Square Foot Deccan Herald - Flooring Company in India | Square Foot

1. DECCANHERALD3 » * * * 1 2 3 Friday,July29,2016 Homes&interiors Getdownonthefloor Foralongtime,floorswereignoredinhomedecordrives.Butthankstonewermaterials,eco-friendlyoptionsandeye-catching colours,floorsareregainingtheirrightfulplaceinthelargerschemeofthings,saysBinduGopalRao Sendyourfeedbackto deccanheraldrealty@gmail.com T Creatingaspacethatreflectsaperson’sin- dividuality and personality is being given moreimportance.Therehasbeenamajor changeintheconceptofinteriorswiththe current generation facing a time crunch and shift of preference to the living stan- dardsoftheworld. “Peoplewantmorefunctionalinteriors rather than an ornate presentation. The mantra is ‘instant yet cost effective’, just liketheirpreferencesforperiodicchanges. Modern interior concepts now demand sustainabilityandaneco-friendlyapproach withaviewtoconservethefast-depleting natural resources and fragile environ- ment,” says Ashok Goyal, CEO, NITCO Limited. Similarly,homeflooringhascomealong way from traditional tiles and morphed intodesignorartisanflooringswhetherit is tiles or wooden flooring. The flooring optionsareaplentytodayandareslowlybut surely becoming an important factor in makingdecordecisions. oday,homesarebecomingsacro- sanctspaceswherepeoplespend a majority of their time and are personalising interiors to suit their tastes and needs perfectly. STYLECHECKThemostnotabletrendsin flooringrevolvearoundlargeformats, organictexturesandrusticelements. PHOTOSCOURTESY:SQUAREFOOT&NITCOLIMITED. Thelureofwood Woodenflooringisamongstthemostpre- ferred options today. Wood flooring solu- tionsnowofferlaminate,engineeredand solidwood.Laminateandengineeredwood arepopularchoicestocombattemperature fluctuations which cause the wood to ex- pand or contract. Solid wood is coveted whereluxuryissteepedintothedecor. “Peoplenowaspireforwoodenflooring that goes beyond the functional aspect, whichhasthepotentialtocreateasenseof luxury,bothinsideandoutsideahouseand believethatgoodflooringwillalwaysexcite theirsurroundingsandpepuptheatmos- phere around. They want to make an im- pression and enjoy a living space around themwithoutcompromisingondurability oreaseofmaintenance,”saysGauravSaraf, jointmanagingdirector,SquareFoot. Engineered hardwood flooring is rela- tivelynewinhomeflooringsolutions.Be- sidesofferingendlessdesignpossibilities, engineeredhardwoodflooringalsoraises theaestheticappealofthelivingroomby filling it with exquisiteness and warmth. “Therearemanycolours,styles,stainsand speciesavailableunderthisproductrange andso,nomatterhowdiverseandunique theneedmaybe,thereisalwaysanoption. Coloursthatshine Greytonesarenowoneofthehottestop- tions in hardwood flooring as they range fromlightneutralstodeepsaturatedchar- coals. Grey tones bring out the beauty of naturalwood,highlightingthegrainsand texture, which adds visual interest to a room, allowing the flooring to be a true statement piece. While at the same time, neutralgreytoneswon’toverpoweraroom and will compliment many decorating styles. “Andifyouwanttomakeabolderstate- ment, consider the trend toward darker staincolours,suchasebony,forarichand contemporary look. Or for a more tradi- tionalfeel,consideradeep,warmJacobean ordarkwalnut.Today’shardwoodflooring isallaboutcolourandthedeeperanddark- erthecolour,thebolderthedesignimpact. Darkhardwoods,suchasoak,cherry,and walnut, are perfect choices for creating sleek,darklook,”addsSuresh. With so many options in the market today, are you ready to give your floors a makeovernow? Moreover,theseflooringchoiceshavesev- eral advantages over the classical floor- ings. For example, the engineered hard- woodflooringscanbeperiodicallysanded torevivethewoodgrainanderasescratch- esandmoreover,theseflooringsalsowork wellinkitchens,basementsandbathrooms, wherelightmoistureispresentconstantly,” says Akash Saini, director, sales, Notion LuxuryFlooringConcepts. look and feel. They are also available in a widerangeofcolours.” Shruti Choudhari, principal architect, ChrysalisDesignStudioadds,“Thelatest trendseeninflooringforhomestodayare patterns in wood, laminate flooring and tiles. Geometric patternsare very ‘in’this season.Evencompositionoftwopatterns in the same area is gaining popularity. Chevronandherringbonetakecentrestage and are the most opted for patterns. Ash wood,grey,tangerine,blackandwhiteare inthisseason’scolours.” Samira Chopra, creative head, Casa Coloursays,“Porcelaintilesarehigherin demandtodaytodeliveranyformoflook desired.Withthecomputerdesigningtech- nology used to design these tiles, options areavailableinabundance.” Luxury vinyl is also a new category of flooringthatcombinesthehigh-endlookof hardwoodwiththedurabilityofvinyl.Sol- idhardwoodfloorsarebecomingpopular inIndianhomes.“Thefixingandinstalla- tionofwoodenfloorsalsocomewithinno- vativetechnologiestoday,liketheclipinstal- lationtechnologythatnotonlyhelpsinthe expansionandcontractionduetoclimatic changes,butalsohelpsinmaintainingthe gaps and the aesthetic value of the solid wood flooring,”says Suresh Kumar Man- sukhani, country manager — Indian sub- continent,Junckers. Themostwidespreadchangehascome in the range of high quality vitrified tiles. “Tiles with textured surfaces as well as manyfeaturingmicro-patterns,marbleor granite patterns, quilted leather and em- broideredlacemotifsaregainingtraction amongsthomebuyers.Anothersoughtaf- ter option are digitally printed tiles that haveboundlessdesignpossibilities,sharp- er finishes and higher resolution,” says Surendra Hiranandani, CMD, House of Hiranandani. productscomefromcontrolledforestryto ensurethattheydonotharmtheenviron- mentinanyway.“Anotherpopularoption is solid wood floors that come in natural bamboovariants,whichareenvironment friendlyandcompetitivelypriced.Thebam- boo tree is one that grows six times the rateofothertrees,soreplenishmentofthe resourceisquicker.Furthermore,thewood issourcedfromPEFCforestswhicharees- sentiallymanagedforestsandhencethere is lesser random and unwanted logging takingplace,”addsGaurav. Materialslikebamboowhichhassimilar characteristicslikehardwoodandcorkare good eco-friendly options. Arshia Ladak, head—marketing,residential,ThePhoenix Mills Ltd explains, “Bamboo flooring is quicklygaininginpopularity.Itisactually agrassthatsharessimilarcharacteristicsas hardwood. It is durable, easy to maintain andiseasytoinstall.Anothersustainable materialthatisindemandispolishedcon- crete.Itcreatesatiledeffectwithdifferent colours and is extremely durable, easy to cleanandneverneedstobereplaced.” What’strending? Naturalstoneslikepolishedmarble,honed graniteandwoodenflooringlikelaminate and engineered wood flooring and solid woodflooringaresomeofthenewtrends observedinthehomeflooringspace.Cur- rently,themostnotabletrendsinthehome flooring space revolve around large for- mats,organictexturesandlooksthatcom- bine rusticity and refinement. Anushka Contractor, freelance interior designer, adds, “Large porcelain slabs which look likenaturalstonearequitepopular.They aremoreeconomicalthanmarble,about one-thirds the price, giving you a similar Goinggreen Mostoftheeco-friendlyflooringproducts thatarecurrentlyinvoguecomefromei- ther forest stewardship council (FSC) or programmefortheendorsementofforest certification(PEFC)certifiedforests.These NEW‘N’HAPPENING exclusiveworkingsreflectthecoherence ofanextraordinarystylewithcontem- poraryelegance. Thebrandrecentlylaunchedtwonew collectionsofhomelinen:Elliscollection whichfeaturesanupscale,sophisticated damask&trellispatternsindramatic ferngoldhues.Thequilteddamaksur- faceaddslayersofdimension,whilethe sequinnedaccentswithchordingcom- pletetheopulentensemble. Theothercollectionis‘Gazaala’ whichisastatementofartisticstyleand grace.Asoftwhitefabricisembellished witharichsilvercordingandembroi- dery.Attentiontodetailisshownon everypieceofthiscollection.Toget yourhandsonthesebeautifulsets,visit www.annasimona.com. Lightsforyou » lampscalled‘Pingu’and‘Pillar’.Their hybridnatureallowschargingthrough solarpanelandalsothroughconvention- algridpower.Poweredbylithiumion battery,thehybridLEDemergency lampscouldbechargedquicklyandalso featureslowself-discharge(whichoffers longershelflifeforbatteries).Also,the brightnessoflightinthelampscouldbe operatedwithsingleswitch,therebyopti- misingthebatterystorage. Theemergencylampscouldbeusedas alightingsolutionincaseofpowercuts andwillbehandyforhomes,shopping malls,departmentalstoresandoffices. Owingtoitslightweightandcompact build,itcouldbeusedasasmarttrekking lamp.Also,theaestheticproductdesign makesitanidealgiftingoption.The productiswidelyavailableacrossBunt Solar’sdedicatedbranchesanddistribu- torsacrossthecountrywithtwoyears replacementwarrantyincludingbattery. Formoreinformation,logonto www.buntsolar.com. BuntSolarIndiaPvt.Ltd.,the Bengaluru-basedsolarcompany, haslaunchedhybridLEDemergency EASYCleanallyourbathroomand kitchenfixtureswithsomelemonor vinegartogetthemsqueakyclean. Themaintenancechecklist Innovationin thekitchen » shopforsmallapplianceslikevegetable chopper,multi-purposelids,blender, peeler,knifearen’talwayslookingfor themostpowerfulchef’stools.Increas- ingly,theywantproductsthataresim- pleandfunctional.Keepingthisin mind,TTKPres- tigehas launched someinno- vative products likePrestige Hob-Top, Clip-on Pressure cooker,Prestige AirFryerandPrestigePopcornmaker etc.Setuptomitigatethedailystruggle andchallengesfacedbyhousewivesin traditionalIndiankitchens,theseprod- uctsaredeterminedtoprovideinnova- tivekitchensolutions. Prestigeproductsincorporatethelatest technologyandofferthebestexperience totheendusers.Likeprestigehobtop whichisdesignedtobetheworld’s slimmestcooktop,thePrestigeHobtopis bothagasstoveandahobmakingitcon- venientforcookingandthePrestige Popcornmakerwhichhassimplifiedthe processofmakingpopcornathome. WiththenewlatestPrestigePopcorn makeronecanmakeandconsumethe contentsbyjusttiltingthebowlprovided inthePopcornisprepared. Innovationisthe‘It’termtoday, especiallywhenitcomesto kitchenappliances.Consumerswho Intoday’sage,homesfallpreytodustyfurniture,peskypestsanddirtyfixturespretty soon.NanditaManwaniofferssomesoundssuggestionstodealwiththeseissues A ping paint or the rusting hinges, your home starts to crumble from within. But hey,youcanavoidallhasslesbyfollowing some simple maintenance tips, you can keepyourinteriorsintopshapeforalong time.Herearetheessentials: workunderneath.Also,the‘artificialrain’ inyourbathroomduetotheseepingceil- ingisprobablybecauseoftheover-enthu- siasticscrubberupstairs. As you may have guessed already, a scrubbedgroutinghasasimplesolution— check for its absence on the floors (espe- cially bathroom floors), between the kitchen slab and sink and where the slab meetsthewallsandputthegroutingback. You can in fact do it on your own using whitecementforthefloorandsiliconegel forthekitchen. Everyyear, getaformal pestcontroldone inyourhometo keepitsafefrom allinsects... with numerous lakshman rekhas. Trust me, nothing works better than a formal pestcontroltreatment.Dependingonthe size of your place, it costs anywhere be- tween Rs 3,000-10,000 annually and is worth every rupee. The ‘black sand’that thecockroachesleavebehindinyourcab- inets and drawers are their droppings — notonlydoesitlookmessy,italsofindits wayintoyourutensils,cookingetc.Fixit beforeitfixesyou. fterspendingabombonhome interiors, it’s appalling to see thingsstartingtofallaparteven beforethehomecelebratesits secondbirthday.Beitthechip- cleanmadamsometimes,inherenthusi- asm,scrubsawaythegroutingalongwith thedirt.Groutingisthefillerthat’sputin between tiles or granite slab or between the slab and the sink to fill the gap. The purposeistofillthegapaestheticallyand topreventwaterleakageinwetplaces.A scrubbed-offgroutingisthesinglebiggest kitchenkillerknowntousasitleadstowa- ter seepage from the sink into the wood- Yearlycarpentervisit Likehowweneedanannualhealthcheck up,yourhome’swoodworkneedsonetoo. Thehardwarethat’susednowadays(zero crank hinges, hydraulic lift ups, sliding systemsetc)tendstogatherdustanddirt withregularuse.Youwouldhavenoticed thespacebetweentheshutterseitherbe- comingbiggerorsmallerwithuse—some- timestheshuttersmayclash,rubagainst the adjoining panel, wall or slab or bend andgetdamagediftheissueisnotarrest- ed in time. The carpenter will tighten thingsbackanditwilltakehimnolonger thanafewofhourstodoit. Sparklycleanfixtures With constant use, you will find a frosty white film settling on your bathroom fit- tings. It’s a pretty stubborn piece of flab which when attacked with regular clean- ers,leadstothechromeitselfgettingdam- aged.Thesolution—atinyyellowlemon. Ascrubwithlemonjuiceorwithvinegar willmeltawaythefilmandbringtheshine back. If you are out of lemon, then use Coke;yes,CocaColaisasuitablealterna- tiveforthis. Now that you know maintaining your home isn’t that strenuous, what are you waitingfor?Timetoscrubandclean. Sophisticatedtastes » torenowneddesignhousesabroadfrom decades.AtAnnaSimona,thedesigns aretimeless,sensuous,strong,chicand setthequalitystandardforthefuture. Theyareanexcitingfusionofmaterial, colourandmostimportantlydetail. Researchandexperimentationthrough AnnaSimonacomesfromthe houseofTextradeInternational,a firmknowntoexportqualityfurnishings it.Sometimes,evensomethingassimpleas hotwaterwouldwork. The‘stuffed’drainpipe Imagineyourselfinthekitchendrainpipe’s shoes…no,throat,andyouwillfeelitsbane. Amonthly‘drainex’downthedrain(liter- ally) will help avoid the quarterly choke, providingrespitetothewoodworkaround Formalpestcontrol Somanyofuscomeunderthespellofthe humane(tothecockroaches)herbalpest controlguyorarebusyliningourhomes (Theauthorisaninteriordesignerand founderofTheStudio,Bengaluru) Theover-enthusiasticscrubber Themaidunderguidancefromthesuper