We've heard people tell us to keep our feet on the ground, metaphorically of course; but literally speaking, we've never quite given our flooring its due. For, the purpose of tiling goes beyond just covering surfaces or making them look pretty. One of the oldest forms of decorative art — with history that can be traced back to Egypt in the 4th millennium BC — they carve an identity for any structure they support. And this Saturday, one of India's oldest flooring companies, Bharat Floorings, will conduct their first-ever workshop hoping to introduce participants to the art of tile-making and design.

Firdaus Variava, vice-chairman of the organisation, and Ashwin Mallya, head of design, will conduct the workshop. "We decided to do this because the exercise is rather unusual. People don't consider cement to be a decorative material, and we aim to introduce them to cement as a medium. Today, the latest development we are witnessing is the increasing use of patterned tiles — a good design at an affordable price," Variava tells us.