Most houses in India use ceramic tiles, wood, red oxide, natural stone, mosaic, bricks and even terracotta tiles, which is considered an affordable option, for flooring. Nowadays, with the use of naturally available materials gaining popularity, stone flooring has won many fans among interior decorators, artisans and homeowners as it has demonstrated its beauty and low maintenance in high traffic areas. Natural stone gives the floor a lasting finish and is suitable for both the indoors and outdoors, requiring minimal upkeep.
Stone tiles and slabs enhance the beauty of a room and can suit almost any decor style including rustic, industrial, minimal and modern. To demonstrate how natural stone can be used for the floors, we present some examples executed by flooring experts.
Granite flooring is trendy in both residential and commercial projects due to its beautiful natural grains and resilience. The most commonly available shades of granite are black, green, galaxy and pearl, which are refined to suit the décor style. Here, the decorators have used an interesting mix of colour and finish that enhances the rich and luxurious ambience of the modern living room.
Limestone is a sedimentary stone that is available in a wide variety of colours. It is used for exterior flooring for balconies, verandahs, terraces and garden walkways. Limestone can be sanded for a polished look or left in a rough state for rustic appeal. Limestone flooring adds an earthy and warm touch and is easy to maintain, making it the most popular as a budget stone flooring option.
Polished natural stone has a beautiful glossy finish. Moreover, polishing brings out the beauty of the stone's colour and veins. Not all stones are strong enough for polishing, but travertine, granite, marble and limestone have the required resilience for it.
Slate is a porous stone and is found in dark shades like black and grey, making it ideal for both dry and wet areas. Due to its stain and fire-resistant quality, it can be used for bathroom and kitchen flooring. Dark brown slate gives this bathroom a neat and earthy look.
The beautiful colours, grains and patterns on marble make it an ideal material for installation in areas that homeowners want to showcase, such as the living room. Although it is prone to staining, it is highly durable and resilient. Due to its stylish appearance and visual texture, it brings an ambience of luxury and finesse to any area, including a Pooja space.
Due to its slightly rough texture and anti-slip property, Kota stone is usually used for high traffic areas like corridors, foyers and verandas. The stone is found in dark colours like green, blue and brown and is generally transported from Rajasthan. In this home, the dark brown stone gives the foyer an earthy look.
In India, the most commonly brushed stone tiles are dark stones from the Cuddapah region of Andhra Pradesh. They are hard and impervious to stains and rarely chip or crack.
The lightly porous stone has tiny holes that give it a spongy appearance, though premium quality travertine has minimal pits and is available in vibrant colours. Due to its appearance, a Travertine floor sometimes has a unique and ancient look and is widely used for bathroom, foyers and terrace flooring as it is robust and sturdy enough to take on the natural wear and tear in the outdoors.
Like limestone, sandstone is a sedimentary rock made from sand and other organic materials. It is found in several earthy tones and has interesting colour bands that often resemble wood-grains. Due to their hard texture, tiles made from sandstone are generally used for outdoor areas.
This type of marble stone originates from Italy. It is clear and white with bold streaks. Calacatta is a rare marble stone and is valued for its luxurious appearance. Therefore, it is more expensive than locally sourced marble.
Did these natural stone options floor you? Here are some more inspiring for using stone floors at home.