1-Are you gonna go his way?
Commanding attention at Lea Ceramiche’s booth was Goccia, the new wall collection created in collaboration with rock star and now product designer Lenny Kravitz. And much like a narcissistic rock star, Goccia makes the walls of a decor the centrepiece of the project. The tiles serve as modules that create different tri-dimensional shapes, which rigorously play on concave and convex in glazed glossy and matte black and white finishes. ceramichelea.com
2–Hip to be square
As the name implies, Emilceramica SpA has attempted to exemplify the elegance, simplicity and perfection of the square with On Square, bringing together 45 blocks of cement reproduced on the ceramic surface to maintain the richness and balance of the material. This new collection is available in a palette of four dusty, natural colours. emilceramicagroup.com
3–Start spreading the news
The New York City Collection by Keraben takes the energy and textures of the Big Apple and applies them to a variety of new lines that replicate different materials. For example, Nolita is inspired by wallpaper with a natural silk appearance and Soho is inspired by wood with a gentle, one-directional grain pattern. Moma (shown), perfect for creating urban, industrial-look settings, is a series inspired by the sobriety of stained cement. kerabengrupo.com
4–In plane view
Stonepeak certainly took the axiom “Go big or go home” to heart, and wow did it bring the big. Its new Plane collection comes in four modular sizes up to an astounding 5 by 10 feet, and features engineered porcelain that is crack-, mold- and frost-resistant but with no artificial binders, so it is VOC-free. stonepeakceramics.com
5–Colour is the substance
Ceramiche Refin debuted three new products that capitalize on new production techniques. Among them, Cromie is a
collection of chromatic ceramic tiles based on the scientific criteria of brightness, saturation and shade of a variety of colours. refin-ceramic-tiles.com
6–An urban touch
Casalgrande Padana SpA showcased Architecture, a fully vitrified porcelain stoneware collection that is a high-performance option for floor and wall covering, indoors and out. The line is available in a finish reminiscent of brushed cement and a range of 12 neutral overtone colours arranged in grey, beige and brown palettes, in addition to black and white. casalgrandepadana.com
7–Quick thinking
Del Conca Fast is a new patented system, by the Del Conca Group, for quick-laying ceramic flooring without joints or mortar. This system allows ceramic tiles to be laid without connection spacing to create a continuous surface without joints. No wait time is required after installation, so the flooring is immediately walkable. The first application of this new patent is the Monte Napoleone series of porcelain stoneware that mimics the look of wood. delconca.com
8–Sure footed
Metropolitan Ceramics, a brand of Ironrock, used the show to roll out Quarrybasics Abrasive, a silicon carbide product applied to the surface of tiles that prevents slips and enhances the look and longevity of quarry tile. Like other Metropolitan products, Quarrybasics meets the requirements of the new Green Squared Certification standard and is available in three colour options: Mayflower Red, Puritan Gray and Buckskin. metroceramics.com
9–Touch me!
Apavisa came to Coverings with Archconcept, a new indoor/outdoor ceramic collection of patterns in stone, metal and cement finishes inspired by new manufacturing technology and trends in architecture. It provides new animation to vertical surfaces, such as hexagons with volume in its core and square panels with raised and folded corners. apavisa.com
10–Truly artisanal
A newcomer to the show, Sabine Hill spotlighted its collection of eight handmade cement tile designs that meld modern and organic shapes in endless colourways, such as Lace (shown). All the offerings are meant for wall and floor coverings in both residential and commercial environments. sabinehill.com
11–Hot in here
Land Porcelanico debuted its new Fahrenheit series, a tile resembling metal with an aged effect, available in sinuous, curved 3D pieces. landporcelanico.com
12–Exceptional familiarity
For New Ravenna Mosaics, Orlando was the right place and time to announce collaborations with several new artists, including product designer Erin Adams, whose first mosaic collection for the company includes 12 designs using continuous line mosaics. These include Bottles, inspired by Italian still life painter Giorgio Morandi, who was noted for his tonal subtlety in depicting apparently simple subjects. newravenna.com