Category: Blog

When you think bathroom, the most immediate image of familiar comfort is that of a bathroom with white or off-white floors and walls, metal bars to hang towels, white sink and toilets. Plains and whites in the bathroom give a sense of cleanliness. White floors and walls make it easy to spot dirt, discoloration, and other impurities that can easily accumulate and transform into giant lumps of bacteria, posing health risks. White floors and walls also reflect light better. But bathrooms need not be too plain or too white. With some daring and bold creativity, bathrooms can their own styles, distinctly highlighting them from the rest of the building.

Terrazzo flooring and terrazzo countertops can be a fantastic start to explore colors to add to the usual whites for bathrooms. Gentle deviations can be introduced by playing with terrazzo aggregates and choosing the second tone to add to the plain white. Personality can be added by exploring some light-colored glass.

Another approach to adding colors is exploring other elements for the vanities area. Incorporating wood countertops, copper handles for drawers, or gold-tinted faucets can add some warmer tones to an all-white bathroom.

Patterns and darker colors for other decors such as rugs, framed art, towels, and plant pots are also counted as colors to the bathroom.

The trick is to first decide on the hues you want to play around with. Start with one shade darker and one shade lighter from the original hue and look for elements that have these colors. Once you’ve seen these tones mix up in your bathroom, don’t be afraid to explore more colors if you feel like it. There are endless possibilities to add personality to your bathroom. Talk to Terrazzo Australian Marble to explore the different ways you can incorporate terrazzo in your bathroom’s design.

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In this Terrazzo Australian Marble’s Featured Global Spot article, we highlight an educational institution in Montreal Canada that’s created a space for quality training and education by creating a green suburban haven for students and adult learners. The play of modern and historical values combined concrete, metal, terrazzo, and wood, with unique shapes and colors.

Every interior designer has had to work with limitations. From graphic design, to interior design, or architecture, every designer has experienced how productivity and the overall process of creation is curtailed by limitations on budget, production systems, software, or general resources. But what if the limitations are being set by the environment that is becoming ever more vulnerable to abuse and degradation?

The world is now being shaped by how humans are shifting more and more towards cities and mega-centers. The consumption patterns and demands of global populations are putting immense pressure on production. This, in turn, takes a much bigger toll on the degradation of natural resources. Even though the technologically advanced cities, such as New York, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, and Helsinki, are more rapidly embracing sustainable development, countless cities across the world continue to fall behind when it comes to implementing sustainable and smart solutions across every aspect of city living. While experts would argue that mass behavior starts with an individual taking initiative, it is undeniable that global shifts in behavior are driven by design which is dominant, imposing, and non-negotiable. This burden rests on the shoulders of every designer in society. And every designer is being urged to work with limitations being set by the natural environment.

For architects and interior designers, the immediate burden is to find sources that will minimize excessive extraction of natural resources. Whether it is deciding on wood, marble, or terrazzo for flooring, the challenge is to work with less, to maximize the existing, to make the old new again. It is not a question of which material is better for design – every material suits a different kind of design. It now a matter of finding the most innovative ways to get these materials in a manner that does not use more of something that the earth cannot replenish in a year, a decade, or even a century.

The limitation set by the natural environment is becoming a harder and clearer line. Modern designers are called to influence the creative decisions, and not just to sit at the end of the process in order to generate wealth from the most lucrative projects in mega-cities. With consciousness on the impacts of their design, designers are called to keep the environment’s limitations in mind. If designers with their expertise on materials and production do not advocate responsible and sustainable practices, it will be much harder for those who do not have this level of expertise or consciousness to even care about these limitations. The responsibility weighs heavier on responsible design now more than ever.

Cities are becoming more congested as rural populations shift to urban landscapes due to better opportunities and income. In a recent study of a regional bank, it was discovered that cities continue to expand in Asia and the Pacific, requiring more transportation infrastructure, housing, and energy to power megacities. This expansion creates a shift in lifestyle, forcing and encouraging people to work from home, blurring the line between work and home life. But how can interior design make this blurred line more acceptable and easier for both workers and organizations?

Create a clear space for work within the household

There is immense benefit with conditioning the mind for work. This conditioning includes seeing a notable space which the mind recognizes as a “work space”. The interiors of a simple home need not be fully renovated to achieve a clear space for work. It can be some small distinctions such as separating the work area from the living room by adding a rug or carpet on top of terrazzo marble flooring, or changing the wall paint for the smaller work area instead of blending it in with the bedroom, the mood can change by simply transferring from the comfortable home feeling to the work space.

Declutter a specific area for “official break”

Decluttering may be normal practice for some people, but most households, especially those with more than 2 people, can accummulate things which are of course necessary for home living. But when work is brought into the house, breaks are important as they are in a normal work place. Having a specific space to have a break from work which still isn’t part of the “home” will ensure that the individual will not shift to household chores or other errands during these work breaks. It is more difficult to go back to official work if one starts doing home chores. It would be much better if the space for break would be outdoors, or at least have a semblance of the outdoors.

Promote “work hours” at home

One other practice that can help productivity while working from home is setting clear hours for work. During these hours, deviating from work should be discouraged, and the individual should request from those living in the same home — partners or kids — to observe and respect these work hours. This can help structure the hours in the day by separating work from home chores and doing these within the appropriate hours.

Having the right space and an awareness of time can and will promote productivity even while working at home. This benefit should be encouraged and supported by organizations not just in Sydney but across Australia. Space modifications can be achieved if needed. Talk to Terrazzo Australia today to see options for flooring and partitions, suitable for work areas.