Terrazzo is trending. The timeless art form which has existed for centuries is now experiencing a revival as a highly sought-after finish for luxury flooring, walls, stair treads, countertops, and other custom design finishes. Terrazzo isn’t only relegated to these areas alone, it’s also popular in home decor, furniture, ceramics and serve-ware.
With terrazzo firmly in the spotlight, this blog will answer the questions: what is terrazzo, and why is the style experiencing this late renaissance?
TILES: Terrazzo Black (Order In)
What is terrazzo?
Terrazzo is a composite material used to form a range of finishes from kitchen benchtops to bathroom walls and floors. Terrazzo tiles combine chips of marble, quartz, granite or glass with a binder (usually cement) to create stunning, timeless surfaces.
TILES: Terrazzo Dark Grey
History
Terrazzo has been used for centuries in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean. While the technique first used to make terrazzo is thought to have started with the Ancient Greeks and Egyptians, terrazzo as we know it today originates in the 15th Century Venetian Empire.
The style was born when Venetian stone workers brought home scraps of quarts, marble chips and other stones from the state-commissioned projects they were working on and combined them with clay mortar to create smooth surfaces like terrazzo floors in their own homes.
Although the style has evolved over the centuries, and now boasts a large collection of approaches and styles including precast terrazzo, monolithic terrazzo, sand cushion terrazzo, and rustic terrazzo, the essentials have remained the same - fragments of stone, crystal and other materials bound together to form beautiful surfaces.
Why now?
Terrazzo works to provide either a subtle or bold statement. You can choose either the traditional terrazzo-look tiles with the natural small chips or contemporary graphic terrazzo-look tiles, which are gaining popularity, to really stand out.
Our Medley collection is a prime example, with non-traditional colour combinations like pink and green used together and modern stone chunks scattered throughout.
Whether that’s in high-end kitchen renovations, bathrooms, or even as feature walls, terrazzo’s versatility makes it an ideal alternative to other more conventional tile styles.
WALL & FLOOR TILES: Medley Classic White
FLOOR TILES: Affogato Light Grey Matt
TILES: Robusta Beige
TILES: Robusta Dark Grey
Innovations in terrazzo
With advances in modern technology and design possibilities, terrazzo is more formidable than ever. Due to world-wide interest, manufacturers are pushing the boundaries of colour and design combinations; as well as combining epoxy resins and other suitable materials making it even more dynamic to work with. The likes of Medley rock pink or terrazzo clay tiles are just the beginning; if you would like more inspiration and design tips, browse our extensive collection of terrazzo tiles.
FEATURE TILES: Medley Classic Pink (Order In)
FEATURE TILES: Supreme
Take the leap
If you are hesitant and feel terrazzo is too strong a design statement to make in your home rest assured, you can tone it down. By including contrast plain tiles to lay on adjacent walls you can soften the look and allow the terrazzo to shine. Another popular option is to include a third tile in the design, a smaller feature tile to add texture and shape is always beautiful. This addition works well on the vanity wall behind the mirror, with interesting feature lights bringing the space to life.
Contact our friendly team today and organise a visit to our showroom or a design consultation.
TILES: Medley Rock White, Matt White Kitkat
