Ch28. Unwrapping CMF Design on Terrazzo Beyond Terrazzo

Not only CMF is a field for colors and materials, but it also stands for the manufacturing processes to deliver a design intent. That means, whatever is drawn on paper needs to be turned into real products. There are often many manufacturing solutions to achieve the same design look, and each solution usually comes with different pros and cons. (中文版)

CMF is a specific discipline within industrial design that focuses on the development of a product’s color, material, and finish. Unwrap CMF shares bite-sized stories of CMF Design to inform and inspire those interested in this niche yet fascinating field, with digestible contents for anyone and everyone.

I had to take a break from blogging because I was wrapping up a restoration project of a midcentury house

One of the tasks was to source for a replacement of a crumbling terrazzo wall.

Terrazzo? That is a material that most of us aren’t unfamiliar with. Isn’t it made of cement and marble chips?

Well, that is indeed the traditional way of achieving the pattern. But there are more.

The same pattern can also be achieved by printing, directly on top of the product surface, via film lamination, or water-transfer. However, printed surface usually seems flat or too pixelated, resulting in a lack of depth. Having said that, there is luxury flooring that uses texture and improved printing to bring out a more realistic terrazzo look. Downside? It can be quite pricy.

On a positive note, printed terrazzo allows flooring to be much thinner and lighter. And most of them are cheaper than the actual terrazzo.

In comparison, you will find chip-mixing terrazzo material to have a stronger and more sophisticated layering effect. There are different ingredients that can be added into the mixing: cement or epoxy for the base, and as for the chips, marble, glass, recycled plastic, or…eggshells! (Check out Nature Squared, beautiful speckle tiles made of eggshells).

So there that is, a simple terrazzo pattern can be achieved via many methods, so is your design!

There are many possible manufacturing solutions to achieve the same look — in this case, printed or epoxy for a terrazzo pattern.

Terrazzo pattern can also be achieved with film or water-transfer. (Samples provided by Sage)

Terrazzo-like flooring are often not printed to the sides, thus not ideal as countertop. The base color is also exposed if scratched.

Printed terrazzo-like surface usually seems flat or too pixelated, resulting in a lack of depth or an organic flow.

In comparison, you can always find chip-mixing terrazzo countertop to have a stronger and more sophisticated layering effect.

Having said that, there is also luxury flooring that uses texture and improved printing to bring out a more realistic terrazzo look.

Enjoy learning? Use the CMF terminologies mentioned above and continue on with your own research journey on the web. Comments and inspirations are welcome!
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