Floors

Top Ideabooks

Appears in

Architecture → Design Details

World of Design

Top Ideabooks

Appears in

Architecture

Stone

Top Ideabooks

Appears in

Remodeling Guides → Materials

5 Reasons to Go for Venetian Terrazzo

This classic Italian flooring is becoming popular again. We look at what makes it so great

Elisabetta Rizzato December 28, 2017

Comment22

Click "Embed" to display an article on your own website or blog.

Trends are cyclical, which is why we often see the return of shapes and colors from the past. Venetian terrazzo — also called seminato in Italian — is a current case in point. Terrazzo is traditionally made from a blend of marble gravel and lime (though cement is more commonly used today), which is then mixed with a finer gravel and cocciopesto, a material consisting of fragments of brick and tile mixed with lime mortar. To create the desired effect, terrazzo is still laid by hand, and it’s considered artistic and artisanal work, making it expensive. However, there are cheaper materials that imitate the effect, such as Venetian resin flooring, which is less durable, or Venetian tiles or grits, an even cheaper alternative.

Terrazzo is classic in Italy, but it also appears in many beautiful — often contemporary — homes around the world. Why is it so popular?

kylie radburn design

1. It’s an Italian Tradition

Venetian terrazzo is a classic Italian flooring. Despite its name, it wasn’t invented in Venice, but it’s associated with that city because it enjoyed great popularity there during the Serenissima Republic (7th to 18th centuries), when it was widely used for flooring in the palaces of the nobility.

Freestyle Joinery P/L

2. It’s Tough and Seamless

Terrazzo was chosen for the palaces not only for its aesthetic beauty, but also for its structural peculiarities. First of all, it’s durable, so much so that it’s often found practically unscathed in ancient buildings. It’s also flexible, which allowed terrazzo floors to adapt to the continual sinking of Venice’s foundations.

Kailey J. Flynn Photography

In addition, cement does not expand and contract in reaction to moisture as much as other materials do, allowing larger surfaces to be covered without joints and without being susceptible to cracking.

To minimize water damage, the floors were historically hand-laid and, after a couple of days, compacted with an instrument called a battipalo, or a traditional Venetian pile driver. Battipali, or “pole beaters,” were recognized craftsmen, whose skill is unfortunately now considered lost.

Shinberg Levinas Architectural Design

Even though terrazzo is today laid with the help of machinery, it remains prized for its seamless appearance. It brings fluidity and a sense of continuity to a space.

Miris Windows & Doors

3. It’s a Great Match for Any Style

Even though it’s an antique style of flooring, terrazzo works well in today’s interiors — eclectic, minimalist, rustic and everything in between.

Lindsey Lang Design Ltd

4. Patterned Tile Is Trendy

Terrazzo’s irregular pattern may be what makes it so fashionable today, when we’re seeing a comeback of patterned tile after years of monochrome and minimalist styles.

Mipa

Sevak Zargarian

5. It’s Versatile

Terrazzo is becoming popular not only in flooring, but also in product design. It’s increasingly being used to make ceramics, accessories and even writing implements.

More
8 Things You Didn’t Know About Italian Marble
Key Trends We Spotted at Salone del Mobile 2017 in Milan
Find flooring products

Comment22

Sponsored

Katharina, Machine Made Area Rug, Blue, 5'x7'5"

$127

12"x12" Bianco Carrara Honed Marble Herringbone Mosaic Tile

$30

Vintage Fringe Rug, Olive, 9'x12'

$211

Kira Home Wyer 8" / Farmhouse Pendant Light, Glass Cylinder Shade, Dimmable

$70

Carrara White Marble Mini Herringbone Tile Carrera Venato Mosaic Honed, 1 sheet

$17

Chester Sage Ceramic Wall Tile

$101.53

Comments (22)

See 19 more comments

Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo

Gauri Sinha

I love it . Is there someone doing this work in Mumbai, India?

Like January 30, 2018 at 9:37PM

Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo

Elle

Great Article! Really enjoyed reading it. In response to other comments posted here. There are companies that install Terrazzo and Restore existing Terrazzo. I know this because I work for one of them. In fact Terrazzo is our speciality.

We are based in Melbourne, Victoria. www.instylestone.com.au

1 Like March 1, 2018 at 3:40PM

Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo