When we think of terrazzo, public spaces are more likely to come to mind than homes. But these are just a few examples of terrazzo floors and countertops used at home:
Durable terrazzo is quite hard, making it tough on feet in the kitchen. But we could see using it in an entryway, or even on kitchen countertops. Terrazzo is traditionally installed by spreading a cement binder over a concrete subfloor, adding an aggregate, and grinding it all down to a shiny, smooth surface. The aggregate can either contrast with the binder or can blend with it (as in the white kitchen floor in the first gallery photo). If you like the look but the process seems like overkill for the home, check out this precast terrazzo from EcoTerr.
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Comments (12)
I love terrazzo. It reminds me of something akin to an urban fossil layer. The chunkier the better!
Love the terrazzo design.
Terrazzo was very common in MCM luxury homes - Very few folks used marbles or granites for flooring back then...
...Terrazzo was also commonly used for outdoor stairways, porches and even shower pans in the mid 20th Century.
Nobody ever used stone for countertops, floors, bathrooms, etc. back then!
Pricing information would be very helpful on these materials posts.
Our house was built in 1969. We were delighted to find the original terrazzo underneath the dirty carpet and cheap laminate. We had it refinished and love it throughout the house. Easiest and most eco-friendly thing in the world to clean; just water, no soap or detergent. The white with gray flecks is a great look too. I don't find it any harder on the feet than the tile in or last kitchen or the marble in that bathroom.
Ewwww @ that 1st picture...
I grew up in a terrazzo slab house in Florida and LOVED it. But don't run (holding a glass) in socks on a freshly polished floor. And never apply a sealer - it yellows. Diamond polishing lasts nearly forever.
A real terrazzo floor is pretty much impossible to install in existing homes (and prohibitively expensive) because it's poured and polished in place.
But terrazzo tiles (or silimar-looking speckled quartz tiles) are available for about the price of any quartz. We're going to do terrazzo floors (tile) in our bathrooms.
Thanks brittney! Way to add a substantive contribution to the post. You couldn't, by chance, add any substantive reason why you don't like the first image?
Wouldn't some midnight-blue terrazzo with silver chunks in it make a freaking amazing wall material for an entryway, with a chandelier reflecting all of the sparkles?
How interesting -- I never knew what terrazzo was -- I always thought it was a sort of compressed marble or granite. A lot of homes I've been in in Italy have it, and I never realized how it's made. Learn something new every day!
well, my flat has terrazzo flooring in the living room, dining room and bedrooms, very common here
Have you maybe consider recycle glass like Vetrazzo, our company in san diego Ca. installs and fabricates Vetrazzo countertops.
Gmg Stone in San Diego Ca.