Constructing childhood with 6,000 toys: Bank manager and family living every toy collector's dream

KOCHI: It looks like a sliced Christmas cake, topped with a playful external wall featuring everything from miniature cars and JCB diggers to the beloved Aana-Mayil-Ottakam (elephant, peacock, camel) triad.

Welcome to Kavyameda, the home of T. Sreejesh, a native of Cherapuram near Vadakara, Kannur. Decorated with a staggering collection of 6,000 toys built straight into its outer facade, the two-year-old residence has become equal parts family home and study destination for curious architecture students.

Sreejesh, a senior manager at Kerala Bank, and his wife Rahi, a lecturer at Vadakara Engineering College, were committed to building a sustainable, eco-conscious home. They dug up soil directly from their own plot to mould and fire custom bricks. Instead of pouring a traditional concrete roof, they engineered a superstructure using six joined steel frames. To host the toy collection, special recessed bricklaying incorporated roof tiles into the facade, creating small niches—most of which now display toy cars.

The two-year construction journey started during the COVID-19 lockdown. The couple initially gathered forgotten playthings from their daughters, Anavadhya and Kalhara, before collecting broken toys from relatives and friends. The rest were rescued from local scrap shops. Sreejesh’s mother, Shyamala, completes the family unit living in the home.

Inside, the home’s layout flips traditional design on its head: the primary bedroom and kitchen sit below ground level, while the upper floor houses the main living area and a second bedroom. At the center of the interior layout sits a small indoor pool designed for rainwater harvesting.

"The idea to cover the exterior walls in toys came to me mid-construction," says Sreejesh. "As our children grow up, these walls will double as a living gallery of nostalgic childhood memories."