There are only a handful of materials and finishes for a home that bring with them a sense of the past, bags of character and plenty of fresh, modern appeal – and terrazzo is one of them.
With a bathroom and kitchen remodel in the pipeline, I have already begun thinking about surface finishes – walls, types of flooring, worktops and so on. The uninspiring white wall tiles in the bathroom really don't do anything for the space, while the blue and white patterned floor tiles are beginning to look a little dated. And don't even get me started on the battered wooden kitchen work surfaces.
What I want from the new bathrooms and kitchen are not just finishes that are hardwearing, easy-to-clean and low-maintenance, but also a visual statement – which is why I'm set on terrazzo. I asked the experts to tell me everything I need to know about this material before I make my final choices.
What is terrazzo?
Despite having its roots in 16th Century Italy, it isn't until people start looking for new kitchen or bathroom flooring that they tend to start researching what terrazzo is. The name comes from the Latin work 'terra', meaning ground, and the material was originally made using stone and marble off-cuts, set into cement or lime.
These days, the manufacturing techniques, as well as the materials that go into making terrazzo, have changed a little, as Mubeen Patel, MD of Terrazzo Worktop, explains.
"Terrazzo is a composite. Chips of marble, quartz, granite or glass are set into a binder and then ground back and polished so the chips sit flush. The speckled look is just the cross section of all those chips. The binder is either cement- or resin-based, and that matters more than the look does. It's this that decides where you can use it, and how much looking after it needs."
"It has this natural confetti effect that feels playful, but still grown-up enough for a proper floor or surface," adds Grazzie Wilson, head of creative at Ca’ Pietra. "Marble terrazzo is especially interesting because it gives you the beauty of marble in a much more broken-up, usable way; you still get the colour, veining and richness, but it feels less formal than a full marble slab."
Mubeen Patel is Managing Director at both Terrazzo Worktop and Granite House. He has an extensive knowledge of both terrazzo flooring and worktops, as well as natural stone.
Grazzie Wilson is head of creative at tile company Ca'Pietra and is known for her creative and stylish approach. Offering consistently stylish and innovative solutions to tile and bathroom design has made her one of the most well-known and admired names in the industry.
Are there different types of terrazzo?
Over the years, both the materials used to make terrazzo, as well as the formats it is available in, and the way it is installed have all evolved.
Mubeen Patel explains that there are three main types of terrazzo available today. "Poured in-situ terrazzo is the traditional method, laid wet then machine ground and polished. This gives a seamless finish, but is a specialist job and definitely not cheap.
"Next are terrazzo blocks or tiles, which are precast and laid like any other tile. This is the option most homeowners use on their floors," continues Mubeen. "Lastly is terrazzo-effect porcelain, which isn't real terrazzo – it's more like a printed tile. The good ones look the part for a fraction of the price, and I'll happily point someone in that direction if they want a floor on a tight budget, even though we sell the real thing."
"I would usually steer people towards terrazzo tiles or terrazzo-effect porcelain rather than a poured floor, unless they are doing a much bigger project," agrees Grazzie Wilson. "Tile format makes it much easier to use in real houses, whether that is across a hallway, bathroom, cloakroom, kitchen or utility room, and it also means you can bring it onto walls, kitchen splashbacks, shower areas and vanity spaces without it becoming a huge undertaking. It is one of those materials that works just as well as the main floor as it does in a smaller hit."
Shop terrazzo-effect tiles
Ceramic tiles are generally cheaper than porcelain, although not quite as durable. These tiles do a great job at imitating the appearance of terrazzo and have a lovely satin finish.
Made from durable porcelain, these tiles are suitable for both walls and floors, making them ideal for tile drenching a space. They come in a range of 10 different surface designs.
The beauty of these terrazzo-effect porcelain tiles lies in the textured surface, which not only makes them all the more realistic, but also adds a soft underfoot feel. Made from 40% recycled material, they are also a sustainable choice.
What areas of the home does terrazzo perform best in?
While I know I want terrazzo on my bathroom floors, I am keen to find out where else it works well.
"You can really put it anywhere – it's hardwearing, which is why you'll often find it in public buildings such as airports and town halls," explains Mubeen Patel. "Because of its robustness it can be used in hallways, for bathroom floors, kitchen worktops and splashbacks – increasingly it is also being used for kitchen islands with waterfall edges as a feature too.
"Cement-based terrazzo suits floors well and period or outdoor settings," he continues. "For worktops we nearly always go resin, as it's denser, less porous and copes better with a working kitchen."
Choosing pattern and colours
While I love the idea of terrazzo floors, worktops and splashbacks, I am aware that its relatively busy pattern could appear overwhelming if I over-use it.
"The thing to watch is scale," says Grazzie Wilson. "A fine fleck will sit back and feel almost neutral, whereas a larger chip gives you much more personality. That is where the choice becomes quite fun, because terrazzo can be soft and creamy, bold and graphic, colourful, earthy, or much more stone-like depending on the base colour and the aggregate used.
"The trend now is definitely moving away from cold grey terrazzo and into warmer, softer versions," she adds. "Think creamy bases, clay tones, pinks, greens and bigger marble fragments that feel much more at home in kitchens and bathrooms."
Mubeen Patel agrees that warmer shades of terrazzo are the way to go right now in terms of interior design trends. "Sand bases with terracotta, ochre and soft pink chips – and definitely matt finishes over high gloss are popular. We're seeing more terrazzo on walls as well.
"My personal opinion is that the big chunky colourful stuff that you see on Instagram looks great in a photo, but it ages badly and, eventually, will look dated," he warns. "A worktop or floor is something you live with for fifteen or twenty years, so nine times out of ten I steer people towards the more tonal, subtle end of the scale."
Is terrazzo easy to maintain and clean?
One of the things that bugs me most about our current kitchen worktops and bathroom tiling is how needy they are in terms of maintenance. I'm really keen that this time around the finishes we choose require a more hands-off approach.
Grazzie Wilson explains what to expect from terrazzo.
"In terms of practicality, real terrazzo needs respect. A terrazzo-effect porcelain tile is the easier everyday option, particularly in bathrooms and kitchens, because it is simple to clean, less precious around water and far more forgiving for busy homes. Day-to-day, you want to keep cleaning gentle rather than throwing anything too acidic at it, especially with real marble terrazzo, but looked after properly, it is a surface that can last beautifully."
"Use a warm soapy water or a pH neutral cleaner," advises Mubeen Patel. "Keep acidic stuff off it – lemon, vinegar, limescale removers, especially on cement which is more porous and can etch. As with stone flooring, cement also needs resealing now and then. Resin is more forgiving."
This Asevi Concentrated Floor Cleaner Liquid from Amazon is pH neutral and suitable for delicate surfaces.
How much does terrazzo cost?
One of the things that worries me most about terrazzo flooring is the cost. Poured terrazzo is definitely one of the more expensive options, with prices coming in at at least £250-£300/m², professionally installed and finished. Thankfully, the bathrooms in my home aren't huge which takes the edge off those figures a little.
However, if you were to opt for terrazzo tiles (real, not 'terrazzo-effect'), costs would be less, albeit still with a starting price of at least £100/m².
If you opt for tiles, find out how to tile a bathroom floor if you are considering taking a DIY approach towards fitting. But if youare considering a poured version – don't.
"It has to be laid properly, by someone who knows what they are doing, and it may need sealing depending on the type," explains Grazzie Wilson. "I would not make it a first-time DIY project, especially on a floor or in a wet area."
What are the lookalike terrazzo alternatives?
As explained, porcelain terrazzo-effect tiles are one option, and come with lower costs and less maintenance.
“For anyone who loves the terrazzo look but wants the simplest route into it, terrazzo-effect porcelain is a very sensible choice," advises Grazzie Wilson. "It gives you that lovely flecked, marble-chip appearance, but in a material that is much easier to live with day-to-day. You don't have the same worries around sealing, staining or specialist upkeep. That is exactly why we are seeing so much appetite for it now. People want surfaces with character, but they also want to be able to spill toothpaste, muddy water or a glass of wine without feeling like they have ruined the room."
Another option well worth considering, according to Sarah Escott, design manager at Amtico Flooring, is LVT flooring. "While traditional terrazzo tiles can be cold underfoot and susceptible to cracking, an LVT terrazzo floor removes any potential wear and tear risks. It is warm and comfortable underfoot, splash-resistant and low maintenance."
Sarah Escott is a Design Manager with over 15 years’ experience exploring how surface and pattern design can influence space, movement and user experience, when applied in real-world environments. With a degree in Automotive Design, she brings a distinctive, cross-disciplinary perspective that blends 3D engineering with creative thinking. Sarah plays a key role in translating designs into compelling visual narratives that communicate both application and value.
FAQs
Can you lay terrazzo flooring over underfloor heating?
I am really keen to have underfloor heating in our new bathrooms and the great news is that terrazzo flooring works brilliantly with both wet and electric systems.
Porcelain floor tiles also work well with underfloor heating so, if you decide to take the lookalike route, it'll still be fine.
It is always well worth checking with your supplier that your chosen product is fully suitable with UFH, and ask about any specialist installation techniques that might be required.
Is terrazzo flooring an eco-friendly option?
If you are keen to install eco flooring, terrazzo is one of the best options around – after all, it was originally developed as a way of making use of stone off-cuts that would otherwise have gone to waste.
“There is a good sustainability conversation around terrazzo, because it has always had this clever way of making use of smaller pieces of stone and marble that might otherwise be wasted," explains Grazzie Wilson.
"That does not mean every terrazzo is automatically sustainable, as it still depends on the materials, the base and how it is made, but as a design idea it is about celebrating fragments rather than hiding them," adds Grazzie. "I think that is part of why people are warming to it again; it has character, but it also has a sense of resourcefulness."
If you are considering poured terrazzo as a way of achieving a seamless finish, you might also like to look into polished concrete – it works well for both flooring and worktops and is ideal for anyone after a modern, minimalist look. Or, for a completely seamless and luxury look in bathrooms, you could also consider micro-cement.
