Coverings 2010

Coverings will be opening shortly and I'll be there, scouting all the newest and coolest tiles. Check back in a couple of days for updates on all the trends!

Porcelain that looks like concrete

Inalco, a tile of Spain branded manufacturer, has just released their "Sensations" collection. Among the new releases is "Concrete" which uses "environmental materials in their purest state," according the the press release.  I'm not sure what that means, but it sounds good. This large format tile is 23.6" x 23.6" and comes in neutrals, grey and white (shown here.)

Obviously, this is a gorgeous installation. I'm wondering though, what do you think about using a high-tech product to replicate a low-tech one?

Tile as wallpaper - part 2

Here's another interesting use of cement tile on walls. Sure, it's busy, but the colors are beautiful and in this powder room, the pattern really pops. This line is from the Cuban Heritage Collection by Aguayo Tile. (Thanks to Alexandra for sending in the image.)

What not to do

Recently, a tile company sent me this image of their tile, hoping that I might promote it in one of my articles or perhaps even on this blog.  In any given week, I might get dozens of press releases, and I always enjoy seeing what's new in tile.

This image however, is the perfect example of what not to do. The decorative pieces aren't horrible, I don't love the field tile, but the installation--shudder! Would it really have been so difficult to drop the center panel a couple of inches?

Last month, I was asked in an interview to give one piece of advice to someone tiling their home. I said, "Hire a qualified installer!" Here is the perfect example of why that is so important.

Tile as wallpaper

Tile somewhere other than in the kitchen, laundry room or bathroom--this is a trend I see repeatedly at tile shows, in catalogues and in showrooms.

 

The idea of tiling non-traditional rooms is interesting because I don’t see it much in North America, and in my work, I go into a lot of well-designed homes. So, is tiling the bedroom, living room, etc, really wildly popular elsewhere? I don't know. Then again, I don’t know why not, because it is hard to imagine anything more elegant than a wall-sized mural of the most gorgeous tile you’ve ever seen. Think of New Ravenna Mosaics and it's hard to conceive of a place you wouldn't want it.

Many Italian glass tile companies show exotic, erotic or exquisite tile murals. (But sheesh--have you seen the ads? You'd think they were marketing to strip club owners.) Those tile patterns are stunning, but personally, I wonder if I’d want to change that out after a while.

The idea of tile wallpaper—a luxurious, repeating pattern—seems more manageable. Several glass mosaics companies have classic tile patterns I could imagine in a dining room wall above the chair rail, or something romantic--but not clichéd-- for the wall behind the headboard in the bedroom. 

There's Bisazza and Sicis, with their stunning murals, of course. Previously, I've written about the classic Mosaico Italiano stone mosaics. Also, Hakatai and the Canadian company Interstyle, both of which have beautiful glass tile. Oceanside has very unique and lovely glass tile and mosaic lines.

Trend USA is a glass mosaic company with an interesting line called Wallpaper. It was hard to narrow down the selection because there are dozens of designs, but the black and white patterns are very striking. When I saw these photos, I really started thinking about mosaics that really were never meant for a kitchen backsplash.

This organic vine pattern seen above and at right is called "Glorious 3" and the zebra design below is appropriately called "Wild 3". Pretty groovy, I'd say.

Images courtesy of Trend USA.

Art Tile

Is all handmade tile Art Tile?

There could be justification to say that it is, I suppose. Made-by-hand, artisan designed...Yes, I get it. Tile manufacturers are highly skilled craftspeople, and there are lots of beautiful handmade tiles, for sure.

Earlier this week I had a phone interview with Southern Maryland artist, Parran Collery who was both charming and articulate. She told me about her inspiration from nature and how she designed her own unique glazes.

As you can see from the photo, her Eartha Handmade Tiles are eye-candy, and absolutely gorgeous. These tiles are art for the walls, so I don't think there's any question that this handmade tile is Art Tile.

What do you think defines Art Tile?

Turkish tile

Recently, my mother went to Turkey and brought back these photos of the interior of some of the mosques she visited. I love all the abstract designs and the bright colors.