Though tiles are known for their sustainability, durability and timeless beauty, each year, manufacturers continue to innovate, offering their take on the classics while also playing to larger industry trends. In the lead-up to (North America’s largest tile expo, taking place from April 22-25 at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center), leading tile associations Ceramics of Italy, Tile of Spain and the Tile Council of North America forecasted the in-demand styles they’re expecting to see on the show floor. Below, we round up our favourites:
In September, and the Coverings 2024 lineup proves that they’re here to stay. Whether drawing from historic details like stained glass windows, or contemporary buildings, like Zaha Hadid’s Marvel Meraviglia Diamond collection for Atlas Concorde, brands found myriad ways to translate architectonics into 2D. Ceramica Fioranese’s Italian Landscape series by 23Bassi (shown) references the graphic motifs of three cities: Florence, L’Aquila and Siena.
With new digital tools, tiles are able to masquerade as anything but themselves: wood, natural stone and even botanical elements. But beyond the ability to reproduce existing textures and patterns, these production techniques also offer ample opportunities for artistic expression. Ceramicists are leveraging these tools to build unprecedented layers of detail into their designs, such as Ceramica da Vinci’s Cacto series, shown here in a variety of mixed and matched tones and textures.
It’s clear that designers need to move away from carbon-intensive concrete towards more sustainable finishes. And yet, the brutalist aesthetic remains as popular as ever. This year’s tile launches boast the best of both worlds, marrying the environmental benefits and durability of ceramics with the look and feel of cement. Manufacturers each offer a different interpretation of the material, with varying hues and sizes of aggregate that impart the designs with a handcrafted quality. While the finish is naturally suited to large format slabs, it also lends raw beauty and elegance to smaller, decorative styles like Portobello’s LAB series, shown here in a contemporary parallelogram format.
Last year, . In 2024, rectangular forms have shown up once again, yet at an entirely different scale. Inspired by classic Japanese porcelain, “stick mosaics” in pottery glazes are poised to make a comeback. Whether stacked vertically or horizontally, the precision and clean lines of the tiles coupled with undulating imperfections of the glaze make for a charming contrast. Shown here in varying shades of green and blue, Estudio Ceramico’s Karatsu collection is the perfect example.
We were wowed by the , and this year, manufacturers are continuing the trend, embracing tactile textures from graphic fluted surfaces to more subtle reliefs that mimic natural stone. Ceramica del Conca’s Dinamika series, for instance, evokes the beauty of mosaics in a plethora of neutral tones.
While wallpaper-like tiles replete with intricate repeating patterns have gained popularity in recent years with the rise of digital printing techniques, new designs take the trend to the next level with stunning trompe l’oiel effects. Flaviker’s Art Walls, shown here, is a striking standout. Creating the dramatic illusion of layered textile drapery with all the benefits of porcelain surfacing, from afar, you’d never know they were tiles.
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