Top Tile Trends from Cersaie

a series of oversized porcelains featuring maps of large urban spaces such as Rome, New York, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Beijing and Sydney, includes epoxy adhesives that match the collection’s five colors. Geometry 201—Beyond the BasicsCircles and squares continue to take shape, but these days the new geometric forms come in the way of polygons, hourglass figures and geographic diagrams.  Cotto Veneto’s “Cerchi” takes on new contours, blending in a play of continuous geometry. Sichenia’s “Glamour” is lavishly decked out in a sea of circles. Edgier forms can be found in a number of collections, including Litokol’s “Night Vision” and Vogue’s “20×40.” Caesar and Mipa played with irregular squares and created patterns that mimic netting. Elongated rectangles and silhouetted shapes combine to make the profile of a cityscape in Marca Corona’s “Skyline.”  Mirage’s “Black and White” mixes layers of light and dark diamonds for an optical effect.  Hexagonal patterns and six-sided formats, such as Vietri Antico’s “Giochi d’Acqua–Liberty,” Ragno’s “Philosophy” and Etruria Design’s “Hex” also turned heads at the show. Viva’s “Bikini” and “Duplo” offer unusual shapes that fit together like a giant puzzle, while the structural features of Provenza’s “d’Oc” include a stunning droplet shape.Tactile Textures—There’s More to the SurfaceWith a heaping handful of manufacturers showcasing tantalizing textures, these highlights only scratch the surface.  To start, Lea experimented with materials such as linen, cotton and papyrus and imprinted these textures onto the surface of its new collection, “Makò,” topping each tile off with glazed stitching.  Ragno’s “Textile” is tactile, with porcelain pieces that are stratified, grid-like and sometimes three-dimensional. This decorative solution can also be found in Edilgres’s “Starlight,” which offers an extra-fine texture reminiscent of the weft of a fabric with surface options that are as light and colorful as cool cotton or as bright and sophisticated as silk. This fabric phenomenon influenced Keope’s “Wave” and Casa Dolce Casa’s “Cuoio,” which have velvety finishes and Marazzi’s “Straight,” which leans more toward satin, with a slightly ribbed structure. Leather and animal skins are among the other faux options. Rex drew on the overwhelming success of its “MaTouche” line to create a fine line of leather-inspired tiles called “Galuchat.” Ceramica Fioranese’s “My Skin” has decors that mimic zebra, leopard and cow prints. These decorative textures shared the spotlight with more architectural options. Topping the charts is Casamood’s “Nera,” which is made of lava extracted from the foot of Mt. Etna. Coem’s “Pietra Vicentina” has a rough-hewn surface with tiny fossilized shells set into the body of the porcelain tile. Floor Gres’s “Less,” part of its Integrated Architecture Project, has three surface options, including one that imitates the look and feel of rice paper, and a matte option that is extremely soft to the touch.Finally, there were those manufacturers that chose to add a whole new dimension to the surface. Marazzi’s “Paris” features four structures, two ribbed and two that recall quilted and boiserie finishes.  Piemme’s “Imperiale,” designed by Valentino, mimics the “capitonné” upholstery that emerged in France in the mid-19th century. This elegant quilted pattern, either true-to-form or done with a contemporary flair, popped up in many new Italian tile collections, including Senio’s “Velvet” and Fioranese’s “Extra Glam.” Ceramica Campani also pulled from the past with its introduction of “Mirror.”  The decors of this white body wall tile are reminiscent of antique and ornate mirrors. For a more modern aesthetic, FAP’s “Cupido” includes a tile strip that juts out from the surface, which takes wallcoverings to new heights. Kronos’s three-dimensional basket-weave looks so much like the real thing, it is hard to believe it’s made of porcelain.Whimsical Wallcoverings: Flowers & Trees Take RootTraditional wallpaper may have met its match.  At this year’s Cersaie show, fairgoers saw an elegant display of romantic florals and classic silhouettes done on hard surface ceramics and porcelains.  Designed in true Italian style, these tiles set a new standard for wallcovering. Sant’Agostino’s version of “Romance” featured elegant florals and classical wallpaper motifs similar to those found in historical mansions. Atlas Concorde’s color-rich series “Intensity,” serenely covered with artistic rose buds, is another example of this trend. The rose is also featured in DecoratoriStyle’s new series “Grace,” designed by Carlo Dal Bianco, as well as Novabell’s “Sunshine.” Dahlias, lilies, camellias and tulips, such as those available in Edilcuoghi’s new “Garden” series, are other sweet and sophisticated options for walls. Flowery silhouettes took shape on a number of different Italian tile collections and were presented in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colors. The modern botanicals in Naxos’ “Materia” are cast in subtle tone-on-tone hues of beige and gray or striking contrasts of black and white. Similarly, a garden of plants takes over the surface of Cedir’s “Chic,” while Coem’s leafy metallic overlays pop against the collection’s basalt background. Cir’s “Matile” mixes silhouetted foliage with detailed leaves in bas- relief. Viva’s “Chanson D’Amour” uses striking contrasts to make a statement. One option sets solid black branches against a rich, red beveled background. Settecento’s Indian Summer decor from the “Visionnaire” collection is reminiscent of Cole & Son’s popular Woods wallpaper but presents a style all its own.  The tall autumn trees are etched into the porcelain stoneware and colored in warm hues of purple and green. Finally, sophisticated stencil-like scrolls and more floral patterns graced the surface of Piemme’s “Diamond,” Atlas Concorde’s “Sublimage,” Alfa Lux’s “Iridium,” Gardenia Orchidea’s “Luminar,” Fabbrica del Vignola’s “Luminal” as well as FAP’s “Incanto” and “Oh” collections.Eastern Influences—Ancient Art Forms Abound Some say history repeats itself.  Nowadays, the design industry is seeing a resurgence of traditional Eastern art forms, fabrics and manual techniques. “Nadira,” “Samar” and “Syria,” three new introductions from Giovanni De Maio, are evidence of this tendency.  All three series, which were inspired by ancient techniques, replicate unmistakable art forms of the Middle and Far East. Piemme’s “Charme,” designed by fashion icon Valentino, features glittery motifs like those found in Islamic art. With its four arabesque patterns and rich hues, Gabbianelli’s hand-made “Cordoba” collection captures the beauty of faraway lands.  Also made by hand, Ce.Vi’s “Series Costiera” evokes the rich colors of this region and Maestri Maiolicari’s “Perle d’Oriente” accents emulate the precious fabrics of Damascus in five different variants. Oriental silks, Indian fabrics, embroideries from Indonesia and Burmese pieces in lacquered wood were used for inspiration for Emilceramica’s  “Satin” collection.Majestic Metallics—Gold Shines BrightlyThe metallic craze is still going strong, but this year the trend is toward gold.DecoratoriStyle’s “Gold Collection” is tailored towards those who love beautiful things and above-average performance. This luxury series sets Carlo Del Bianco’s two designs, “String” and ‘Grace,” in precious metal. Cottoveneto also boasts a ‘Gold Collection.” This one centers on a striking combination of modernity and tradition. Precious metals, such as 24-karat gold, silver and copper are freely matched in a variety of decorations and combinations. Also new and notable is a prototype from Tagina named “Doré.”  The collection is designed to recall the softness of Renaissance fabrics finely decorated with pure gold. ABK’s “Axolute” boasts a golden décor that looks like a piece of architectural artwork on the wall. Rich yellow bling is sure to catch the eye in Bardelli’s “Preziosa,” Ceramgres “Luxury,” Ker-Av’s “DecOro,” Ceramica Di Treviso’s
“Decori,” Cerim’s “Luxury” and Rex’s “Galuchat Oro.”These top trends and the myriad Italian innovations are sure to inspire architects, designers and consumers alike with fresh ideas and new design approaches.Click here for a slideshow of images that correspond with these trends.