A flooring style straight out of your grandparents’ kitchen, terrazzo—or your humble mosaic—has made a come-back to the interior designer’s fashion palette, and how! With chips of marble, quartz or granite on a base of concrete that has been smoothened out and polished, this speckled surface is now a popular home décor trend.
Terrazzo Popularity
Ever since Pinterest listed Terrazzo on its 2018 Trends Report, this versatile flooring material has, well, literally ‘floored’ us! The origins of this lovely flooring finish go as far back to Venice, Italy of the 1400s. Old Italian homes had intricately patterned flooring in terrazzo, which has in many cases withstood the test of time and looks gorgeous even today. Terrazzo was a popular trend in Indian homes of the 70s and 80s, and the popularity of terrazzo is again on the rise.
However it is styled, it complements many different décor themes ranging from minimalistic to explosive…therein lies its popularity. Terrazzo colours are virtually unlimited, and a wide variety of combinations are possible both for the chips and the substrate. You can even choose to custom-create combinations to match any colour palette. It is also an extraordinarily durable surface as it is completely waterproof, non-porous, and hard-wearing.
Pros and Cons of Using Terrazzo in Home Interiors
What are the pros and cons of using terrazzo? Read on, so you can make an informed decision.
Pros:
- Terrazzo is cost-effective and will fit into any budget. Good quality terrazzo is available at a starting price of Rs 40 per square foot, which is considerably less than the cost of natural stone. Terrazzo costs can go up to as much as Rs 250 per square foot, depending on the substrate and the chips that you choose to use.
- It is customizable to your décor, and you can pick from a wide range of colours.
- Terrazzo can be cast in situ and moulded to suit the profile that you are creating.
- This material is very durable and gets more polished with age and use.
Cons:
- Polished terrazzo floors are quite slippery. It can be hard to see water that has spilt on the floor, and so unless any spills are mopped up at once it could cause a bad fall.
- Over the years, poor quality terrazzo can get pitted.
- To pour terrazzo expert crafts persons are needed. Ensure that they have the experience to know how to do it correctly.
- It is possible to refinish the surface by grinding and re-polishing any number of times.
Here are some lovely ideas that you could derive inspiration from!
1. Poured Terrazzo for Bathroom Countertops
What most people do not know is that although terrazzo is available as tiles, it can also be cast in situ. This is through a method in which the concrete is poured directly on a surface where the granite or marble chips have already been laid out. It can be smoothened out to form a seamless finish that moulds itself around edges and curves and looks pretty neat when finished.
This contemporary bathroom uses terrazzo in the countertop and basin. Here, terrazzo is wrapped around the edge of the counter and folded down into the bathroom sink, creating a continuous surface that is very easy to keep clean.
2. Terrazzo in Kitchens and Breakfast Areas
The cast in situ technique can be used on kitchen counters or in a breakfast nook, tabletops, kitchen backsplashes and so on. It can even be used to cast the kitchen sink itself, for a lovely, seamless surface.
3. Decorative Items and Accent Pieces using Terrazzo
Product designers have also experimented with terrazzo in quite a few ways. You can find Scandinavian prototypes of terrazzo flower pots, creatively designed stools with speckled seats, even accent pieces like table coasters and flower vases in flowing patterns fashioned out of this material. Given its versatility, it’s easy to imagine decorative items such as terrazzo boxes, paperweights, lamp-shades, wall murals with different colours of terrazzo or broken tiles creating patterns. The sky is the limit to your creativity.
4. Terrazzo in Staircases and Flooring
The most popular use of terrazzo is in flooring and staircases. Staircases can be cast using poured concrete with terrazzo chips, while flooring could either be cast in situ or laid with terrazzo tiles.
What are the dos and don’ts while using Terrazzo in home interiors?
It is possible to go overboard with terrazzo, but do remember that too much of this material can make your interior look boring and monotonous. It is always better to have a blend of terrazzo against a plain surface, making sure that the colours match. Try a burst of colours against a neutral surface or vice versa!
Here are some tips on how to incorporate terrazzo in your home interiors!
- While terrazzo is seamless when casting in situ, the tiles have a rough edge and chip easily when they are not handled with care. The edges of tiles should be lined up perfectly while laying, and any pits should be carefully filled so that further chipping does not happen.
- Use an innovative blend of colours and aggregates, and you can mix and match colours, and create your own combinations and styles.
- Terrazzo can be used in any room or space. Always try to create some contrast, by picking out colours from the chips in the terrazzo to accessorize. Try not to go overboard, as too many specked surfaces can literally turn you dotty!
- As terrazzo is slippery when wet, you could consider adding non-slip additives for safety.
- A terrazzo floor is easy to maintain. All it takes is regular mopping, which can even be done on a daily basis. The more the floor is cleaned and used, the more polish it acquires.
- It can get scratched if any abrasive surface is placed directly on it, so do ensure there is no direct application of sharp tools on the surface.
Terrazzo is one of the most versatile finishes that we have ever worked with in the interior design space. If you are designing your home, you can totally unleash your creativity with this material; you can choose to go subtle, or go wild, as you wish!
Would you like to experiment with this trend in your home? For one-of-a-kind ideas and décor planning, hop on over to a HomeLane Experience Centre. We’re happy to help!
