Terrazzo Flooring New Home Decorating Trend

Most of us associate terrazzo floors with the formal, monochromatic designs typically found in courthouses and stately historic homes. Today, that is changing.

Terrazzo is a mosaic flooring constructed by embedding small pieces of marble and stone in mortar and then grinding and polishing it. It's a masonry style that dates back to the ancient Romans. Terrazzo is undergoing a reinvention thanks to architects, designers and installers.

One of the reasons terrazzo has been rediscovered over the last 20 years is this new epoxy terrazzo. Epoxy terrazzo has become the norm instead of traditional cement. It's simpler, quicker to deal with and relatively lightweight, which helps when you are installing in modern buildings. And epoxy terrazzo offers a vast color palette as opposed to traditional cement, which allows only earth tones. So why use terrazzo?

It's luxurious. Terrazzo creates timelessness and opulence that give any space a unique sense of event. You are creating a handmade product from raw materials which produces a piece of art.

It's cost-effective. Originally invented by Roman builders as a low-cost flooring material, terrazzo is a highly durable floor treatment. Maintenance is very inexpensive and it looks better with age.

It's green. Terrazzo requires only water and neutral liquid cleaner for maintenance. It's a sustainable poduct and there's recycled contents of old marble and glass. Those elements are very intriguing to architects and building owners.

Tagged as: flooring, interior design, decorating and home

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Karen Carpino is an interior designer and founder of Chicago-based Karen Carpino Design. A professionally registered interior designer with over 25 years of experience, Ms. Carpino's clientele includes both residential and commercial projects. She brings you techniques, trends and tips in “Style At Home.”