How 100-year-old crumbling mansion in Sri Lanka jungle was restored and now hosts people

A crumbling 100-year-old mansion on the Sri Lankan hillside near the town of Weligama was restored by four friends and now they are renting it out for 1,000 pounds a night. It was in 2010 when the interior designer Dean Sharpe first glimpsed the crumbling mansion.

The history of the mansion called Halala Kanda meaning Firefly Hill to locals is quite interesting. It was built by the son of a wealthy plantation owner in 1912 to woo his bride. In its glory days, Halala Kanda played host to guests such as Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie and the legendary Australian cricketer Keith Miller. 

However, when interior designer Dean Sharpe first laid his eyes on the mansion, there was no past glory left in it. With its crumbling plaster, the coral and stone walls had collapsed, bats were roosting in the rafters, the windows were boarded up, and a tree was growing through the roof of the entryway.

In 2011, Sharpe bought the crumbling, 100-year-old mansion and two acres of land for USD 4,30,000 along with his friends Jenny Lewis, Richard Bleasdale, and Bentley de Beyer. 

Architect Ross Logie was hired to do the design of the mansion. Work began in December 2012, a century after the structure was built. Sharpe's vision was to keep the mansion's look 'authentic', keeping as much of the original structure as possible.

The original mansion had a well in the garden as its only source of water so it was connected to the local mains. Modern twists were added to the design including a 23-metre-long saltwater pool in the garden.

New Features added

The swimming pool and pool pavilion are designed for modern living but the fluid style of early-20th-century art nouveau is intact.

While the mansion had pastel-colored walls back in the 1950s, Sharpe opted for a simple monochrome theme.

A carpenter who had previously worked on hotels in Abu Dhabi made sofas and four-poster beds for the villa.

It can house up to 12 people, boasting five bedrooms and the same number of bathrooms.

The mansion is now fully staffed with a manager, chef, two service staff, two gardeners, and a security guard.

(With Media Inputs)