To purchase a handmade product is to ascertain and bestow eternal life to that human voice. They offer more attention to detail and higher quality – however, they can give purchasers some amazing side advantages also.

Comparing handmade products with similar items in the high street shops would not be justified because there really is no comparison. Handmade products offer more attention to detail and higher value, alongside some incredible benefits as well.

Terrazzo's decorative speckled design and soft textural pattern is understated, endlessly stylish and versatile.For those who are late to the party, terrazzo is the flecked floor and wall treatment that’s taking the interior design world by storm in 2020. It’s a composite material that’s poured into place for a seamless finish, or precast for ease of use. The flecks you’ll see suspended inside it are actually chips of marble, quartz, granite or glass. It’s a process that dates way back but features most widely in Art Deco, and you might have noticed its use in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. If it's good enough for Hollywood, then it's good enough for us, so we’ve developed some of the home accessories which you can use in your houses to get the feeling of nostalgia.

For a long time we have left it out of our decorative lives but now it seems that it returns with the intention of covering everything and not our floors, but also the home accessories that we never imagined that we would see covered in it but that nevertheless are being a boom.

To help you bring the trend into your home, we’ve selected terrazzo home decor products and home accessories we’re currently lusting after. Browse some of the best buys in the gallery below...

More and more homes are being built in a sustainable manner and those homeowners who didn’t join the green movement right from the beginning are now starting to make a positive change. Turning your home into a sustainable place doesn’t have to be exhausting and stressful, and all you need to know are the basic principles of green renovations and the ways to include eco-friendly décor into your home. One of the best ways is to start including marble or stone home products in your house.

The reason why most people have grown to like marble is that it provides layers of elegance and aesthetics, but another great thing about the product is that it helps to conserve the environment in the following ways-

Marbles are Natural

Marble is environmental-friendly since it is a natural stone, this benefits the environment in many ways. As it is in the natural form, marble doesn't require any power or energy to be produced and therefore, doesn't cause any pollution and saves energy.
Marbles Don’t Require Manufacturing

Marble doesn’t require any machines to be created but requires people to harvest it, thereby eliminating the need to run machines that emit gases and pollute the environment. Because of this more people get jobs of harvesting the material and this creates job opportunities in society.

Marble Can Be Recycled

The good thing about marble, since it is a natural stone it can easily be recycled later on if you want to change the flooring, counters, or other marble aspects in the house. There won’t be any need to dispose of old material, these old marble pieces can be used to make tiles and anything else that can come out from the pieces.

This ability of marble to be able to be recycled makes it even more environment-friendly and efficient for use. Whereas it pays to recycle a naturally occurring item that has zero effects on our environment, instead of having to replace it with other not so environmentally friendly items.

Marble is Durable

Durability is a key factor while considering your homeware products and marble can really come in handy for you in this case. Since marble is a natural stone, it has a durable quality, and when you construct your home with it, your home is able to withstand wind, rain, heat, and even fire.

Also, when you use marble in your homeware products, it is hard for them to get burned, scratched, or even stained. The durability makes marble environmental-friendly since you don’t have to keep extracting the material in case of damages, as marble is strong enough to withstand damages and can also be recycled.

Marble is Affordable

The affordability of marble is great for the environment. Many people can afford to use it, thereby avoiding other manufactured items that will affect the environment as they are being processed. Marble is a natural stone and therefore doesn’t require the use of the machine for extraction. This greatly helps you save on cost yet still preserves the environment.

Another thing which we mentioned earlier that also helps to make marble much affordable is that it doesn’t get damaged easily, and old pieces of marble can be recycled and used to make something else.

Marble provides great benefits to the environment and not only that, but is also safe and efficient to use in your home. Every person shares a responsibility to care for this environment for the sake of peaceful coexistence with nature, as well as for our future generations. Apart from marble being very practical in your home, it is also aesthetically strong and highlighting the beauty of your home in a natural way.

Pietra Dura or Pietre Dure, also known as Parchin Kari Art is deemed as an adorning art. It is a term used for the inlay method of using fitted or cut highly smoothed colored stones to design images. It was originated in Florence in the 16th century. The art was started by Shah Jahan being its patron and pioneer in the early 17th century. It involves structuring small pieces of semi-precious stones in the form of leaves, flower petals, and fitting them collectively so that they look like one complete flower or animal or any other shape or design the artist intended it to look like.

The European travelers brought Pietra Dura works as presents for Shah Jahan. The Mughal emperor was impressed with the technique and immediately incorporated it in his architectural endeavors. He refined and perfected the technique over several years which came to be referred to as Parchinkari in India. The art became more intricate, symmetrical, and distinct from Pietra Dura. The inlaid stone pieces were made smaller and precious stones were introduced in the masterpieces. One of the biggest masterpieces of this art is TAJ MAHAL.

The method of inlay used currently in Agra has not changed very much from the times of the Mughals, but the patterns have evolved and have become more refined over the centuries. Here is a brief method of the inlay work done at our premises.

Step 1- The first step involves getting a high grade of marble. The marble can be white, black, pink, or green. The marble is then cut according to the size of the article to be made. The marble used at The Handicraft Street is the same type of Makrana marble that was used for the construction of the Taj Mahal.

Step 2- Next in line are the semi-precious stones. The semiprecious stones used in the inlay work were brought from many different places during the time of Shah Jahan. Amber was brought from Myanmar, turquoise from Tibet, jade from Burma, lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, etc. Here is the list of the most common ones that are used in the inlay.

Step 3- The stones are now taken and cut into thin slices. These small fragments are then shaped by using a hand-operated machine called the hone. The hone allows for better control of the artist on the shape of the stone. The artist holds the tiny bit of stone in his left hand and brushes it against the hone to shape it. Each artist is responsible for a different motif. Some are responsible for making leaves, some for flowers, and some for stems.

Step 4- While the stones are being shaped, the marble is smeared with a color which is either powdered ochre or heena. Heena is the traditional paste made of the plant by the same name. It gives a deep orange to rust color after application on hands. This heena is used for decorating the hands of the brides during Indian weddings. It is a symbol of luck, joy, and beauty.

Step 5- The marble is now chiseled to make space for the stones to be set. This way the chiseled spots are easily highlighted against the orange background of the heena making it easier for the artist to work. The chiseling work is done using two chisels, one-pointed and one flat. The tools are made of iron but the tips are made of tempered steel. For tempering the steel a process of heating and reheating the steel to up to 650 degrees celsius is used.

Step 6- Now the stones are ready, the chiseling is done, the only thing left is setting the stones. They are set one piece at a time into the carved out space using a special glue. After the glue dries and the stones set, the finished piece is scrubbed gently with sandpaper to even out any rough edges. The henna is washed off to reveal the dazzling white purity of the stone.

Step 7- After the final polish for a high finish protective shine, a piece of the history is ready.

Every piece of stone has a sculpture inside it, and it is the chore of the sculptor to uncover it. The carving of stones includes varied methods where pieces of ragged raw stone are molded by the controlled subtraction of stone. It is said to be substantiated from a very prehistoric time. Ancient sculptures were mostly of human forms, latter were found of animals and more abstract forms in stone. The process of accomplishing the sculptures is termed as stone carving. The pieces of natural stones are shaped by eliminating or chiseling away some parts of stone in a planned way to accomplish a detailed design. Earlier the carvers themselves had to go in search for the right type of stone. There are various kinds of stones are available in which soft stone is preferable for it is easy to carve on soft stone. Sculptors use basic carving tools and hammers. Before the beginning of carving, there should be a predetermined design. To brief it up carving happens in three simple steps – roughly chiseling out the stone, shaping, and detailing. These three steps also include sandpapering, mounting, and finishing. The basic tools that are required are pointed, flat chisels, and a hammer. These tools help the carvers attain the form which they visualize. There have been various styles adapted over the period of time while carving. Though the methods of roughing, secondary roughing, and finishing remain the results demonstrate the changes that have happened over the years of time.

The most appreciating quality of this stone is that it is available in a wide range of colors and is easy to carve. Bowls, plates, and glasses are known products. Earlier before the initial stages of carving on soapstone, artists used tusks and sandalwood as their media to carve, and as time passed by due government issues they had to take a hold on it.
The soapstone, when witnessed in the nearby mines, was used by the artists to experiment with the same designs that they did on tusks in order to substitute and to test the production. The result happened to be a good hit later. The artists prefer a clean even shaded stone, for the carving will not be affected by the variations of pigment or by veining. For ex- ample, if an artisan carved a nice face with a multi-colored stone, the veins would definitely appear either crisscross or dotted, sideways or right on the face, ruining the actual feel of the piece. Since there are less or no chances of veining in a clean or pure stone the piece comes out to its best of the looks. As the working on stone improvised the use of tools got a push to try out more innovative carvings like an undercut. The undercut carving is very much known in the north part of India. The most marketed and noted product of this kind is an undercut elephant. A skilled artist can complete an undercut elephant of size two into three inches in two hours. The undercut carving is well known and Agra is one of the main centers of stone carving in Uttar Pradesh. Artisans carve a variety of products from soapstone lampstands, small bowls, jaalis, candle stands, and decorative items.
The more the stone wastes, the more the statue grows!!