Terrazzo!!

Yesterday I toured some homes with a feature I had not seen in residential homes: 

Terrazzo Flooring!! 

Being who I am and doing what I do, that meant coming home and doing all the googling. 

I have no idea how i have not seen these before, and then saw two in one day. I see so many houses, all the time. I guess it was just bad luck. 

So today I will introduce you to these AMAZING floors. 

What is Terrazzo? 

"Terrazzo—chips of marble, glass or other aggregates embedded in tinted cement, ground smooth and polished to a silky sheen—may have been yet another of mankind's accidental discoveries. In the 15th century, mosaic artisans in northen Italy swept waste marble chips out onto their terraces, terrazzi, and smoothed the surface simply by walking over it. When workers learned to press the chips into a more permanent clay base, then grind and polish them with heavy stones, terrazzo caught on. Michelangelo used it in St. Peter's Basilica. George Washington strode over it in his cherished Mount Vernon. In the 1950s, Richard Neutra and other modernist architects specified terrazzo in their designs, and by the '60s, it covered floors in developer houses across the Southeast and Southwest. But as installation costs rose, terrazzo once again became a relatively pricey option—approx. $10 or more a square foot—for custom-built houses."

It comes in many colors, depending on the materials used and is all one large smooth cool surface, perfect for homes with pets or children that can destroy hardwoods or tile grout.  

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/32026189/list/make-your-floors-terrific-with-terrazzo

Do you have terrazzo floors? Please share some pictures! I would love to see them! 

The beauty is in the details.

Accessories!

So much of what makes mid-century design great is in the details! So tonight I start off with one of my favorite features about my own house, the dining room light fixture!

Geometric shapes are central to mid century design. The glass spheres add color and softness by diffusing the light from the tall bulbs while the lights at the bottom shine directly onto the dining room table. 

As seen below, glass spheres are a common feature in mid century chandeliers as are cylinders.

What is Midcentury Orlando?

There are many many many websites in the world about midcentury design and architecture. So why am I starting another one?

I want to examine the things near and dear to me, not just show off some million dollar homes. Sure, those famous mid century designers are important, but what about those who could not afford to buy a Frank Lloyd Wright home? I want to show the world that these features and designs are available right here, can be seen everyday on your own street.

Florida has its own style, not just in Miami Art Deco or Sarasota Modern, but right here, in our little suburbs of Orlando.

So what are the features of these homes? Below are some links to general midcentury modern design information.

I personally love a few key features we see around here.

1. Solid block construction. Love them or hate them, cinderblocks make for solid homes that can withstands hurricanes! They also help keep the house cool in the summer.

2. Single story floorplans: i don't know about other people, but I am CLUMSY. Stairs scare me, I love a big sprawling flat house!

3. Unique design: A few things I want to examine in the future are diagonal carports, vaulted wood ceilings, flat roofs, Color schemes, landscaping, geometric design elements.

http://preservation.myfloridahistory.org/identifying-american-architectural-styles-midcentury-modern/


Do you have a midcentury home you would like featured or just have some questions about? Contact me today!