A Mid Century Aesthetic
With its colourful, flecked appearance, terrazzo has long been popular in Europe. Originating in Italy in the 16th century as a way of using stone offcuts, it is an eyecatching composite material consisting of chips of marble, quartz, granite and glass bonded together with resin. Associated with the mid-century aesthetic, there has been a recent revival in terrazzo’s popularity. And little wonder as it is perfect for evoking an artisanal Mediterranean feel and injecting both colour and texture. Because terrazzo is made using offcuts, it also has the benefit of being a sustainable material.
Mindful of the current trend, Artisans of Devizes has brought out a new range of terrazzo, sourced from a high-quality supplier in Portugal, which they first showcased at 2023’s Decorex and which will launch in 2024. Mark Sandall, Head of Bespoke and Installations, foresees a rosy future for the new generation of terrazzos. ‘The feedback we received from designers at Decorex was fantastic,’ he reveals. ‘There are a lot of materials on the market, especially man-made quartz, that are a white product with a grey vein, and are trying to replicate natural marble. The very vibrant colours in terrazzo are what make it so different. It’s an interesting material and it’s definitely going to become more popular in the coming months.’
Generally speaking, terrazzo is used for floor and wall treatments but, with improved technology, the skilled team of craftsmen at Artisans of Devizes are now able to create bespoke items in the same way that they would with other stone. This has resulted in increased versatility. Not only can it now be used for vanity tops and table tops, but it can be used for all sorts of items including windowsills, splashbacks, kitchen worktops and bar tops. ‘We can polish it, shape it, put a nice bullnose edge on it or make oval shapes with it, so it’s very adaptable and it’s quite robust,’ says Mark. ‘The product has been reinvented because technology has advanced in terms of production, so it is more viable for the home, as well as commercial usage. We can make amazing things with it and we are reinventing it with the new generation of terrazzo. We like to be ahead of the game, which is why we have introduced our new range.’
Mark predicts terrazzo’s prevalent application as a smaller scale statement feature. ‘It can be quite overwhelming when used on a huge expanse but when introduced on key pieces such as a dining table or coffee table it can introduce drama and create standout pieces.’
