and white striped bedding - Beautiful Homes — Cool and airy guest bedroom with antique furniture.

A vintage, beige coloured Apple iMac G3 computer with a matching keyboard sitting on a dark wooden cabinet - Beautiful Homes — Sujit’s first iMac and repainted face masks sourced from Mumbai years ago serve as artefacts in the house.

An exterior view of a rustic, traditional Indian house with a clay tiled roof and red-coloured walls - Beautiful Homes — The entrance of Sujit and Sudha’s rammed earth home in Goa.

Terracotta tile roof of a house, a decorative ceramic rooster on the peak, and a concrete railing with circular patterns - Beautiful Homes — The courtyard overlooks the sloping roof covered in Manglorean tiles and the ceramic rooster at the top.

A woman and a dog at the entrance of a house, which has a white arched doorway and a small step - Beautiful Homes — Sudha collects banana leaves from their garden for a sadhya lunch in their verandah.

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