Reliving the Past Giving new life to salvaged stone and terra-cotta architectural elements requires an appreciation for the simplicity of the materials and the inherent beauty of their surfaces. It also requires knowing how to re-assemble and combine the reclaimed materials into new products while retaining that simplicity.
With a facility in Umbria, Italy, Terra Viva Group has access to antique marble, slate, limestone, terra-cotta, and other materials from many regions of Italy. Because every part of Italy has its own shade of terra-cotta and its own types of stone formations, items found in one region cannot always be found in another.
Terra Viva specializes in reclaiming and manufacturing floors, medallions, borders, sinks, table tops, and more. Each piece is finished with linseed oil and beeswax to prevent staining and to preserve the original surface.
No paints or other finishes are added to enhance the surfaces, and no cracks or chips are filled. “If you like antique materials, you must like the cracks and chips, otherwise there’s no point,” says Carlo Menichini, owner. “There’s no consistency in color—the random variations are consistent.” Terra Viva Group. 310.402.7756. www.terravivagroup.com. Classic Vintage Distinctive cooper’s marks, vineyard notations, date stamps, and winemaker initials are all prominently on display in a line of hardwood flooring produced from reclaimed wine barrels. Stained and aged by wine and oxidation, the wood is allowed to retain its natural colorations from its life as a wine barrel.
The Vintage Barrel collection of flooring is crafted from barrels made of clear grade quartersawn American and French white oak. The barrels are re-sawn, milled, wire brushed, and then finished to preserve the markings and red patina. Planks come in random widths and lengths between 1 and 3 inches wide and up to 3 feet long. Fontenay. 800.651.8225. www.fontenaywood.com.
