Recurring themes were aplenty at the 2015 edition of Cersaie, the preeminent international tile and bath show held in Bologna, Italy, each fall. If there was one overarching theme to sum up most of the tile trends observed, it was probably “what’s old is new, again,” though “new twists” was a close second. In either case, there was beautiful and innovative product to behold, proving once more how far the tile manufacturing industry in general, its processes and technologies, have come. Because there is much to discuss and show, we’re breaking this Cersaie wrap-up into three posts, beginning with the latest in wood and brick looks.
INTO THE WOODS
The faux bois bandwagon of the tile industry started out with manufacturers just trying to flawlessly emulate woodgrain using inkjet printing. Then came the addition of texture to make these ceramic products appear — and feel — even more lifelike. In the last couple years, this realism has been achieved by a number of companies, leading them to ask “what else” could be done in wood simulation. At this year’s Cersaie, the answer for most of them turned out to be recreating weathered, distressed, reclaimed, and, even, painted and patterned woods.
Atlas Concorde
Atlas Concorde: Etic PRO
There were several styles introduced in Atlas’s Etic Pro series that offer something “different.” Among the highlights were sapwood grains and patterning, herringbone and chevron shapes, 3D wall panels, and a high-gloss honed finish. The products are rectified monocaliber and feature through-body color.
Ceramica Fioranese’s Chevron Chic (left) and Painted Wood (right)
Ceramica Fioranese: Chevron Chic, Painted Wood
There were two standouts from Fioranese this year. First, Chevron Chic recalls old wooden floors with its aged appearance but presents the pattern in different formats (of short or long planks) as well as different shades for an intriguing aesthetic. Meanwhile, Painted Wood plays with color as well as pattern and decoration “painted” onto planks.
Ceramica Sant’Agostino’s Shadewood (left) and Blendart (center and right)
Ceramica Sant’Agostino: Shadewood, Blendart
The rectified porcelain Shadewood comes in plank form with faux imperfections such as saw marks for more realism, though another option is a chevron pattern painted in five different shades. A second wood offering from the company, Blendart recreates distressed painted wood that, to an extent, resembles shou sugi ban (Japanese charred wood). Blendart is available in Dark, White, Natural, Grey, or Mix hues and in five sizes (two of which are square) for both walls and floors.
Cerdomus Ceramiche
Cerdomus Ceramiche: Tahoe
Cerdomus’s Tahoe captures imperfections and marks to create a more rustic and reclaimed look. Also offered are decorative pieces that emulate wood inlays of elegant parquet floors. The vitrified stoneware tiles, composed of more than 40-percent pre-consumer recycled content, come in six colors and two sizes.
Imola’s Kuni (left) and Q-Style (right)
Imola: Kuni, Q-Style
Kuni is a rectified monocaliber tile that evokes unfinished wood surfaces of recently cut timber — complete with knots and ripples. Natural, stained, or white-painted finishes are available, as are decorative options such as whimsical graffiti. Also exhibited at the show by Imola, Q-Style is a contemporary take on wood planks for the wall or floor, injecting accents in the form of colored squares or painted barber- (diagonal) or vertical-stripe patterns in vibrant tones.
LaFaenza
LaFaenza: Nirvana
Inspired by wood that’s been dried by the sun, Nirvana sports a rugged, vintage look that’s ideal for both walls and floors in industrial-chic, modern, or rustic spaces. The through-body, color porcelain tiles are rectified monocaliber and come in three plank sizes in beige, white, gray, or black tones. Additionally, the product is suitable for light commercial or residential facing.
Lea Ceramiche
Lea Ceramiche: Bio Recover
The buzz of reclaimed materials is evident in Bio Recover, Lea’s most recent wood-effect product. Available in both standard and thin laminated porcelain, these tiles are digitally printed to reproduce shading and irregularities of natural wood. Painted and fun hound’s tooth-patterned options are available in this line, making it particularly well-suited to retail and hospitality projects.
Settecento
Settecento: Matiere Arbre
This intriguing tile goes against the grain, so to speak, presenting a tree ring aesthetic that sets this apart from most of the other faux bois products. Available in ivory, gray, or black and in rectangular or hexagonal format, Matiere Arbre makes a great component for all-over pattern, accents, or patchwork walls and floors. The rectified porcelain stoneware tiles are available with natural or semi-polished finish.
NOT JUST ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
Painted and distressed brick motifs appeared in several of the major Italian brands’ booths almost as frequently as the woods. Some were painted and even graffiti- or mural-emblazoned, while others had a reclaimed, industrial appearance evoking the exposed-brick walls often found lying behind drywall of urban buildings.
ABK
ABK: Do Up Street
The porcelain Do Up Street reimagines a brick wall painted glossy or satin white or in a matte black. The tiles can be combined with decorative panels that include accent paint colors or imagery inspired by street art and graffiti.
Brix
Brix: Micro-Brick by Nendo
Seven years ago, the company unveiled a unique spin on the traditional tile with its micro mosaics — the smallest in the world at the time. Building on this concept, they tapped Japanese studio Nendo to design Micro-Brick: the “bricks” are smaller-than-mosaic-sized units on mesh backing in seven preset arrangements reminiscent of brickwork patterns found in architecture.
Coem
Coem: Bricklane
Coem is offering a variety of brick looks, from painted to distressed, and in a range of formats: three by 12 inches, 12 by 24 inches, 12 inches squared, four by 24 inches, and three by 24 inches. Some finishes are suitable for flooring, too.
Del Conca
Del Conca: Cantina
Taking into consideration the finishing touch, Del Conca very cleverly included inside and outside corner-turning units in its brick-inspired Cantina tile line.
Emilceramica
Emilceramica: Brick Design
Offered in six standard colors — three warm and three cold — Brick Design can be mixed and matched for both walls and floors. What gives these brick-mimicking units character are flaws leftover from the manufacturing process. The tiles can additionally be custom-produced in almost any Pantone color.
Manifatture Ceramiche
Manifatture Ceramiche: New Orleans Posters Grunge
This fresh take on brick walls evokes urban regions where one might see remnants of posters and advertisements stuck to the surface. Each box of tiles contains a random mix, and the tiles measure four by eight inches, with a 10.5-millimeter thickness.
Marca Corona
Marca Corona: BrickLane
Inspired by the London street of the same name, BrickLane simulates a weathered and worn appearance of the building material. Measuring three by 12 inches, the product is also offered in a hexagonal shape, with or without traces of pattern. (View the latter in part two of the Cersaie recap.)
Ornamenta
Ornamenta: Pick ’n Brick
Reading like subway tile with an irregular surface, Pick ’n Brick is offered in an array of 20 colors, from basic grays to ocean blue and salmon pink. Multihued versions can be used to create a mosaic or gradation effect. Each extruded porcelain tile measures five by 15 inches.