How can you style travertine in your home?
It’s the newest interior design trend that’s taking over this year, and rightfully so. While travertine in itself is nothing new (it dates back to use by the Romans), its use in interior design has exploded this year. Designers everywhere are bringing this gorgeous, luxe-looking stone into the living room, bedroom, kitchen, and beyond, where it gives such a timeless, refined look in any form.
But with such a sophisticated appearance, it’s easy to lump it in with other stones such as marble and terrazzo, which some consider a little intimidating to incorporate into the home. Luckily, travertine is actually incredibly easy to bring into the home. It’s lightweight, yet highly durable, and its soft, neutral tones will practically complement every colour and texture out there.
Since it’s taken the design world by storm, we want to help you understand how to bring travertine into your home. Despite what you may have already seen, you don’t have to use this stone on a large-scale – travertine furnishings and décor pieces are such an easy way to make a statement.
Where Can You Buy Travertine Furniture?
With its growing popularity, you can buy travertine pieces easier than ever before. But with that being said, it is important to purchase from reputable sources. This ensures that you’re receiving high-quality travertine, which is more durable and lasts longer.
Just a few months ago, we were proud to be featured by Russh as one of the best places to buy travertine furniture. They mentioned the versatility of our travertine pieces, which are “ideal for living spaces or the bedroom, depending on how you envision your hygge.”
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Some of our most popular side tables include the classic Archer Side Table Set and Rene Side Table, but we’ve also got some new kids on the block. As part of our new European-inspired Giorgio Collection, our Giada II Coffee Table is an exquisite piece with a round surface, thin legs, and chic polished finished – all working together to bring a sophisticated air to any space. Crafted from Elephant White travertine, we love the visible, bold veining patterns, making it a real showstopper. Oro is another standout coffee table, simple and sleek, and designed to easily fit in with your existing décor.
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What is Travertine?
Travertine is a type of limestone with a distinctive fibrous texture, which you’ll be able to tell by looking closely at the dimples and small holes throughout its surface. Contrary to what some may think, travertine is in fact a real stone, just like marble or other types of limestone. What gives it its unique textural look is that it’s only able to develop within particular mineral deposits from springs, commonly hot springs. The most widespread types of travertine are neutral-toned, including white, beige and cream colours, however some warm-orangey-brown variations are emerging onto the design scene.
When looking back at the history of travertine, you’ll find that the Italians made use of this quality stone over many years. They loved the stuff, and they used it as their material of choice for building endless structures – sourcing their travertine from the Tivoli quarry, just outside of Rome. Even the Colosseum was built using Tivoli travertine.
Today, we’re still sourcing Tivoli travertine from this same location, right where the Romans built their own iconic structures, and crafting our own contemporary pieces for use in modern homes – what a wondrous thought.
How to Choose the Right Travertine For You
While it may not immediately seem like travertine is for everyone, it’s surprisingly one of the most versatile stones out there. With such a diverse range of tones, textures, and designs, this limestone can merge with several different interior styles.
When choosing the right travertine for you, it all depends on your personal needs, and what you’re using it for. If you’re looking for something on a larger scale, then opt for travertine suitable for these types of structures. If you want to bring it in as an accent, then travertine sculptures and décor pieces are more suitable for you.
The most popular type is called honed travertine. Its matte finish is what makes it such a hugely versatile option, as it softens the look of the stone, which makes it easier to integrate with existing interior style. While it is matte, it still has a smooth texture, and this means it’s easier to maintain.
When looking for travertine décor pieces, such as tables, trays, or decorative sculptures, then your decision should depend on your preference for colour, texture, and design.
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Do you prefer soft, quiet neutrals such as whites and creams like in the Aurelia Bookends or Giada I Coffee Table? Or are you interested in going a little more bold with black and rust tones? Perhaps you’d like to have fun with shapes – you might like the quirky curves of the Collana Tray or Violino Bookend, or the sleek round shapes seen in the Olin Side Table Set.
These are the things to take into consideration when deciding which travertine piece is right for you.
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AURELIA BOOKENDS IN BEIGE TRAVERTINE
Travertine Care Tips
Since travertine furnishings aren’t typically high-traffic areas (such as flooring tiles), then you don’t have to worry too much about the type of travertine. There are just a few care tips for travertine that you should consider for any piece, which are as follows:
- Use warm water and a soft sponge or cloth to wipe down the surface on a regular basis. If something happens to spill on it, you can use a very mild soap, or special stone cleaner, but don’t use these frequently as they can discolour the stone overtime.
- Keep acidic things away! This type of stone is particularly vulnerable to acidity, so if something acidic spills onto it, make sure you remove it straight away. As long as you get to cleaning it up quick enough, there shouldn’t be any damage done.
- This tip applies to coffee tables and side tables – use those coasters! While many of you probably already use them, make sure they’re always accessible on your travertine furniture to prevent ring stains.
What to Pair With Travertine
We weren’t kidding when we said this stone is versatile – the styling possibilities are endless. In most cases, this stone is used as a quiet statement, like a whisper. While its stature and texture make it a focal point in a room, its neutral, somewhat muted colours makes it easy to bring into any space.
You can pair it with your favourite new vase, candle, sofa or cushion, and you can most certainly change the entire vibe of a room by pairing it with a complementary artwork. Let’s look at some ways you can style travertine using different colours and textures.
Colours
When in doubt, go white. This is the best tip for what to pair with travertine, as white will always beautifully complement every colour and cut of this stone. Use white as your base colour, and work around it from there.
Rust tones or anything with warm orangey-brown shades work perfectly with this stone, particularly for the creamy, beige types that contain yellow undertones – these undertones are brought out by the orange shades, lending to a deliciously warm and cosy ambience.
Yellow, creamy travertine also pairs well with blues, including grey shades with blue undertones. We’re talking mainly deep blues or peacock blues, which are able to standout against the neutral stone.
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EDWARD ARMCHAIR - BOUCLE LOOP CREAM
Textures
Even when this stone has a smooth finish, its characteristic veins give it quite a textural look. This means the world really is your oyster when it comes to styling with different textures.
Smooth and sleek finishes such as black metal, glass, velvet, and other stones like marble, pair nicely with travertine. On the other hand, textured surfaces complement this limestone just as well, such as fluffy boucle or a braided rug.
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NATURAL CLAY BOUCLE BALL CUSHION
BLAISE ARMCHAIR - VELVET BURNT CARAMEL
BONDI NATURAL HAND-BRAIDED JUTE OVAL RUG
VIOLINO BOOKEND IN MARBLE BLACK
Travertine is easier to style with than you might think.
Let it transform your home in ways you never know. Shop art prints, fine art, and premium home accessories today.