Q. I am sending the sketch of my newly purchased flat. Please advise the following:

1. The best room for us, my mother, my daughter aged 20 years and my marriageable son aged 27 years.

2. There is no separate room for puja. Can I have it in my mother’s room?

Promod Agarwal, Kolkata (Via email)

Ans: 1.The room at southwest will be the best room for you. Your son should occupy the room at west. You can arrange the room at southeast for your mother but paint it with light yellow color. Your daughter has to use the room at east but paint it light green.

2.      There is a corridor near the kitchen. Can you keep the puja idols or photos in a wooden box on the outside wall at the west of the kitchen? You will be facing east while praying. Otherwise you will have to keep it in your mother’s room but use a curtain or barrier to make a kind of separation.

VAATU OF THE FLOOR

The floor of the house brings beauty and aesthetics to the household. Nowadays, various flooring materials are available in the market from vitrified tiles to vinyl and wooden finishes. Marble should be avoided on the floors of bedrooms, kitchen or toilets as it is a religious stone.

Too much of designs should be avoided because they tend to spoil the beauty rather than appealing to the eyes. Keep it plain and simple. The floor colour should not be same in the entire house because it brings monotony. So, use different colors for different rooms. A very bright coloured floor may induce sleeplessness. Contrasting floor designs may be used in the living or drawing room area for aesthetics.

Many like different heights in the floors of different rooms. Some tend to place the dining area at an elevated level or lower level in comparison to the living area. This must be done with extreme caution. A wrong height of floor can produce disastrous results. If a floor is desired to be at a lower level, then the same must be done at northeast, north or east ONLY. Similarly, if a raised floor is to be made, then it should be at southwest, west or south ONLY. The slope of the floors should be such that the water drains out through northeast, east or north.

Readers may send their queries if any to Hemanta Kr. Sarmah, c/o mélange, The Sentinel or on Mobile No. 94350-14668. e-mail: hksarmah@yahoo.com