There is nothing better than a handcrafted terracotta floor. This natural material is extremely versatile and blends perfectly with any style. To add value to the space, you can incorporate terracotta floor borders. These are tiles of different shapes or finishes, arranged to create a frame. They can be added during the tile installation phase to enrich the chosen environment and give it more personality. Decorative borders are striking when paired with rustic floors or antique terracotta floors, but also with more contemporary solutions.
Terracotta floor borders were traditionally used in historical buildings and prestigious environments. A wonderful example is Villa d’Este in Tivoli, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Today, terracotta floor borders are increasingly popular in private residences, decorating both indoor and outdoor spaces such as porches, courtyards, or lawn pavings.
Geometric designs, shapes, and colors lead to an aesthetic and functional result reserved for a select few. Let’s explore some ideas for making the most of terracotta border tiles.
Ideas for terracotta floor borders
Terracotta floor borders can serve both as a unifying and dividing element, depending on the preferences of the renovator. They can, in fact, be used to link two rooms together, with a custom insert common to both. This will pass through both spaces, creating the impression of a single environment (similar to a rug effect).
Borders can also mark the boundaries between two rooms within an open space. The most common example indoors is the distinction between the living area and kitchen in an open-plan space, defined by bricks of different shapes, textures, or sizes that form two clear frames. It is also possible to place a single frame in the living room to create, as mentioned earlier, a rug-like effect that enhances the area to share with guests.
These details can be applied to any type of flooring:
- Borders for indoor flooring. As mentioned earlier, they can be used indoors to unite or divide various spaces and are highly impactful. Being rare in residential buildings, decorative borders are a niche element and far from commercial, a must-have for your terracotta living room!
- Borders for outdoor flooring. In outdoor spaces, such as courtyards, gazebos, or even poolside pavements, decorative borders are highly appreciated. Although they seem to be an exclusive feature for interior spaces, they offer great opportunities in the outdoor setting. By using borders, a paved area in your garden can be defined for a specific activity. For example, you can place a dining table, a play area, or a relaxation zone within it.
The charm of glazed terracotta
Why talk about glazed terracotta in this article? Not everyone knows that this fantastic material can also be used for decorative borders. In fact, glazed terracotta allows you to break the monotony of a continuous floor and add more or less vibrant tones to your terracotta floors.
At Fornace Bernasconi, we have always glazed terracotta by hand, as per tradition. This makes each tile unique, giving it one-of-a-kind color shades.
The decorative borders for terracotta floors can be made even more special when surrounded by terracotta skirting boards and other terracotta accessories, which create a cohesive look in the space.
For bathroom tiles, you can create a fully glazed floor with decorative borders in a different tone or color. If the floor is monochromatic, you can add a patterned border; conversely, if the floor is already quite decorative, you may choose to add monochromatic terracotta borders.
