Travertine is a naturally quarried stone that has been used as a decorative and functional building material for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks and Romans recognised it for its aesthetic qualities and for its utility as a practical building material. The Colosseum in Rome is one of the largest buildings in the world that is largely constructed from travertine and in more recent times the Getty Centre in Los Angeles, California has been built using travertine. Now travertine has been brought into the modern dwelling becoming a popular building material used for tiling floors and walls in bathrooms, showers, conservatories and throughout the home as well as a construction material for basins, baths, shower trays and bathroom and other furniture in general.

The upsurge of popularity in travertine can be attributed to its beauty both to the eye and to the touch as well as to its suitability as a building and tiling stone and as a material for constructing furniture. The history of travertine over thousands of years lends this current popularity the stamp of authentic taste rather than simply faddish interest.

From the builders, suppliers or artisans perspective the workability and mendability of travertine makes it an attractive material to handle and use. Travertine can be easily mended if chipped or scratched and is easy to cut, work and finish, in fact many of the elements in the home traditionally made from wood can easily be made from travertine. Travertine is a truly versatile material when compared with other stones such as marble or granite.