Driven by both the retro trend and sustainable concepts, terrazzo has long shed its label as a "traditional building material" and become a popular choice for indoor and outdoor decoration in 2026. From the century-old floors of the Hollywood Walk of Fame to the minimalist design of Apple's New York store, from public buildings to high-end residences, terrazzo continues to capture the attention of designers and homeowners with its durability, customizability, and eco-friendly properties. Whether you're sourcing products for your Shopify store, renovating your home, or designing a commercial space, this guide will help you fully unlock the core value of terrazzo, avoid purchasing pitfalls, and accurately match it to your application scenario.
I. What is Terrazzo? Reintroducing This "Timeless" Decoration Material
Terrazzo is a composite decorative building material made by mixing cement or epoxy resin as a binder with aggregates such as natural crushed stone, glass, shells, and metal flakes, followed by stirring, pouring, grinding, and polishing. Essentially a type of artificial stone, it combines functionality with artistic appeal. Its modern form originated in 15th-century Venice, where workers mixed discarded marble fragments with cement to pave floors, creating a both eco-friendly and practical solution. Today, it has evolved into a multi-category, high-performance decorative material.
Based on the binder and molding process, terrazzo is mainly divided into four categories, each suitable for different scenarios:
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Traditional Cement-Based Terrazzo: Using ordinary Portland cement as the binder, it is cost-effective and easy to construct, with a Mohs hardness of 5-6. Suitable for budget-sensitive scenarios such as public building floors and industrial workshops, but it has the disadvantages of being prone to cracking and having a relatively high water absorption rate (below 3%).
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Epoxy-Based Terrazzo: Bonded with high-performance epoxy resin, it has a compressive strength of 60-80MPa and a water absorption rate of less than 0.5%. It features seamless paving, rich colors, impermeability, and antibacterial properties, making it the preferred choice for hospitals, laboratories, and high-end commercial spaces.
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Precast Terrazzo Slabs: Produced in factories with standardized processes, they offer stable quality and quick installation, with a flatness error controllable within 0.5mm/㎡ and a glossiness of over 85°. Suitable for prefabricated building scenarios such as high-end residential renovations, hotel lobbies, and subway stations, they accounted for 52% of the market share in 2025 and have become the mainstream form.
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Specialty Terrazzo: Including ultra-thin flexible terrazzo (suitable for walls and irregular curved surfaces) and translucent terrazzo (used with LED lights for art installations), it meets personalized design needs and has seen a significant increase in application in high-end retail spaces in recent years.
II. Why is Terrazzo Popular? Three Irreplaceable Core Advantages
Surrounded by competitors such as marble and ceramic tiles, terrazzo can become a "timeless classic" in the decoration industry, mainly due to its three irreplaceable core values, which are also the key selling points attracting Shopify consumers:
1. High Cost-Effectiveness + Long Durability, Reducing Long-Term Costs
Compared to natural marble priced at hundreds of yuan per square meter, mid-range terrazzo (180-300 yuan/㎡) can achieve texture and performance comparable to natural stone. High-quality terrazzo has a wear resistance of over 6000 revolutions, a fire rating of Class A, and a service life of more than 20 years under normal maintenance, far exceeding ordinary floor tiles and wood flooring. It is especially suitable for high-traffic commercial spaces, offering significant long-term cost-effectiveness. The terrazzo floors in Doha Hamad International Airport Terminal have remained intact after years of high-frequency use, confirming its durability.
2. High Customization Freedom, Adapting to Diverse Styles
The greatest charm of terrazzo lies in its "one-of-a-kind" design possibilities—by adjusting the aggregate color, particle size, and distribution ratio, effects such as solid colors, gradients, mosaics, and logo inlays can be achieved. It can even be paired with metal strips and LED lights to create art installations. The terrazzo floor of the San Francisco Transbay Transit Center in the United States, composed of 16 colors and 375 brass-zinc elements, depicts hummingbirds, insects, and other patterns, becoming a highlight of the space. Whether it's retro, industrial, minimalist, or new Chinese style, terrazzo can integrate perfectly, meeting the personalized needs of both residential and commercial spaces.
3. Eco-Friendly and Sustainable, Aligning with Policies and Consumption Trends
Under the "dual carbon" goal and green consumption concept, the eco-friendly properties of terrazzo have become increasingly prominent. High-quality products can use construction waste, recycled glass, and industrial tailings as aggregates, with some leading enterprises achieving an aggregate recycling rate of over 60%. The production process is free of dust and wastewater pollution, complying with national green building material standards, and has been included in government procurement catalogs in many regions. The terrazzo used in Apple's Fifth Avenue store in New York achieves a balance of aesthetics and environmental protection through zero VOC emissions and the application of recycled aggregates, a feature that also attracts environmentally conscious consumers.
III. 2026 Terrazzo Buying Guide: 5 Tips to Avoid Pitfalls
Terrazzo prices on the market vary significantly (80-600 yuan/㎡), and inferior products are prone to sanding, cracking, fading, and other issues, resulting in high later maintenance costs. Mastering the following 5 tips can help you avoid 90% of pitfalls and select the right product for your needs:
1. Check Test Reports and Lock in Core Indicators
Be sure to ask suppliers for authoritative test reports when purchasing, focusing on three key indicators: radioactivity (must comply with national health protection standards for building material radioactivity to ensure no radiation), wear resistance (≥5000 revolutions), and compressive strength (≥35MPa for cement-based, ≥60MPa for epoxy-based). Products without test reports should be rejected outright, and low-cost products below 150 yuan/㎡ are mostly shoddy, so choose with caution.
2. Feel the Sample Texture to Distinguish Craftsmanship Quality
High-quality terrazzo has a smooth, fine surface without graininess, leaving no marks when scratched with a key, and is easy to clean without water penetration when splashed. Inferior products have a rough surface, obvious scratches after scraping, and are prone to staining when absorbing water. Products produced by modern mechanical equipment (such as imported Italian CNC equipment) have uniform gloss and high flatness, while handcrafted products are prone to color differences and unevenness.
3. Choose Materials Based on Scenarios, Avoid Blind Following
Different scenarios have different performance requirements for terrazzo; accurate matching can maximize its advantages:
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Home Renovation (Living Rooms, Kitchens): Precast cement-based terrazzo is a good choice, balancing cost-effectiveness and durability; epoxy-based terrazzo is preferred for bathroom spaces for its impermeability, antibacterial properties, and easy cleaning.
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Commercial Spaces (Malls, Stores): Epoxy-based or precast terrazzo, supporting seamless splicing and custom patterns, adapts to high-frequency use and design needs.
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Special Scenarios (Hospitals, Laboratories): Epoxy-based terrazzo is a must, meeting the core needs of antibacterial, easy disinfection, and corrosion resistance.
4. Clarify After-Sales Policies and Define Responsibility Boundaries
Reliable brands provide clear after-sales terms, such as 5-year quality warranty, installation guidance, and renovation services. It is recommended to put after-sales commitments in writing to avoid unfulfilled verbal agreements. Although products from small factories are cheap, they mostly lack after-sales service, making it difficult to claim compensation for issues such as cracking and fading, which is not worth the loss.
5. Verify Brand Qualifications and Cases to Confirm Strength
Prioritize brands with green environmental certification and national Class A trustworthy enterprise titles, and check their benchmark projects (such as subways, malls, and cultural venues). Such brands offer more guaranteed product performance and delivery capabilities. Domestic leading enterprises such as Dongpeng and Marco Polo, as well as international brands like Italy's Granite, are reliable choices.
IV. Terrazzo Application Trends: Hot Scenarios for 2026
With technological upgrades and design innovations, the application scenarios of terrazzo continue to diversify. The following three areas are growing the fastest and are suitable for Shopify merchants to focus on:
1. High-End Residential Customization Market
Benefiting from the new Chinese style trend and personalized renovation needs, the penetration rate of terrazzo in home decoration countertops, feature walls, and entrance floors has increased significantly, with an expected annual growth rate of over 15% starting from 2026. Custom artistic terrazzo (such as inlaid with shells and metal strips) has become a bonus for luxury home renovations, favored by consumers pursuing texture.
2. Internet-Famous Check-In Spots in Commercial Spaces
Retail spaces such as milk tea shops, clothing stores, and cafes have used custom terrazzo to create distinctive floors and walls, attracting consumers to take photos and share through unique pattern designs, enhancing store recognition. Seamlessly spliced and irregularly shaped terrazzo has become a core element in commercial space design.
3. Public Infrastructure Upgrades
Driven by urban renewal initiatives and green building policies, demand for terrazzo in public projects such as subways, airports, schools, and hospitals continues to grow, accounting for 63% of total demand in 2025. Precast terrazzo has become the first choice for public projects due to its quick installation and stable quality.
V. Conclusion: Terrazzo – A Decorative New Choice with Both Aesthetics and Strength
From the ancient streets of Venice to the high-end spaces of modern cities, terrazzo has proven its "timeless" value over a century. Whether pursuing cost-effectiveness, personalization, or eco-friendliness, terrazzo can meet the needs of different scenarios and become a core growth driver in the 2026 decoration material market.
For Shopify merchants, focusing on popular categories such as precast terrazzo and custom artistic terrazzo, highlighting their core selling points of environmental protection, durability, and customizability, and accurately matching residential and commercial space needs, can help seize this consumption trend. Remember the five principles of "check reports, feel texture, choose scenarios, clarify after-sales, and verify qualifications" when purchasing to avoid pitfalls and let terrazzo inject unique artistic charm and practical value into your space.