6 Stone Floors Best Suited for Indian Homes
These hard-wearing materials bring not only natural warmth but also oodles of style into your home
Shristi Nangalia
26 February 2017
Houzz India Contributor, Architect, Architectural Writer and Content Writer. Painting, craft work, pets and good food are my getaways. Cultures and colours always inspire me. Email: shristi012@gmail.com, Business profile: @decoretteindia.
Houzz India Contributor, Architect, Architectural Writer and Content Writer. Painting,... More
Born of nature, each piece of stone has a definite character and grain. This hard and cool material is ideal for homes in warmer climates. A natural stone’s organic surface resists dust and allergenic organisms, making it safe and durable. From rough to smooth, porous to dense, choices in stone flooring abound. Take a look at some popular choices among Indian homeowners and designers these days.
1. Marble
Timeless and highly durable, marble is an excellent choice if you desire an ambience of both luxury and antiquity. Marble is resilient and it comes in a wide range of patterns and colours. While pure white marble gives a pristine appeal, the darker shades are distinctly beautiful, too. Being a premium material in terms of looks and pricing, it is best to show it off in the living room.
Timeless and highly durable, marble is an excellent choice if you desire an ambience of both luxury and antiquity. Marble is resilient and it comes in a wide range of patterns and colours. While pure white marble gives a pristine appeal, the darker shades are distinctly beautiful, too. Being a premium material in terms of looks and pricing, it is best to show it off in the living room.
Tip: Marble is heavy and the larger sheets tend to be rather fragile. Always hire skilled labour for any kind of installation. Choose a substrate that can handle the extra weight must be chosen to avoid wearing or breaking after application. Hone the marble to achieve a slip-resistant and easy-to-clean texture. Avoid abrasives for cleaning, they leave scratch marks.
Why Marble Might Be Wrong for Your Bathroom
Why Marble Might Be Wrong for Your Bathroom
2. Granite
Granite is a hard-edged stone with a beautiful natural grain. Its resilience makes it great for both indoor and outdoor use.
This vernacular home has been modelled with raw granite stone on the walls and floors. Employing locally available stone cuts transportation costs and makes it easy on the purse.
Black, green, pearl and galaxy are widely available granite colours. The more this stone is polished, the more refined it looks. Here the architect uses honed granite outdoors to contrast with the soft texture of the grass.
Granite is a hard-edged stone with a beautiful natural grain. Its resilience makes it great for both indoor and outdoor use.
This vernacular home has been modelled with raw granite stone on the walls and floors. Employing locally available stone cuts transportation costs and makes it easy on the purse.
Black, green, pearl and galaxy are widely available granite colours. The more this stone is polished, the more refined it looks. Here the architect uses honed granite outdoors to contrast with the soft texture of the grass.
3. Slate
Slate is a handsome porous stone. It is easy to cut and to make into sheets. Mostly available in gold, grey and black, slate works well in both dry and wet areas of the house. This stain-resistant surface can be great for your living room, hallway, bathroom, dining and kitchen areas.
Tip: Apply penetrating sealants every two years to make the slate impermeable. It prevents deep staining and permanent spoiling. Avoid using vinegar or citrus cleansers for cleaning stains.
Slate is a handsome porous stone. It is easy to cut and to make into sheets. Mostly available in gold, grey and black, slate works well in both dry and wet areas of the house. This stain-resistant surface can be great for your living room, hallway, bathroom, dining and kitchen areas.
Tip: Apply penetrating sealants every two years to make the slate impermeable. It prevents deep staining and permanent spoiling. Avoid using vinegar or citrus cleansers for cleaning stains.
If you always wanted to make a statement in the bedroom then use slate stone in mosaic. See how the mosaic slate floor adds warmth and texture to this modern bedroom? The variations in earth-tone colours take rusticity to a new level!
4. Sandstone
This is a widely prevalent stone in India with large variations in colour and grain. Highly durable and warm, it lends the room a distinctive natural look with its rocky characteristics. Gauged sandstone has been used in this Mumbai home.
This is a widely prevalent stone in India with large variations in colour and grain. Highly durable and warm, it lends the room a distinctive natural look with its rocky characteristics. Gauged sandstone has been used in this Mumbai home.
Sandstone is great for outdoor use, too. This warm stone works as a charmer in the terrace lounge of this Mandvi house.
5. Limestone
This sedimentary stone can be found in a variety of colours, from creams to charcoal. These stones make good company for all kinds of decor styles – from traditional to contemporary.
Limestone is naturally porous and soft. It may be sanded for a polished look or machine-tumbled for a rough look. The elegance of this house is enhanced by the earthy appeal of its limestone floor. It is easy to clean and maintain.
This sedimentary stone can be found in a variety of colours, from creams to charcoal. These stones make good company for all kinds of decor styles – from traditional to contemporary.
Limestone is naturally porous and soft. It may be sanded for a polished look or machine-tumbled for a rough look. The elegance of this house is enhanced by the earthy appeal of its limestone floor. It is easy to clean and maintain.
Cuddapah, commonly known as black limestone, is found abundantly in Andhra Pradesh. It is impervious and hard. It can withstand all kinds of exposure without much wear and tear. The open-plan hall of this farmhouse in Delhi uses a honed cuddapah stone floor.
A fine-grained variety of limestone is Kota stone. The green, blue and brown varieties are mostly quarried from Rajasthan. It is non-porous and non-slip, making it a great choice for high-traffic areas and outdoor spaces.
This room has a neat, Spartan look, heightened by the use of the river-finished Kota stone.
This room has a neat, Spartan look, heightened by the use of the river-finished Kota stone.
6. Travertine
Travertine is a cousin of limestone that is lighter on the pocket. The matte form of travertine is widely applied outdoors on pool surrounds, pavings and walkways. These floors are highly porous and do not heat up easily. For indoor applications, resin is filled in the stone’s pores and locked with a sealant. Commonly available in gold, ivory and cream colours, travertine can be honed to be used in modern decors.
Read more:
10 Unique Options for Your Floors
Bring Home the Beauty of Marble
Tell us:
Does your house have a stone floor? Which kind? Share your pictures in Comments.
Travertine is a cousin of limestone that is lighter on the pocket. The matte form of travertine is widely applied outdoors on pool surrounds, pavings and walkways. These floors are highly porous and do not heat up easily. For indoor applications, resin is filled in the stone’s pores and locked with a sealant. Commonly available in gold, ivory and cream colours, travertine can be honed to be used in modern decors.
Read more:
10 Unique Options for Your Floors
Bring Home the Beauty of Marble
Tell us:
Does your house have a stone floor? Which kind? Share your pictures in Comments.
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Clay is the best. Many kilns make hollow clay tiles specifically to keep the house insulated. These are thicker than vitrified tiles, verging on being almost 2 inches thick.
This is a lovely article. We recently bought a house in South Delhi and I have used jaiselmer stone extensively..I would like to know if cuddapah can be used on stairs. Does it mould well, since one needs to make the lip of the nose. Please let me know.