Terracotta has been used for millennia by cultures around the globe. Meaning ‘baked earth’ in Latin, this ancient material remains as popular with contemporary designers and architects for the myriad uses in construction and design, its warm, earthy appearance and structural properties. From floors to decorative wall tiles and terracotta colour palettes, these projects from the ELLE Decoration archives show how this age-old material can be incorporated into the modern home.
The mid-century Australian home with original floors
This rural home situated east of Melbourne is the work of self-taught architect and builder Alistair Knox. Designed in 1969, it’s an example of ‘Bush Modernism’, an unofficial term describing a loose architectural style that developed in Australia’s bush suburbs throughout the 20th century. When photographer Sean Fennessy and art director Jessica Lillico acquired the property it was largely in untouched condition – it features a natural materials palette of cedar, eucalyptus and spotted-gum timber, along with original terracotta floors.
The LA home with a fearless colour palette
What's everyone reading?
When homeowners Frankie Shaw and Zach Strauss, both screenwriters, first proposed a bold terracotta as the focal point in their colour palette, interior designer Frances Merrill was thrilled. ‘I love working with writers, especially ones in television and film, because they understand visual storytelling,’ she explains. From there, she added egg-yolk yellow, soft pink and plenty of jaunty wallpapers to create a vibrant home full of personality.
The home with terracotta inside and out
Terracotta plays a fundamental role in the design and build of this renovated Victorian home in Melbourne. Design firm Kennedy Nolan used terracotta tiles to clad the exterior and also used them on the walls of the dining area. The warmth of rust red combines with expanses of black across walls and ceiling, creating depth and contrast, while the cobalt blue of the bespoke cabinetry adds a welcome contrast.
The boundary-pushing brick home in London
Formerly an unloved 1960s ex-council building, this home near Wandsworth Common in London was brilliantly reimagined by Novak Hiles Architects who used perforated brickwork to create much needed ventilation. The rust red of terracotta is found throughout the property – the kitchen combines terracotta-coloured cabinetry with a speckled countertop, while the simple but stylish bathroom features burnt-orange tiles.
The Barcelona apartment defined by colour blocking
A rich terracotta paint was the starting point for this Barcelona home’s striking colour palette. Architecture firm CaSA (aka Andrea Serboli and Matteo Colombo) referenced the tones of the original Art Nouveau tiles in the apartment to devise the rest of the scheme, settling on a deep aubergine as a contrasting hue in the open-plan kitchen/dining area. ‘Because the apartment is extremely bright and it’s only used for holidays, we were able to be bolder with colour,’ explains Matteo.
Floor-to-ceiling terracotta tones in Melbourne
This colour-drenched terracotta bathroom is enhanced by the venetian plaster finish on the walls and ceiling. Designed by Leeton Pointon Architects + Interiors, the space features a Rossa Alicante marble counter and splashback, with further reddish tones coming via a vintage rug and the ‘New Volume’s side table by Artedomus.
The London home full of vintage character
The rustic charm of these hexagonal terracotta tiles in the home of tastemaker Laura Jackson is just the starting point of this eclectically styled property. Known for her singular aesthetic which combines vintage gems with characterful furnishings and hand-crafted objects, her east London home brims with soul and expertly blends colour, pattern and different design periods to create a truly unique space.
The Lyon home full of unexpected moments
The gallery and home of interior designer Claude Cartier is full of wow moments, from dramatic draped textiles to boldly striped ceilings and a kaleidoscopic colour palette. In the dining area Cristina Celestino’s ‘Giardino all’Italiana’ terracotta tiles for Fornace Brioni are paired with white zellige tiles from Bernard Ceramics to create a Mediterranean-tinged backdrop to this nook.
Old meets new in an Umbrian palazzo
This 14th-century palazzo was injected with contemporary flair by architect and homeowner Patrizio Fradiani. In the dining area, terracotta tiles are paired with an artful mis-match of iconic chairs (the ‘Comback’ chair by Patricia Urquiola for Kartell, Naoto Fukasawa’s ‘Déjà-vu’ for Magis, and a ‘DSR’ by Charles and Ray Eames for Vitra) which are clustered around a vintage table.
The reinvented Mediterranean home
These terracotta floor tiles speak to the rustic sensibilities of this Mallorcan home, which was transformed from an abandoned wreck into a serene island escape. ‘We worked with its Mallorcan heritage to produce a natural and earthy materials palette, both inside and out,’ says designer Josephine Du Rietz who, along with her husband Christoffer, transformed the property.
