The moment Anuradha and Kartik Budhraja laid eyes on a piece of land situated in the Saroga village of Himachal Pradesh, they knew that it would be their dream home.

“For us, living in the hills overlooking the Himalayan ranges with nature around us, was our dream. This dream became more urgent when we visited Thanedar in Himachal Pradesh in 2005 to attend a local mela (fair),” recalls Anuradha.

The couple fell in love with the place and wanted to move there. At that time, Anuradha and Kartik were working as media professionals in Singapore.

“After a few years of planning and iterating, we decided to finally make the move. We quit our jobs and decided to move to Himachal Pradesh,” she says.

The duo moved to Thanedar and started a fruit jam business utilising the fruits in the area. After setting up their business, In 2017, the duo actively started looking for a home.

With a view of the Himalayas on one side and the Satluj River on the other, the land in Saroga became the perfect place for the couple to settle.

“We did not want to disturb the shape and nature of the land and decided to not level it. The house, if you look at it from the outside, does not look like an eyesore on the beautiful hill. Instead, it blends with nature and actually looks like a part of it,” Kartik says.

All the materials used in the house were sourced locally as they wanted to contribute to the local economy.

“The bricks used in the construction of the house were fly ash bricks. We used them as they have a lesser carbon footprint and are more energy efficient,” he says. To keep the house energy efficient, the couple installed solar power in their home. “We have an 8 KW solar plant set up to produce 72 to 80 percent of the power needs of the house.”

Additionally, they also have a rainwater harvesting plant set up and they catch about 30,000 litres of water in the underground water storage. “All our grey water (the dirty but reusable water from sinks, washing machines) is filtered and is used in cleaning and drinking,” says Anuradha.

In their effort to combine traditional and contemporary elements in their home, the Budhrajas acquired all of their wood from a kabadiya  (scrap dealer) who sources the wood from dismantled and ageing government and residential structures in Himachal Pradesh.

Although the couple wanted to focus on making the house their dream home, they also wanted to spread a strong message.

“There are many ways one can live in harmony with nature, it is all about going the extra mile. Especially with nature, we need to be more careful with the nature around us,” says Anuradha

The couple has also opened their door to visitors. At the B&B, guests have the chance to explore the local village and enjoy jam-making activities with the Budhrajas.