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THE TIM

ES OF IN

DIA eP

APER

Flooring is a major feature inhome design that sets themood of a home. The selection

of the right kind of flooring involvesthinking at multiple levels - the mostimportant being the kind of aes-thetic disposition that one has, be-sides durability, safety, hardiness,and the tactile feel of the floor. Whileimported marble, wooden floors andvitrified tiles are quite popular, thereis a growing trend of using Indianmarble, granite and other stones.

Types of stonesStones available in India can be

classified broadly into the followingcategories: Marble, Granite, Sand-stone, Limestone, and Slates andQuartzite. Most stones go by thename of their source.

Marble: Most marble comes fromRajasthan followed by Gujarat andMadhya Pradesh. The current va-rieties from Rajasthan include Ra-jnagar Marble and Abu Black. Gu-jarat produces a variety called Am-baji White while Madhya Pradeshyields the popular Katni marble.

Granite: Some of the popularshades in granite are SadarahalliGrey, Sira Grey, Magadi Pink, Madu-rai Gold, Ivory Fantasy, KashmirWhite, Jet Black and Galaxy Black.Granite is dense and hard and there-fore makes for excellent floors forinterior and exterior applications.

Sandstone: Many types of sand-stone are also great flooring optionssuch as Dholpur Beige, Agra Red,

White Mint, Kandla Grey, Teak andRainbow. Natural quarry finishsandstone can be used for landscapepaving, pool surrounds, patios andverandahs. Finished versions canbe used for interior spaces.

Limestone: Popular varieties areJaisalmer Yellow, Eta Gold, KotaBlue and Cudappah Black. Theseare available as slabs and tiles andmake for excellent interior flooringapplications.

Slate and quartzite: Slate stonesare sourced from metamorphosedsedimentary rocks and have stronglayer separations. This makes ittricky to work with and if cut ex-pertly along the layers; they willyield flat slabs that can be used forflooring. They are available in a va-riety of colours and textures.

Finishes and texturesTypically they can be classified

as polished and semi-polished. Thesemi-polished stones come in vari-ous categories such as Honed,Leather, Antique, Flamed, Bush-hammered and so on. Finishes canbe selected based on the functionand aesthetics. The polished stonesare easier to clean and maintain butcannot be used in areas prone to wet-ness.

For different spacesSuccess of the flooring depends

on a deep understanding of the ma-terial properties and the uses thatthey could be put to.

Entrance verandah: Entrancelobbies are subject to a fair amountof rough use and maximum traffic.Dark coloured granites are a greatchoice here. A texture-finished gran-ite (flamed/ honed/ leather) withanti-skid properties works great ifit is prone to some spray from therain. Slate and stones can also beused very well.

Lobby, living, dining: The num-ber of options opens up here. Lightcoloured flooring - like Eta Gold,Jaisalmer - would look great. If onehas a step down living, it would beadvisable to contrast that space with

a darker/lighter coloured stone.This would avoid accidents as it in-creases the awareness of differingfloor levels. One can also use leather-finished floors that give a tactile feelif one walks barefoot.

Kitchen and bathrooms: Indi-an kitchens handle a multitude ofspices and oils. It is important forthe floor to be dense in nature to pre-vent any absorption on spillage. Thebest option is dark granite. Do notuse Sadarahalli and Sira granite, asthey tend to absorb and retain mois-ture. The same rule applies to bath-rooms. All other stones could beused for wall finishing. It would beadvisable to choose an anti-skidsemi-polished finish for bathroomfloors.

Bedrooms and staircases: Inmost homes architects would pre-fer light coloured stones in bed-rooms. Most types of stones wouldbe suitable for bedrooms and stairs.

Thickness and calibration Granite and marble slabs come

in 20mm thickness. Many graniteshades come in 10mm thickness astiles measuring 1 foot x 2 feet or less-er. Tiles are cheaper than slabs.Stones other than marble and gran-ite come in smaller sizes (typically22inches x 22 inches). One must en-sure that these tiles are calibratedfor right angle corners and for analmost uniform thickness. It is alsoimportant to ensure that a qualifiedbuilding professional inspects the

lot for defects before selection andpurchase.

WorkmenEnsure that the workmen who

would lay the material are proficientin doing so. A good marble layer maynot necessarily be able to handleslate well and vice versa. It is bestto take references from their clientsand visit their finished works be-fore appointing them. It is worth thetime, effort and money.

Sealers and groutsMost natural stones are porous

in varying degrees and hence alltiles, stones, grouts and masonrysurfaces may be protected fromstains of water/oil/food by apply-

ing a penetrating sealer that alsoprovides a 'wet look'. It is also im-portant to use the right kind ofcolour matching grouts that lastlonger than the usual cement grout.

Natural materialsIt is natural to have variations in

colour and texture between stonesor slabs in the same lot. It is advis-able to dry lay the floor in order toascertain the pattern that emerges.It is best to celebrate this varietythan to shun it in favour of a uni-form shade. Much like how two hu-man beings do not resemble eachother, it is difficult to find unifor-mity in stones - there is beauty nev-ertheless. This beauty enriches andendows character to spaces.

architexture 7pg.A T i m e s o f I n d i a P r e s e n t a t i o n , B A N G A L O R E , J U N E 6 , 2 0 1 4 T I M E S P R O P E RT Y

Granite in dark colours can be chosen for areas subject to rough use and high traffic

Functionality is most im-portant when it comes to de-signing a residence. The de-

sign should be one that agesgracefully where the residentscan grow with it. A design, how-ever creative or spectacular theconcept may be, can serve to bean eyesore if the right blend offunctionality and aesthetics is notfactored in. From pure aesthet-ics to functionality, homes inte-riors today should offer its resi-dents, a lifestyle that is sur-

rounded by beauty in every de-tail.

Structural aspects

Tastefully done-up interiorscan take a beating if there arestructural features, open plumb-ing pipes and air-conditioningducts running along walls andceiling of the house. More so, ifthese varied service lines havenot been fixed well, it would robthe place of the overall look. This

is where the idea of 'conceal' isnecessary and a false envelopecomes in.

Few areas in the residencewhere these aesthetics can beachieved without compromisingon the functional aspect in today'spremium homes are accent light-ing, home tech systems, kitchensand restrooms

Home accent lighting

Modern lighting systems can

improve the function and look ofany space, adding color, visibili-ty and artistry to the room. Falseceiling lighting and furniturelighting is one of the easiest waysto add color and sophistication toan otherwise unremarkablespace.

Creating a secondary ceilingoffers flexibility to service andmask wiring, ducts and pipes thatrun below the primary ceiling.Well-placed fixtures in coves orcabinets can make it much easi-er to see at night as well, im-proving safety and security. Theycan be finely controlled with dim-mers and operate at a lower lev-el of intensity. Home accent light-ing, therefore, is to be often de-signed to function without beingnoticed.

Smart systems

As technology improves, con-cealed wiring is becoming moreaccessible and efficient for hometech and home electronics.Whether you choose the sleekestTV or the svelte AV component,nothing can make up for the aes-thetics of your room if there's amess of cables cascading around.

Smartly designed, concealedtrims in the ceiling, baseboardsfrom around the perimeter of theroom and raceways along the wallvia a peel-and-stick adhesive cansimply slip away the wires andcan be practically invisible andblend in better to the interior dé-cor.

If the home theatre is carpet-ed, the easiest way to do may beto tuck the cable under the car-pet straight to the speaker loca-tion. For hardwood or tile floors,it would be a good option to layflat cables that are unobtrusive

FLOORING ITTHE ETHNIC WAYArchitect Vasudevan Kadalayil gives comprehensive details on thetype of stones for use in flooring for different rooms in the home

or even paintable, which will make iteven more inconspicuous.

Camouflaged restrooms

A restroom with an unappealing ap-pearance, even with a small piece ofmetal or plastic piping can make a vi-sual blemish. While pipes provide a vi-tal purpose in a home, when exposed,they cause an unsightly flaw in theroom.

New techniques of concealed cis-tern system provides design freedomby taking the toilet off the floor andmounting it on the wall, while con-cealing the tank and other function-al components. Innovative designs offree standing washbasins and waterfaucets are planned in the initial

stages of construction with the pip-ing that are safely hidden behind thewall. The technology allows a morestreamlined and clean look from floorto ceiling.

Aesthetic kitchens

The kitchen is another importantplace in a home where various pipesare to be addressed. Be it a vent pipe,a gas pipe or a water line, hiding ex-posed pipes gives the room a more dec-orative feel.

A kitchen vent pipe is necessary tovent the steam and heat produced whenyou cook but its visibility makes thekitchen's aesthetic appeal suffer. In-stead of moving the pipe, consider afew design options to conceal it. De-

pending on the length of the pipe, andhow it is oriented on the wall, installinga false cabinet or a kitchen loft con-ceals its presence. Not only will it hidethe ugly pipe, but also give an addi-tional storage space. If there is no wayto cover the vent pipe because of itsorientation or the layout of the cabi-nets, the only way to screen its pres-ence is to draw the eye away. Paintingthe pipe the same color as the walls orcabinets can make it blend in to thebackground, so that the eye isn't auto-matically drawn to it.

Gas pipes require flexible supplytubes. These are usually stainless steelpipes that are coated with PVC. To thebest extent possible, keep all the pipesand tubing hidden behind walls andwithin cabinets.

The demand for partially or fullyconcealed fixtures has increased in re-cent years. The reasons may be versa-tile and differ completely from onehomeowner to another. Nonethelessthe number one reason remains; aes-thetics. 'Invisible' is not only the logi-cal answer to meet these demands, butsimply the ideal solution for beautifulhomes.

Pics courtesy: Archiscape

Pic courtesy: Ecumene

CONCEALED FOR COMFORT Architect Sangeetha Mayur explains how you maintain aesthetics through concealed wiring and fixtures

QUICKBYTES

■ AESTHETICS OF A HOMECAN BE MAINTAINED WITHCONCEALED PIPES,WIRING AND FIXTURES

■ CLEVERLY CONCEALEDLIGHTING FIXTURES INALCOVES AND CABINETSMAKE IT EASIER TO SEE ATNIGHT WITHOUT BEINGINTRUSIVE ON THE DECOR

■ WHEN CERTAINFIXTURES ARE DIFFICULTTO CONCEAL,CAMOUFLAGING THEMWITH ACCESSORIES CANDO THE TRICK

■ USE OF LOCALMATERIALS IN FLOORINGIS COST-EFFECTIVE

■ CAREFUL SELECTION OFFLOORING MATERIALSALSO INCLUDESDURABILITY, HARDINESS,AND SAFETY OF THERESIDENTS

■ NO TWO STONES ANDSLABS WILL HAVE THESAME COLOUR ANDTEXTURE. THIS ADDS TOTHE NATURAL LOOK

QUICKBYTES