The time is right for clocks to be an integral part of a home's design. The household clock has become less of a necessity and more of a personal choice, says Markus Harris, communications director for the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors in Columbia, Pennsylvania.

"Though long-ubiquitous in our society, these days, the household clock is much less necessary than it was," he says. "Many modern appliances have digital time displays, as do our ever-present cellphones ... so the household clock is an expression of style and decorative taste."

With contemporary lines and retro Sputnik-like shapes inspired by mid-20th century design or modern-farmhouse styles with distressed wood and metals, today's clocks have looks that stand the test of time. Form follows function as modern-style clocks are hitting the mainstream, says Karen Sullivan, Wall Decor Buyer for Omaha, Nebraska-based Hayneedle Inc., an online home store since 2002.

"The clock is a natural focal point on a wall," she says. "And, while it should stand out, a wall clock shouldn't conflict with the other wall decor and furniture in the room."

Sullivan says that an oversized clock with a floating dial is a timely timepiece, especially when hung on an expansive wall in a modern home with an open-floor design. "The clock should be the first piece up on a wall," she says. "Then, frames and artwork surrounding the clock should follow. There also needs to be a unifying element to the clock and surrounding pieces, whether it's a color, a metal or wood stain."

Today's timepieces are entering a time warp with the resurgence of interest in mid-century modern clocks, Sullivan says. "You don't have to be a clock collector to appreciate the styles from the 1950s and '60s," she says. "George Nelson clocks have been reissued with the Sunburst, Star and Atomic Age designs for a new generation."

George Nelson (1908-1986) has been called one of the founding fathers of American modernism and was known for applying his design to practical household items, such as clocks. Original collectible George Nelson Clocks can start around $500, whereas the reissued designs are less than $150. Reproductions of his original electrified clocks are easily detected because they require batteries to operate.

While modernistic timepieces have a cool vibe, clocks with rustic or distressed finishes add character and warmth to a room. Sullivan says today's timepieces are generally less ornate and made to match a casual lifestyle. "The clock in your home has to make YOU tick, and we're finding that floor clocks -- or Grandfather clocks -- and fireplace mantel clocks are capturing smaller and smaller segments of the population," she says. "The wall clock with the floating dial is popular, because the backdrop is the wall itself, so there's nothing to match."

The numerals on a clock face run the gamut from stylized Roman numerals to nonexistent numbers, but Sullivan says more people are searching for clocks that also have a digital calendar and day-of-the-week features while also telling the time.

More than just a way to tell time, a household clock can evoke memories and recall a simpler time, while also making a style statement. Harris recently purchased an emerald green Kit-Cat Clock for his wife, Charlene, to hang in their kitchen. Made on the West Coast since the 1930s, the Kit-Cat Clock was a fixture in Charlene's grandmother's home, with the movement of the large eyes and tail also keeping time. "Now our own Kit-Cat Clock ticks away on the wall of our kitchen, adding the perfect nostalgic touch to our decor," Harris says. " A really great design always holds up."

Harris also says modern hipsters are rediscovering a well-made clock's mechanical complexity. "Millennial steampunks are inspired by the beguiling fusion of past and present that is so perfectly signified by the intricate complexities of mechanical clocks wrought of wood and brass," he says. "Entire decorating schemes have been inspired by such horological works of art."

Second Time Around

For more time-styling ideas, go to: Hayneedle.com.

The old tradition of terrazzo is reaching a new generation. Iconically underscored and underfoot in mid-20th century American homes, terrazzo is enjoying a resurgence in today's contemporary homes.

Terrazzo is a durable composite, comprised most commonly of marble chips or other aggregates, which are suspended in a concrete or resin binder and polished until the aggregate is visible and the surface is smooth. Most commonly used as flooring, terrazzo makes a strong style statement, says Mark Fowler, executive director of the National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association (NTMA) in Fredericksburg, Texas.

"We are seeing an uptick in terrazzo residential sales," he says. "People are reimagining the midcentury modern look and bringing it into the 21st century, and terrazzo is hot with its cool look and applications."

Meaning "terrace" in Italian, terrazzo was created six centuries ago when Venetian mosaic workers made a durable flooring that was polished smooth after marble scraps were pressed into clay. This flooring was installed on the terraces surrounding the workers' living quarters and the name "terrazzo" stuck.

In the United States, the use of terrazzo flooring peaked in the mid-20th century. New homes built slab-on-grade using poured concrete made the installation of terrazzo flooring easier than ever, Fowler says.

"Cementitious-based terrazzo is typically a 3 1/2-inch thick system in which stone or metal aggregate are dispersed throughout wet concrete," he says. "After it dries, heavy grinders with increasingly higher-grit discs polish the floor to create a smooth, sleek surface."

Called poured-in-place terrazzo by tradespeople, metal strips are most often embedded into the wet mixture wherever there is a need for a joint or change of color in the floor.

"Terrazzo is often the flooring of choice in airports, schools, hospitals and other commercial buildings because of its beauty and durability," Fowler says. "But now, intricate designs in terrazzo flooring are easier than ever to achieve in homes through the use of sophisticated wet saws and precast terrazzo, made from durable resins."

While cementitious-based terrazzo is still the only reliable choice for outdoor applications, most indoor installations use resin-based terrazzo. There is more versatility in using today's resins, which act as a binder for decorative aggregate, says Eric Wilhite, the second-generation owner of Terrazzio, based outside Nashville, Tennessee.

"While a consumer could do a poured-in-place resin-based terrazzo on-site, our company specializes in precast terrazzo tiles that we manufacture under controlled conditions in our workroom," he says. "There are many advantages of resin over cementitious terrazzo."

A wider selection of colors, greater tensile strength, 1/4-inch to 3/8-inch installation thickness and less susceptibility to cracking are all benefits to a resin-based terrazzo. While terrazzo may be considered an impermeable surface, both the cementitious and resin-based varieties require regular coverage with a high-quality sealant, Fowler says.

"It's not the resin that needs to be sealed, it's the porous aggregate marble, stone chips and concrete that require sealing," he says. "Although terrazzo is a lifetime floor, follow manufacturer's guidelines and be prepared to seal it at least every decade in a home."

Fowler says it's imperative to prepare the floor substrate properly before installation of terrazzo can begin. To avoid cracking, there should be no bounce in the floor and cement backer-board can be used an underlayment. Bespoke or custom-made terrazzo is easy to achieve with the precast variety, Wilhite says.

"Custom-added aggregates, resin colors, sizes and shapes of resin terrazzo are all achievable in a controlled environment," he says. "We can manufacture 4-by-8-foot panels, and have them cut into a variety of shapes to create a mosaic on the floor."

Terrazzo is also migrating off floors and landing on walls, countertops and seating as architectural accents. In a thoroughly modern monochromatic home, terrazzo can add interest through subtly colored or sparkly aggregates.

Fowler says it's imperative to hire an expert terrazzo installer for any job, and homeowners should expect to pay between $10 to $35 per square foot of terrazzo installed for basic jobs. Fabrication and installation of more intricate terrazzo patterns will boost costs.

"Some terrazzo installers are so good that they can create the illusion of a seamless floor and staircase," Fowler says. "But the real testament to the enduring quality of terrazzo is witnessing homeowners restoring an original 1950s floor to its former glory."

Step Up

-- National Tile & Mosaic Association, NTMA.com, 800-323-9736

-- Terrazzio, Terrazzio.com, 931-845-3434

Home doors are becoming unhinged. Many homeowners are installing interior sliding doors -- otherwise known as barn doors -- to make a style statement on a sliding scale. But you don't need a barn abode to enjoy the honest design of sliding doors.

Many homeowners are drawn to barn doors as a way to make a style statement in a home with an open floor plan. Also, barn doors can be a space saver in a tight place, where the swing of nearly three feet from a hinged door is an obstruction.

"The term 'barn door' comes from the resemblance to the real deal, which was only reinforced when doors were made in a reclaimed-wood style," says Jeff Lowinski, technical services vice president with the Window & Door Manufacturers Association in Chicago. "Today's barn doors can look less rustic and have modern styles made from metal or with windows, but what we are really talking about is the hanging hardware, more than the look of the door itself."

A steel track -- ranging from a standard of 4 to 20 feet -- is installed in studs above an opening. A hanger set -- with wheels that roll on top of the track and straps that affix to the door -- is the hardware needed to keep your doors sliding smoothly.

"Barn doors are very popular, but you can't just take a door off its hinges and outfit it for a sliding door system," says Jon Whaley, owner of The Barn Door Hardware Store, an Erie, Pennsylvania, web-based business with about 20 national distributors. "The first thing you need to do is assess if a barn door system will actually fit the space."

When installing a sliding-door system, a home needs to have enough wall space adjacent to a doorway over which the door can slide. A standard 32-inch-by-80-inch hinged door requires a 36-inch-by-84-inch sliding door to achieve a finished look that's on a roll. Hardware for a standard opening can average about $200, while a standard manufactured plank door can cost around $500.

"Barn doors can quickly go off the rails when homeowners think they can take down a hinged door and then mount it as a sliding door," Whaley says. "A barn door needs to be large enough to cover the trim of a door opening and hang about one-half inch above the floor."

Not all barn door hardware is built the same, so make sure you buy quality components so your sliding doors stay on track. A heavy-duty steel track mounted above the opening should have a deep groove along the top, so wheels run smoothly. Metal wheels typically last longer than those made of plastic or wood, however, they can also be noisier, if that is a consideration for the space in which the barn doors are placed.

Barn doors are at home ...

-- In the kitchen. Barn doors are living large in the home's larder as they cover the pantry or are used as a set of doors into the dining room or entertainment area, creating smaller, more intimate spaces away from a kitchen's mess.

-- In bedrooms. Barn doors can serve as closet doors or be used between a sleeping space and a bathroom. Be warned, however, that barn doors do not provide as much privacy as a hinged door, and locking them can be difficult with cumbersome hardware.

-- In laundry rooms. There's no need to air dirty laundry, as barn doors look squeaky-clean concealing a washer and dryer setup.

-- In outdoor kitchens. You can get cooking outside with barn doors that slide to expose appliances in a pool house or cabana.

-- In home offices. Barn doors can help your space look smart and work smart.

-- In a child's playroom or craft room. Barn doors keep the fun contained, while keeping toys, games and crafts in one spot rather than having items scattered throughout the entire house.

-- In shelving units. Barn doors add warmth and texture to an entertainment center, which can conceal the television, electronics or books as a modern-day armoire.

Whaley warns that while the function of barns doors is straightforward, installing them correctly isn't always as easy. "A lot of people think they can install barn doors as a simple do-it-yourself project, but there's a lot that goes into ensuring these doors don't come away from the wall," he says. "Making sure the track is installed properly onto a secured header into studs, that it runs level and supports the weight of the doors, is imperative. Otherwise, you can have 100 pounds or more of door and hardware that can come crashing down."

Barn doors don't require farmhouse charm; they can also be super sleek, with windows at the top to naturally illuminate the design element. Whaley says details -- such as the size of the wheels, the strap design and the architectural pull particulars -- can create a slideable showstopper. Also, don't forget to install a floor guide, so doors stay on track and don't bang around.

"Barn doors have a function that has worked extremely efficiently for centuries," he says. "Now that they've become popular in the home, the stylistic form follows the function for these sliders."

On the Slide:

TheBarnDoorHardwareStore.com, or call 814-315-2475.