Each year, more than 100,000 designers, installers and dealers travel to Bologna, Italy, for Cersaie, the international exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings, where they learn about new products and technologies in the tile industry. Following are seven of the top tile trends from the 36th annual Cersaie tradeshow.
SYSTEMS
Tile manufacturers in Italy have been expanding the definition of their product, offering specifiers an entire suite of surfacing tools around a single idea. At first, it was a range of colors, finishes and sizes as well as complementing decors and trims. Now, many suppliers are expanding their offered thicknesses with tiles ranging from 3-30mm including a new 12mm porcelain tile specifically designed for kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, tables and outdoor kitchens.
Examples: Ariana Bath Design, Atlas Concorde Atlas Plan, Blustyle Yosemite, Emilgroup Level, FLORIM stone, Gigacer Pietre, Keope Plus, La Fabbrica, Ca’ Foscari, Lea Bio Select, Mirage Esprit 2.0, Panaria Context, Serenissima Magistra, Sicis Vetrite and Supergres Stoorm.
TILE PLAY
When projects call for playfulness, Italian tile answers in full. Producers are continuously experimenting with color, size and patterns to create one-of-a-kind surfacing for architects and designers. They also offer tailor made solutions like Ornamenta’s ability to print large porcelain slabs in any Pantone color.
Additional examples: ABK Wide&Style Dark Edition, Appiani Denim, Atlas Concorde Boost, Caesar Core, Ceramica Francesco di Maio Puntini, Del Conca Sorrentina, Fioranese Liquida, Fuoriformato Tropik, Gardenia Orchidea Make, Gigacer Avantime, Leonardo Ashima, Marazzi D_Segni, Rondine Swing, Mosaico+ Diamond, Naxos Lumiere, Tonalite Joyful, and Unica Remix.
LUNAR MARBLE
Italian tile producers are scouring quarries throughout the world to find obscure marble full of color and character or digitally manipulating the look of natural stone to create something that is out-of-this-world. For Sicis’ ever-evolving Vetrite collection, 13 gemstones are captured and amplified in between sheets of glass to create lunar-like landscapes for the Gem Glass line. Meanwhile, Refin Stardust combines the nebulous veining of alabaster with elegant metallic surface effects to create a line of porcelain tiles inspired by the nighttime sky.
Other examples: Atlas Concorde Marvel Edge, Ava Preziosi, Casalgrande Padana Onici, Ceramiche Piemme Majestic Valentino, Cercom To Be, Cotto d’Este Vanity, Edilgres I’m Italian Marble, Emilceramica Tele di Marmo, Fire Transalp, Fondovalle Shards, Imola The Room, Italgraniti Mega, LaFaenza Bianca, Lea Delight, Marazzi Grande, Novabell Imperial Michelangelo, Panaria Eternity Zero.3, Rex Etoile di Rex, Stile Italia Extra, and Supergres Purity of Marble.
THE BLUES
Blue is one of the hottest hues for tile this year, offering a revitalizing pop of color to a variety of interiors. Some, like Cedit’s Rilievi sculptural ceramic wallcoverings, are the kind of blue associated with contemporary artists Yves Klein and Frida Kahlo. Others, like Refin Creos and Provenza Vulcanika, invoke the feeling of a vacation on the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
Additional examples: Appiani Denim, Casa Dolce Casa Artwork, Ceramica Colli Fes, Ceramica Francesco di Maio Blu Ponti, Ceramica Sant’Agostino Vita, Ce.Vi. Ceramica Vietrese Happy Days, Cerasarda OT07026, Cir Miami, Fap Pat, Level Raku, Made+39 Acquerello, Tonalite Provenzale and Vogue Dekorami.
BIG PATTERNS
Patterns are now being rendered on big porcelain slabs with minimal grout lines to create an alluring effect of wallpaper with the technical benefits of ceramic. Some suppliers are even marketing their products as ceramic wallpaper, offering an expansive catalog of digitally printed patterns. One example is ABK who introduced Dark Edition as a collection inspired by the Gothic side of nature. Another company is Fuoriformato, which offers an explosion of color and pattern on large ceramic surfaces that can also be used as furnishing elements.
Additional examples: 14oraitaliana Tahiti, Casalgrande Padana Onici, Fioranese Liquida, Keope Eclectic, Mirage Bottega, Ornamenta Operae, Panaria Even, Rondine Swing, Stile Italia Extra, Unica Garden, and Vallelunga Sospiri.
NEW SURFACES
Tile producers have completely upped the ante in terms of surface design, which can be seen in dozens of new finishes and textures designed for aesthetics and functionality. Two collections that demonstrate this trend include Ceramica Sant’Agostino Lakewood, which combines oiled wood planks with a hand planed surface, and Vallelunga Cava, which has a marble design and satin finish.
Additional examples: 14oraitaliana Slice, Campani Divinae, Bardelli Pittorica, Coem Moonstone, Decoratori Bassanesi Tartan, Cerdisa Espirit, Cir Paris, Ergon Woodtouch, Fap Lumina, Imola Blue Savoy, Italgraniti Icône Bleu, Made +39 Cube, Marazzi Eclettica, Marca Corona Arkistone, Piemme Shades, Supergres Met-All and Viva Yaki.
TRADITION
Italian tile manufacturers are finding creative ways to make the old feel new again. Mixed and matched patterns, like those of 14oraitaliana’s Folk and Ceramica Sant’Agostino’s Vita collections, evoke the imagery and vibrant colors of Italy’s most famous and beloved territories. Fioranese’s Liquida slabs resemble 1950’s-style wallpaper, while the earthy tones and textured surfaces of Provenza’s Terraquea collection recall traditional terracotta ware. Designed with nostalgic sentiments, each of these collections combine the aesthetic and cultural qualities of the past with the technological innovations of today.
Other examples: ABK Dark Edition, Ceramica Colli Fes, Ceramica Vietri Antico Mediterranea, Cerasarda OT07026, Cir Miami, Faetano Sorrentina, LaFabbrica Space, Marca Corona Ossidi, Rondine Swing, Serenissima Magistra, Tonalite Aquarel, and Unica Pece.
Many of these and other new tile lines available in the U.S. market will be showcased at Coverings – North America’s preeminent event for the ceramic tile industry – taking place April 9-12, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. The next edition of Cersaie is scheduled for September 23-27, 2019 in Bologna, Italy.
Read the full report in Microsoft Word format here.
