When we think of a beautiful floor, what comes to mind, exactly? For many, it would probably be a cozy living room with hardwood floors gently illuminated by a sunset pouring through the windows, but others may turn to an altogether different idea of what that may mean: Artistically noteworthy, memorably beautiful floors.
There really aren’t many ways to make artwork on a floor; in fact, this luxury is probably almost exclusively relegated to mosaic tile and terrazzo. While other flooring elements can be made beautiful, they are hardly artistic in the way that terrazzo or mosaic are, and even the former of the two lacks in truly customizable beauty.
Like Permanent Chalk Drawings
Next time you’re outside with the kids (or nieces/nephews) drawing with chalk on the sidewalk, imagine for a moment if that lasted for 40 years – or 400 years. This is possible with terrazzo, with just as much – if not more – room for customization, colors, and options. Of course, the difference between a terrazzo design and chalk drawings is that terrazzo colors and patterns lie under the surface, not on it. Still, making a chalk drawing and a terrazzo design are surprisingly similar: Both begin by “drawing out” the design to come and then filling it in with a color; chalk outlining done by hand, while terrazzo is made from divider strips that can be made into any size or shape. While chalk drawings may wash away at the first sign of rain, there are terrazzo floors still around from the first instances of terrazzo dating back a thousand years – we consider that pretty close to permanent.
Dazzling Color Options
Just like with sidewalk chalk, the artist of a terrazzo flooring is only limited by two things: Their imagination and their available colors. Luckily, terrazzo flooring aggregates (which constitute the color) can be made into more than 50 colors quite easily, with more formed by the combination of elements or addition of other substances. If you’re looking for a color, odds are it can be almost perfectly replicated by an experienced terrazzo flooring expert backed by the right supply. While most applications feature only one to four colors, the artistic potential of terrazzo lies in its ability to utilize many colors to form intricate, breathtaking patterns that will leave anyone marveling at the beauty of the artwork that is your floor.
Check Out the NTMA
If you’re still skeptical about this whole “terrazzo as art” thing, then consider that the National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association, releases a newsletter titled The Art of Terrazzo, where they feature breathtaking and award-winning terrazzo designs from across the world – some of which may leave your jaw hanging open. Occasionally, artists explore the possibilities of an 8,000 square foot space as a tremendous canvas to display their creativity for generations to come, which makes for some truly awe-inspiring artwork that just happens to be a floor.
Explore creativity with our terrazzo flooring supplies, available online here!
