Travertine Furniture & Accessories - 80s Trend Reinvented

 Furniture and decor made of travertine have been very popular. It shouldn't come as a surprise considering that travertine and other natural stones with a creamy, neutral color and an organic texture fuel our desire to create a cozy, natural ambiance in our homes. Travertine is a form of limestone. 

In fact, travertine is one of the most popular home décor trends right now, and the warm minimalism trend is probably to blame for this. This warm, neutral stone with its creamy feel evokes nostalgia. I, for one, am overjoyed. I adore stone in all of its forms, including flooring, furniture, and décor. Is it true that heavier is better? 

Before I go any further, let me clarify what this travertine trend is and isn't. We're not referring to the travertine flooring that was put in so many homes in the late 1990s and early 2000s to achieve the "Old World" Tuscan kitchen aesthetic (and which many of those homeowners are still attempting to deal with today). 

Travertine, on the other hand, is used to make furniture and home accents including tabletops, lamp bases, and ornamental items with roots in late mid-century minimalism. The design history of this travertine trend is discussed below. (Hint: If you closely follow contemporary interior design trends, it will look more than a little familiar.)

Come have a look at travertine décor; I promise it's a style worth investigating.

What is travertine?

Priorities come first. What is travertine, exactly? In a limestone cave or at the mouth of a hot spring, calcium carbonate rapidly precipitates to form travertine, a type of limestone. Pitted pits and troughs on its surface give it its distinctive look. 

It can either be polished to a smooth, lustrous sheen or left in its original state. Travertine can be any color from grey to reddish-coral, but it is most frequently found in white, tan, or cream. 

From ancient times till the present, travertine has mostly been utilized in construction. Travertine was quarried by the Romans and used in the construction of the Colosseum as well as aqueducts and temples. One of the most well-known examples of a travertine structure in the contemporary era is the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. 

Up until the 1980s, Italy had a near-monopoly on the travertine industry, but nowadays, travertine is also extensively mined in Turkey, Iran, Mexico, Peru, and even a few small sites in the United States.

A travertine furniture & décor love story

My obsession with limestone and travertine began with reasonable practicality. We were residing in Santa Monica back in 2003 when I came across an antique travertine dining table for sale. It had a wrought iron base.

I fell in love and said to myself, "I must have that four men need to lift it travertine dining table because it will withstand toddler twin-boy destruction so much better than wood!" As soon as it was safely lifted inside our rental home, it became mine, and I was thrilled. It was a white knuckler (it). 

And certainly, despite the abuse that my twin toddlers inflicted, it was a terrific worry-free surface that remained gorgeous. 

My passion for real stone grew more intense from that point on. The next thing you know, I'm purchasing a vintage Michael Taylor-inspired limestone and brass coffee table from a Bell Aire estate sale, which I kept in a crate for at least two years before using it. And yes, it still has that new-experience feeling. I've had it for over 15 years, and I'll never give it up. Because I can't move it, it's a wonderful thing. 

Travertine furniture and home décor

If you aren't already with me, I want to convert you now that I've revealed my fascination with natural stone and travertine. Let's examine the present development of travertine in furnishings, decorations, and accessories. Then we'll look at its vintage antecedents from the 1970s and 1980s. 

The fact that travertine and other natural stone don't compete with wood tones is one of the main reasons I adore them. I sometimes worry that my room will become "too busy" due to the clashing colors of the wood (hello dining room). However, you still require a combination of a coffee table, side tables, chairs, sofas, etc., all of which are normally made of wood, am I correct?  

Introduced are materials like travertine, limestone, light marble, etc.; they are like a breath of fresh air. These naturally light and neutral stones don't give your house another shade of tan wood. In my opinion, they also offer the significant benefit of adding a different texture to the décor of your space.

Modern travertine table from Scandinavian company Ferm, pictured aboveJapanese minimalism served as the origin of Living through Burke Decor's inspiration. The straightforward style draws attention to the travertine stone's muted, earthy texture and veining. The round, organic woven pendant light and the soft, organic form of the sofa are contrasted with the table's rectilinear shape.

A nubby boucle chair, light wood tones, and an oval travertine side table from Anthropologie provide dimension to the cozy, neutral space. The area is surrounded by white, classical architectural elements.

A shearling and linen chair, dried flowers, and travertine side tables with a fluted base from CB2 complement each other beautifully.

Decorative items made of travertine

Smaller décor and accessories are a fascinating alternative to large furniture when using travertine in your interiors. (Plus, they are much simpler to move around.)

Vintage elephant bookends and other geometric travertine items like them were produced in the mid-20th century by Italian sculptor Fratelli Mannelli. His creations, as well as travertine decorative items, are enjoying a significant rebirth in favor. Travertine table searches have increased by 361% this year, and searches for travertine decor have increased by 211%, according to Etsy.

Travertine’s 80s “California Look” minimalism

Should minimalism and the 1980s be mentioned together? Most likely a resounding NO. Undoubtedly, a lot of 1980s design was excessive, but super-designer Michael Taylor was largely responsible for popularising travertine throughout that decade. He is credited with being the originator of the "California Look," a design movement that was in part a reaction to the excess and formality that characterized much of the 1980s. 

His guiding principle was that "when you take something out, you must increase the size of what's left," according to Michael Taylor Designs. In other words, scale up and stay away from clutter. (Read How To Design A Room for scaling up advice and more decluttering advice.) 

He was renowned for creating light-filled spaces with white walls, aggressively overscaled furniture, and an abundance of natural stone and ornaments that conveyed a rustic, natural elegance.

View for yourself in the pictures below:

With its ancient-looking urns on open shelves, peaceful white walls, sinuous, cozy chairs, and stones for tables, this space would seem quite at home today. Design of the interior by Michael Taylor. Michael Taylor Collections is the source.

These Michael Taylor interiors are the epitome of timelessness, and you can see more than a passing nod to them in the photos at the top of the post thanks to the stone accents and the curved, white upholstered furniture. 

Final travertine thoughts

I've made it clear that I love travertine and natural stone, and I've used them in many parts of my house. It is strong, its color and texture are organic, and it doesn't compete with wood tones. I'm all for it because it surely helps bring the outside in, as you could have imagined. 

Let me know what you think of this travertine revival in the comments section below.