Straight From Spain: Amazing New Trends in Tile
Innovative Shapes, Patterns, and Textures Take Tile Beyond Kitchen and Bath
As I mentioned in my last ideabook, I am freshly back from a trip to the Spanish city of Valencia and that city's annual tile, bath and natural stone showcase called Cevisama. My last ideabook covered the bath trends I saw, and this one's all about the tile trends I saw. The Spanish use tile as a default surface — it seems that everything in Spain is covered in tile. Tile's been popular in Spain since before there was a Spain. It's that tradition that keeps the Spanish tile industry at the forefront of ceramic innovation.
I was brought to Spain by the Spanish Tile Manufacturers Association (ASCER) and their North American brand Tile of Spain to see firsthand what's going on in Spain. Spanish tile is readily available all over the world. You can recreate anything I'm about to show you with the help of a local, independent tile store.
I was brought to Spain by the Spanish Tile Manufacturers Association (ASCER) and their North American brand Tile of Spain to see firsthand what's going on in Spain. Spanish tile is readily available all over the world. You can recreate anything I'm about to show you with the help of a local, independent tile store.
This vignette shows a wall clad in natural stone hexagons with insets made from printed and metallic ceramic tiles. Combining these three materials in a repeating shape is not something that would have occurred to me. Now that I've seen it though, it will start showing up in my design work.
The first big tile trend I saw at Cevisama and all over Spain was tile used in places other than kitchens and baths.
In this photo, the floor and walls are actually ceramic tile. Using embossed and printed tile instead of wooden paneling is a great idea. Imagine using surfaces that never need to be painted or refinished.
In this photo, the floor and walls are actually ceramic tile. Using embossed and printed tile instead of wooden paneling is a great idea. Imagine using surfaces that never need to be painted or refinished.
As often as I saw tile being used as wallpaper, I saw it being used as just tile. The tile wall in this vignette is there to add texture and interest and it does so admirably.
Would you ever tile a wall in your living room to use as an accent rather than painting an accent wall?
Would you ever tile a wall in your living room to use as an accent rather than painting an accent wall?
The big buzzword in Valencia was texture, and intensely textured tiles were there in abundance.
This textured tile is doing something I've never seen a tile do before. It's been embossed and printed to appear as a mosaic, even though it's a 12-inch wall tile.
A tile such as this one would cost less money and be easier to install than mosaics. It would also reduce the number of grout joints significantly, and this is especially important in a kitchen or other wet room.
A tile such as this one would cost less money and be easier to install than mosaics. It would also reduce the number of grout joints significantly, and this is especially important in a kitchen or other wet room.
Hexagons were a popular shape, and the Spanish have perfected them in large-format, super thin, super strong ceramic tile. This wall demonstrates a tile intended to sheath whole buildings.
When used on the exterior of a building like this, tile isn't held in place with mastic and grout. Rather, it's hung on a metal rack with a layer of insulation behind it. The term for this is a ventilated wall, and it makes for a very energy-efficient building.
When used on the exterior of a building like this, tile isn't held in place with mastic and grout. Rather, it's hung on a metal rack with a layer of insulation behind it. The term for this is a ventilated wall, and it makes for a very energy-efficient building.
This bookcase was made by the Spanish tile manufacturer Inalco. It's made from walnut shelves and porcelain tile dividers. It would never occur to me to use tile as anything but a sheathing or a surface, but the new super-slim tiles are as strong as stone, so it makes sense that they'd be liberated from walls and floors.
Digital printing on tile has reach a level of sophistication I never thought was possible. This detail shot of what looks like banded calcite, a natural stone, is actually a ceramic tile with a printed glaze.
Complex yet still complementary wall treatments were another big trend I saw. I love the idea of adding this kind of interest to a living room design.
The shapes in the center of this photo that resemble bamboo are actually tubular, ceramic tile. The screen in the windows in the background are also tubular tile. These tubular tiles are strung like beads on steel poles, and the result is something unlike anything I've ever seen.
I could so see using something like this as a screen in a bath or around a pool.
I could so see using something like this as a screen in a bath or around a pool.
Tiles printed to look like they're wood were everywhere at Cevisama as well. Similar tiles have been available in the U.S. for some time, but the printing technology has improved remarkably. I loved seeing these "wood" tiles paired with more conventionally glazed tiles to create a look that's both subtle and arresting at the same time.
Are you ready to move tile outside of the bathroom and into the rest of your home?
More:
2011 Design: The Latest Bath Trends from Spain
Kitchen news from Cologne
Are you ready to move tile outside of the bathroom and into the rest of your home?
More:
2011 Design: The Latest Bath Trends from Spain
Kitchen news from Cologne