Sriram and Shoba Kumar rebuilt their family home in Melbourne’s west around ancient Vastu Shastra principles, combining faith, balance and modern design. Photo: Wayne Taylor
A major renovation in Melbourne’s west has given IT professional Sriram Kumar and his family the opportunity to design their forever home, guided by age-old principles of Vastu Shastra.
Raised in the Hindu faith, the family prioritized integrating Vastu Shastra into their new home, a traditional Indian architectural system that aligns a building’s layout with energy, balance and prosperity.
Mr Kumar, who lives with his wife Shoba and their two children Rishi and Naira, said the family decided to rebuild after realizing that land prices had soared.
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“We were already on a large block, so rather than move we thought it made sense to do a complete rebuild,” Mr Kumar said.
“It gave us the opportunity to design something modern, spatial and culturally meaningful.”
Raised in the Hindu faith, the family prioritized integrating Vastu Shastra into their new home, a traditional system that aligns architecture with balance, energy and prosperity.
“It is part of our culture,” Mr Kumar said.
“Vastu brings positivity into the home, but helps in harmony between husband and wife, and even success at work or in the business world.
For us, it was never just about a house, it was about building a house that felt good spiritually.”
The family guided themselves through the design, searching through dozens of Metricon plans to find one that met their needs.
“Our block faces east, which was perfect,” he said.
The Kumars’ devastating reconstruction gave them space for family, faith and future generations, a modern home shaped by spiritual harmony. Photo: Wayne Taylor
“We wanted dinner in the west, sunlight streaming in from the north, and laundry in the southeast, which symbolizes cleansing and removing negative energy.
“Every placement was intentional.”
That attention to detail turned out to be timely.
Mr. Kumar was fired during the build-out after 17 years at IBM, but was given a new position shortly afterwards with a 20 to 30 percent pay increase.
“It was incredibly stressful at the time trying to juggle rent and mortgage, but in the end everything worked out better than we expected,” he says.
The new house, now almost 57 square meters in size, offers the family the opportunity to receive visiting relatives and create space for multi-generational living.
Every room in the new home was planned with intention, from sunlight and airflow to sacred placement and energy flow. Photo: Wayne Taylor
“Joint families are common in India, but since we live abroad, we are separated,” says Kumar.
“It was very important to us that there was room for parents to stay.”
He believes builders should be more open to tailoring homes to cultural or religious needs, whether for Hindu, Muslim or Jewish families.
“Even though there is no scientific evidence, it is what we have been taught and what gives us peace of mind,” he said.
“If builders can facilitate that, they should do so.
“Ultimately it’s about building trust.”
Vastu-inspired details such as the east-facing entrance and the pooja room are a daily reminder of peace, prosperity and connection with tradition. Photo: Wayne Taylor
For Mr Kumar, the journey has reinforced the value of chasing big dreams.
“When I first came to Australia, I dreamed of owning a few houses and having a good life,” he said.
“It all comes down to following your dreams and making smart choices to get there.”
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