All houses in the region follow a similar pattern. A facade, richly ornated, gives way to the interior rooms, around a courtyard. Some houses have a second floor with more rooms, or a roof with views of the town.
The reason of being of the interior courtyards is to protect the rooms from the strong sun of the region. Mandawa is located at the edge of the Rajasthan desert. All walls in the house used to be decorated with colorful frescoes.