Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would have heard of terrazzo—the chips floor design that’s been on the top of every interior designer’s list this year! Terrazzo is definitely having its moment in the spotlight, and its versatility and flexibility allows it to be one of the most popular options not just for floors, but for countertops and walls as well. 
What exactly is terrazzo, and why has a simple chips floor design idea become such a hot trend? Read on to find out all there is to know about terrazzo.
What’s All the Hype around Chips Floor Designs, Anyway?
Terrazzo is anything but a new trend. In fact, if you’ve taken a close look at your grandmom’s home, you might find that this supposedly new trend was already on her bedroom flooring, a good many decades ago!
You may also be surprised to learn that the origins of this chips floor design go back to mosaic patterns in the villas of ancient Egypt and Greece. Modern day terrazzo originated in Italy, and the floors we use today evolved from the street pavements in Italy as far back as the 18th century.
Fast forward to the 1970s and 80s, and this speckled marble chips floor design has found its way into many a household in our country. Living room flooring that was done up in terrazzo was, at the time, considered to be stylish and trendy. This trend has now come full circle, and terrazzo is now back on the interior décor scene with a bang.
Advantages of Terrazzo: The New Chips Floor Design Trend
Let’s take a look at terrazzo and find out why the world seems to be in love with it!
1. It’s Sustainable
To begin with, this delightful decorative chips floor design is sustainable. Terrazzo uses tiny bits of marble, granite, glass or quartz in a mix with cement or polymer binders. The mixture is poured onto the surface that it has to cover, and is neatly smoothened and allowed to set. Before it hardens, more chips can be sprinkled on the surface to add more pattern and sparkle. Once the cement binder has set and the surface is cured, the terrazzo is polished till it acquires a smooth, shiny finish.
Terrazzo uses up all the chips and bits of stone off-cuts and recycled glass that would have otherwise found their way to a landfill. These waste materials are reused to create floors and walls of beauty, giving them a second life. In many countries, fly ash—a waste by-product of coal plants—is mixed with cement and used as the substrate, making it even more sustainable.
2. It’s Cost-Effective and Low on Maintenance
Terrazzo is mainly comprised of stone chips and recycled glass, and costs just a fraction of marble, stone or vitrified tile flooring. Not only is it easy on the pocket when first laid, but it costs the least in terms of maintenance over its entire life cycle.
Routine maintenance of a terrazzo floor involves just regular sweeping and mopping, while a quick re-seal and re-polish every five to ten years or so can bring out its deep lustre all over again. In high-usage areas such as commercial spaces or factories, the surface could get pitted due to heavy traffic. But even here, an annual round of re-polish and maintenance can make it look as good as new.
3. It’s Super Durable
Terrazzo can literally last forever. Just take a look at your grandmom’s floors and you’ll know what we mean! If anything, all that diligent mopping over the years has, if anything, only increased its shine!
In fact, old Venetian palaces and pavements still have much of this chips floor design perfectly intact. In all these old buildings, terrazzo which is damaged can be easily restored to its original pattern at a much lower cost than that of replacing the surface with new finishes. This makes it one of the cheapest and long-lasting types of floors for use in public spaces.
4. It’s Flexible and Mouldable
One of the biggest advantages of terrazzo is that it can be poured in-situ, into literally any shape or size. This makes it perfect for use on kitchen countertops and backsplashes, where you can pour the entire surface onto the base without a single joint.
Terrazzo can be moulded into paperweights, vases, trays, planter boxes, boxes, step treads, and almost anything else your imagination can conjure up.
5. You Can Colour Match It to Any Palette
Need a tabletop that’s prettily patterned in pink to match your curtains? Or a lustrous white counter with tiny black specks to go with your black and white kitchen? No worries, terrazzo can be micro-matched to perfectly blend in with your choice of colours!
Not only can the substrate be mixed with pigments, but you can pick out the colours in the stone and glass speckles as well. It’s just the most perfect choice of surfacing material to suit any colour scheme.
6. It’s Easily Available!
Terrazzo is easily available anywhere, as it can be cast in situ at your site. If you don’t have the provision for easily pouring concrete, then you can use terrazzo tiles which are also readily available in a variety of colours, sizes and finishes.
7. It’s Endorsed by the Stars!
Last but not least, terrazzo is much loved by all the stars! You may not know this, but the Hollywood Walk of Fame was created using different colours of chips floor designs. So if the whole of Hollywood can’t wait to get a place on this speckled surface, it deserves a place in your home too!
Conclusion
Loved the look of terrazzo, and want to know how you can use it in your home? Visit a HomeLane Experience Centre today, and let’s chat over a cup of coffee! We can help you find beautiful chips floor designs to elevate the décor of your home, and make it uniquely you.
