Eight homes with hardwearing and decorative terracotta floors

For our latest lookbook, we've gathered eight homes with decorative and practical terracotta floors, from a living room in a Menorcan barn to a Los Angeles home informed by ryokans.

Terracotta-brick floors can give homes a warm, rustic feel and have the advantage of being hardwearing and low-maintenance.

Made from reddish-brown earthenware clay fired at a low temperature, terracotta was used to create sculptures as early as 3,000 BCE.

Today, the material has had a comeback in interior design and is used for both flooring and walls everywhere from kitchens to balconies.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring cantilever chairs, wood-clad ceilings and statement pivot doors.

Hacienda Granada, USA, by Working Holiday Studio

Los Angeles-based Working Holiday Studio gave this midcentury home, which the founders designed for their own family, a Mexican hacienda-style makeover.

Carlos Naude and Whitney Brown "wanted [the interiors] to feel neutral, earthy and warm with a few pop accents". In the kitchen, handmade terracotta tiles were placed in a decorative herringbone pattern.

Find out more about Hacienda Granada ›

Duane House, US, by OWIU

Japanese ryokans – traditional inns – informed the interior of this California home, which is located inside a house once owned by Swiss architect Pierre de Meuron.

The original brick floors were kept and complemented by Japanese design elements such as shoji screens and sculptural Akari lamps by designer Isamu Noguchi.

Find out more about Duane House ›

Estancia San José, Spain, by Atelier du Pont

An old Menorcan farmhouse was converted into a summer house for this project, with the traditional stone barn turned into a living room.

Here, Paris studio Atelier du Pont added more windows to create a light-filled space with a tactile terracotta floor. A colour palette of natural materials complements the flooring and nods to the building's history.

Find out more about Estancia San José ›

Budge Over Dover, Australia, by YSG

A colour palette of rosy, pale pink, purple and green hues demarcates Budge Over Dover, a Sydney home in a coastal suburb by local studio YSG.

Terracotta bricks were combined with aubergine-coloured plaster and aged brass to create the interior of the house. The entire living space was elevated to sit on a platform made of handmade terracotta tiles, which were also used for the garden patio.

Find out more about Budge Over Dover ›

Elemental House, UK, by Archmongers

The terracotta floor in this revamped London 1970s house connects the kitchen with the outside terrace, creating an indoor-outdoor feel that makes the house seem bigger.

Archmongers architect Johan Hybschmann chose terracotta alongside concrete, galvanised steel and softwood timber to make the home "incredibly sturdy".

"We designed the house with the intention of not being afraid to use it," he told Dezeen.

Find out more about Elemental House ›

Hygge Studio, Brazil, by Melina Romano

Brazilian designer Melina Romano filled this entire apartment in São Paulo with terracotta flooring, which she told Dezeen lends the space a "rustic charm".

Even the bathroom has terracotta floors, as well as a sculptural terracotta sink. Their red hues are contrasted with a forest-green wall and plenty of plants.

Find out more about Hygge Studio ›

Farley Farmhouse, UK, by Emil Eve Architects

Terracotta tiles feature inside and out at this Wiltshire farmhouse, which London-based studio Emil Eve Architects upgraded to create more space for dining and cooking.

The exterior is clad in terracotta arrowhead tiles, while the interior has terracotta-brick flooring. In the kitchen and dining room, the floor is complemented by matching clay pendant lights.

Find out more about Farley Farmhouse ›

Checkmate, Australia, by YSG

The second interior design by Australian studio YSG on this list, Checkmate, is a seaside home in Byron Bay with retro spaces and furnishings that evoke the 1970s.

The "laid-back" house has terracotta pavers in the dining room, organised into the geometric grid that gave the project its name. Vintage Italian dining chairs and a colourful lounge chair add to the surfer-style atmosphere.

Find out more about Checkmate ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring cantilever chairs, wood-clad ceilings and statement pivot doors.

The post Eight homes with hardwearing and decorative terracotta floors appeared first on Dezeen.