KBB - January/February 2012 - (Page 22)

ABROAD Soft, Stubbly and Simulated Top breakout tile trends from Cersaie 2011 Despite Italy’s economic woes, the 29th edition of Cersaie hummed with excitement and activity. Held last September in Bologna, the international tile and bathroom furnishings show played host to 972 exhibitors who hailed from 31 countries and more than 81,500 visitors who traveled from across the globe to see the latest tile trends that will make an impact in 2012. No doubt many of these trends will cross the pond to make their North American debut at trade shows this year and enrich kitchen and bath projects stateside. Expect to see gray tones, irregular shapes and imperfect patterns, all of which were ubiquitous on the show floor. With sustainability continuing to be a top-of-mind issue, several companies displayed collections that incorporated recycled content, while interestingly, terracotta seemed to be enjoying something of a comeback. Pixilated and highly textural designs were also popular, as was eclecticism, with manufacturers not only reproducing stone, metal and wood looks in ceramic tile but also showing them together. Following is a breakdown of the noteworthy trends that may or may not make it to our shores. Monolithic Tiles As an alternative to stone for outdoor spaces, porcelain in formats ranging from modestly sized ¾-in.-thick tiles to 4-ft. x 4-ft. slabs was all the rage at Cersaie. In addition to being squared and rectified for a cleaner look, these design- and maintenance-friendly options are frost-resistant, skid-resistant, easy to clean and more durable than natural stone. Among those at the show were Mirage’s EVO 2/E (1), which comes in nine colors and two sizes, and Wire, a glazed porcelain collection from Tagina. Both measure 3 /4 in. thick. Perfecting Imperfection Tile designers find inspiration in the most unlikely places. Ceramica Bardelli dialed into the animal kingdom with its Mezza collection (2), which comprises glossy white tiles adorned with four animal shapes—chicken, duck, pig and fish—silkscreened in black. Each tile features only part of an animal, allowing users to combine them to create whole-animal patterns or more abstract designs. Drawing inspiration from the irregular, organic shape of river stones, Settecento’s Lacche line is offered in a 12-in. x 12-in. format and eight colors, with a white or black background, ideal for walls or as an accent piece. Innovative Recycling Some exhibitors displayed products resulting from innovations in recycling and green manufacturing. Refin used post-consumer recycled glass from obsolete cathode-ray-tube TV sets to create Wood2, a collection featuring naturalistic veining and scratches that perfectly simulate the look of worn lumber. Mosaico+ implemented a low-energy manufacturing process to produce its Area25 (3), which is made of 95 percent recycled glass and comes in 22 glossy colors, as well as a non-skid finish. “For the bathroom, the grip version of this collection guarantees a safe environment in the common event of wet surface,” said Aldo Magnani, marketing director of Mosaico+. 1 2 3 22 K BB+ January/February 2012 / www.kbbonline.com / The Official Sponsor of KBIS www.kbis.com http://www.kbbonline.com http://www.kbis.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of KBB - January/February 2012

KBB - January/February 2012
Contents
Online Contents/News
Editorial
Show Director’s Note
Road to KBIS
Consumer
Web Savvy
Focus
Abroad
Trends
Products
Design
Mid-century Makeover
Modern History
Education
Ad Index
Last Word

KBB - January/February 2012