The Mist

The Mist sits on a tea slope at Pooppara, facing east over the valley. The house steps down the hill in five levels, so every room meets the view at a different height. Mornings come with mist in the folds of the hills. Evenings end on a terrace, with the light going soft on the plaster walls. It is built the way the hills ask for: deep clay-tile roofs, wide eaves, teak louvres for the sun, and full-height glass for the view. Inside, the surfaces are calm and handmade — warm limewash, honed stone, rattan and linen. Nothing shouts. The valley does that.

A boutique hillside retreat in Idukki, Kerala. Five levels of limewash, teak and glass, with a pool that hangs over the valley.