Lurking at the bottom of your field of vision is one of the most downtrodden elements of decor - the humble floor. Most people are happy with a functional swathe of marble mosaic but an imaginative, expanse underfoot has the power to floor you, forever.Take stone, for instance. Who can stay immune to the delicately-veined beauty of Nepali marble or the tiny fires blazing in Sicilian granite. And the Post-Modern movement ensured that it stayed popular as a flooring and cladding material. While Rajasthan's quarries produce most of the fine quality marbles, the upwardly mobile prefer to use imported stones which can cost upwards of Rs 400 per sqft. The rich chromatic values of indigenous stones like Kota or Jaisalmer can be appreciated by the discerning.Regional stones might have a limited palette, but this is compensated by their easy availability, impermeability and cost. Ultimately, they are better suited to local climatic weathering conditions.Another import on the Indian design scene, parquet, is available as tiles and flooring panels. A true parquet floor, like most ladies, needs a monthly waxing to look well groomed. But newer options, which are still not available all over India, are pre-lacquered and treated to withstand spills and shocks. These floors can be bonded to a cement floor with a special adhesive. Parquet feels nice underfoot as it is a warm and resilient material.Earlier ceramic tiles were only confined to laboratories or bathrooms. But new developments in materials, manufacturing technology and colours, have expanded their range of applications to living areas and even bedrooms.In the early '80s, Spartek pioneered matt-textured ceramic tiles in to the Indian market. So much so, that the company's name became synonymous with this genre of floor tiles. As flooring options, they became popular because of their user-friendly properties. For a no-fuss floor, ceramic tiles are the inevitable choice as they are easy to clean, abrasion resistant, maintenance free and less costly than natural products.They are particularly recommended in houses where the residents are elderly, handicapped or suffer from asthma or other respiratory ailments. Allergy foundations recommend the use of ceramic floor tiles in combination with wood, cork, slate or vinyl. When used for floors, ceramic tiles present a smooth, regular surface. If any member of your family is elderly or disabled, check that the ceramic tile is anti-skid.Cement joints or grouting, which gets dirty after a while, can be cleaned by applying a paste of household bleach to the area. Do not use harsh cleansers or scourers as these may damage the lustre of the tile.To economise while tiling floors, you can cover certain areas with second-grade tiles, which can cost 20 to 40 per cent less than first-grade tiles. Second-grade tiles usually have been known to last almost as long as the better, costlier variety. It's wiser to confine second-grade tiles to smaller areas with less traffic, where their defects aren't immediately apparent.Colourful broken tiles in a China mosaic can be used with great effect to floor bathrooms, porticos, terraces - and with some imagination - even kitchens. While using China mosaic, it is important to invest in skilled labour to make up for the negligible material costs. It's also important to consider the surroundings or decor. While lush tropical greenery, wrought iron artifacts and antiques look splendid against a mosaic floor; the painstaking effort behind it is marred if juxtaposed with stolid decor in a dark colour scheme.
