Caldera
Travertine Side Table
$590
from $49/mo
Material Guide
Travertine Furniture
Travertine is a limestone formed at mineral springs, and its open pores are the fossil record of escaping gas. Rome was built with it — the Colosseum is travertine from Tivoli — and the 1970s rediscovered it as furniture, which is why travertine still reads simultaneously ancient and mid-century.
Origins & Types of Travertine
Vein-cut travertine is sawn along the bedding plane and shows linear striping; cross-cut shows cloudier, more random figuring. Unfilled travertine leaves the pores open for a raw, matte surface; filled and honed travertine has the holes resined for a smoother, more practical top. Colours run from ivory and walnut to silver and noce.
How to Style Travertine
Travertine is warmer and quieter than marble, which makes it easier to live with in quantity. It sits naturally with linen, rattan, oak and off-white plaster and gives a room a sun-bleached calm. Because the stone is monochrome, it is a good choice when the pattern in a room is coming from textiles or art.
Travertine Care & Maintenance
Seal travertine on arrival and reseal annually, more often on surfaces that see water. It is calcareous, so acids etch it. Unfilled travertine collects dust in the pores — vacuum with a brush head rather than scrubbing. Clean with pH-neutral soap and warm water only.
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Travertine Questions
- Is travertine more durable than marble?
- It is softer but more forgiving visually — etching and wear disappear into the stone's texture.
- Should I choose filled or unfilled travertine?
- Filled and honed for tables in daily use; unfilled for pieces where texture matters more than practicality.
- Does travertine yellow over time?
- It warms slightly with sunlight and sealant, which most people consider an improvement.
- Can travertine be used outdoors?
- Yes in mild climates, though freeze-thaw cycles will damage unsealed stone.
- Why does travertine have holes?
- They are voids left by gas escaping as the stone formed at a hot spring.