If you are on the hunt for new flooring for your midcentury home, we’ve got another option for you. Mega thanks to readers Jim and Suzanne for tipping us to Terrazzio. Made with traditional marble, Terrazzio is available in 14 standard colors with the additional option of working with the company to create custom color blends, too.
Terrazzio offers 20 different, large-format tile sizes from 24″ x 24″ to 96″x 48″ — allowing you to minimize joint lines and create a seamless look like original terrazzo without having to bring in a company that can pour a new terrazzo floor (if you can even find one!). While we will guess this stuff is spendy, my, is certainly looks to be beautiful — and oh so authentic for a midcentury modern house, condo, or apartment.
From the Terrazzio website:
Terrazzio is beautiful terrazzo, made with traditional marble, to present the warm pleasing variety of “nature” in a durable floor that will last the life of your building. Terrazzio is simply an ancient product, produced with modern techniques, in fresh colors and unique sizes to give the designer more options to create.
Terrazzio Benefits
- Authentic Terrazzo
- Very Large Format Tile
- Fast Installation Time
- Metazzio or Grouted Joints
- Higher Quality Control of Tile over Poured in Place
- 14 Standard Traditional Colors
- Custom Colors Available
- Custom Water Saw Cuts for Sweeping Curves
- Low Maintenance Cost
- Low Installed Cost
- 20% Recycled Content
- Building Lifetime Longevity
14 standard colors
Terrazzio is available in 14 standard colors to provide the designer greater creative opportunities. Unique floor patterns bring subtle, or dramatic, variety to the Terrazzio installation. Standard colors and standard sizes can be used together in any design.
Custom Color Program
We can create any background color with your 2″ x 2″ color chip and we can provide a huge variety of colored stones to create the custom color you want. There is a $500.00 sample charge, and you will receive your sample in 45 days. This charge will be credited to your first 1,500 square feet of the custom colors.Large Format Presents the Look of Traditional Terrazzo
Terrazzio is Large. We manufacture a 16-square-foot tile and a 32-square foot panel to provide the look of Authentic Terrazzo. Our single 4’ x 4’ tile covers the same area as 16 – 12” x 12” tiles. Terrazzio is available in 20 standard sizes, which promotes creative design freedom for innovative floor patterns. We also have Water Jet Cutting. If you can draw it, we can make it.
Tip, dear readers: Also be sure to check this manufacturers’ specifications about where it’s appropriate to install this type of floor tile.
>> Read more about this product and get price quotes via the Terrazzio website.
Stephen Drucker says
I can recommend this company highly. Did my entire 1968 house with four-foot-square Terrazzio tiles. The result looks poured. Yes, it’s expensive, but you get a true terrazzo floor at a fraction of the cost of a poured one. The company was super-professional and a pleasure from start to finish.
Angela says
I like terrazzo floors especially for hotter climates. Also I like the pictures of it in a “real” kitchen.
Joe Felice says
When we lived in Italy, terrazzo floors were everywhere, and we didn’t think anything of it.
“Spendy,” I guess is what you need to be to complete a mid-century renovation.
Jessica says
17 or so years ago the only terrazzo we could find was by Bisazza in a 12×12 size. We installed it in our 1957 Fickett mid-mod in the kitchen and adjacent guest bathroom and it has held up amazingly well and still looks new. The best part about terrazzo is that it’s light and bright but no dirt shows on it because the ‘spots’ camouflage the dirt!
We would have loved the larger tile size had this been available at the time! We were unable to find any companies that would pour terrazzo in place so the large format tiles in this post would have been a great alternative.
Jim says
This is Kate’s “tipster” Jim. I posted two pics of the new floor in our modest mid-century kitchen as comments on the Retro Renovation thread with this article on Facebook. Here are the links (and you do not need a Facebook account to view these photos):
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10210799874702983&l=3961a17666
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10210800008266322&l=424b1d6987
At our request, the factory cut their 48″ x 48″ parent tiles into nine 16″ x 16″ tiles for our project. Also, for those concerned about slipperiness, the tiles have a “honed” (matte) finish — not a highly-polished (glossy) finish — so in our experience the floor does not feel slippery underfoot, even when wet.
pam kueber says
Thanks, Jim, for sharing photos of your floor — it looks great, and for the tip.
NOTE dear readers, when it comes to safety issues, consult with the proper professionals to determine whether the material is appropriate/specified for your usage requirements.
I will also note, when we were doing the tile on my mother’s shower floor, I was told there was a company that could come in an apply a special coating to further improve slip resistance. I don’t remember anything about it — my recollection was that it was sprayed on.
ineffablespace says
Another option would be Fritztile which is a terrazzo product set in a slightly flexible matrix.
I think it would be lighter than the Terrazzio as well as slightly flexible and resilient.
I think either of these products will have a relatively low dynamic coefficient of friction. (They would be slippery)
pam kueber says
Folks: Get with the manufacturer and/or a flooring professional to understand slip resistance issues as part of your ultimate flooring choices.
Cyd says
We installed Fritztile in our kitchen five years ago or so. Laid without a grout line so it looks like a solid surface. Looking at the Terrazio colors above, ours is something close to Italian Blend. We have a mid century modern and I really wanted poured terrazo and there is a company here (Houston TX) that has been in business many years that installs and refinishes. Their price was something like $6,000 for our small 10×15 kitchen. Fritztile was a very good alternative.
pam kueber says
Yes, we love Fritztile! I can’t remember if we’ve featured it on the blog before, but it’s come up a few times.
I need to do a story if I haven’t already! Thanks!
Felicia Alexander says
Thank you for this information, Cyd. I’m looking into terrazzo as a possibility for the foyer of a 1962 midcentury modest ranch we’re in the process of buying. The current foyer flooring is vinyl terrazzo-look tile in a pattern that doesn’t complement the hardwood flooring in the living room or the custom hand-carved hardwood front door. The real thing in a more complementary pattern is an appealing idea.
cathie says
I do wish you would quote at least a ballpark cost when you profile items such as this. “Spendy” doesn’t really help. In this case, “for a 10×12 kitchen, its about $xxxxx using one of their 12 standard colours”. Cost is usually the no. 1 issue when one determines if they choose a product, so without that info, its frustrating (although I know why you do not).
pam kueber says
cathie, I think that we have all kinds of readers looking for all kinds of items at all price points. My #1 goal is to get the options out there — honestly, I am not focused on pricing things out — sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t — and to be sure, readers can “easily” do that part of the work if they are really interested. In addition, often there are multiple retailers possible for certain items — and prices change, while our stories are static and stay archived for years.
Also, I don’t I agree that “cost is usually the no. 1 issue when one determines if they choose a product.” I’d say “value” is — and value includes some very subjective inputs that I cannot guess at, given the variety of readers we have…
cathie says
I respect and understand your reasons Pam but frankly, it doesn’t make sense why you would profile a product without quoting its price. If price is not no. 1, then its no. 2 or 3, it sure is up there, so to me, that’s an integral part of any product profile. And while I get there that may be numerous retailers who charge differently, a manufacturer would at least have that “ballpark” figure that could be posted. Anyways, these are lovely, doesn’t look like they’re available in Canada, but I would certainly love these in a bathroom, very unique.
pam kueber says
just gets out of date too soon. sometimes we include it for more ephemeral items, though….
Terri says
Typical costs: A terrazzo floor has a high initial price, but can last for generations with no replacement costs. Professionally installed poured-in-place terrazzo can cost $20-$50 a square foot ($8,000-$20,000 for a 20’x20′; $40,000-$100,000 for 2,000 square feet) but can go as high as $60-$80 or more a square foot—— via Google
maria says
Cathie,
FYI, the website Pam provided will gives you a quote if you are interested.
Leslie Siegel says
I have looked into this for my condo. I have always had terrazzo floors, and I miss it very much.
Lynne says
Gorgeous. But big. I don’t think I have a floor large enough or level enough anywhere in this house to lay even a 24 x 24 ” tile. We had to use leveling compound in our bath remodel and it still was dicey.
Jennifer says
I love it when you use “spendy.” I first came across it on a ferry trip to Alaska. It is a terrific adjective that should be in wider circulation.
Oh, and the Terrazio–that’s good, too!
pam kueber says
Yes, cost is in the eye of the beholder. I like the term because it is less … judgmental. Or something like that.