1-BIG IMPACT
Ceramic tiles can be anything. But what they shouldn’t be is bland. And ImolaCeramica’s new Pop collection will certainly never be accused of that. Inspired by thePop Artof Roy Lichtenstein, the line carries 10 different illustrated tiles within a range of 10 bright colours, bringing facial close-ups, cult symbols and explosive exclamations to normally staid bathroom walls. ccmola.it
2-BIG NAMES
No one will deny that name recognition means something, so some companies obviously decided if you’re going to get a name designer to create your tile collection, you might as well get a big one. Brix got Jean Marie Massaud to design Alea (a), a system of mosaics based on three different shapes that explore an organic theme; Ceramica Sant’Agostino wrangled Philippe “It’s not a collection, it’s a system!” Starck for Flexible Architecture (b), which among other traits actually highlights tiles’ ugly joints instead of trying to hide them; Alessandro and Francesco Mendini entered Ceramiche Refin’s DesignTaleStudio and came out with the FILO (c) collection, which distorts a traditional orthogonal grid into an almost three-dimensional optical illusion; and Lea Ceramiche tapped HOK’s Product Design department for the Nest (d) collection of large, irregular and colourful hexagons. brixweb.com ceramichelea.com refin.it ceramicaantagpostino.it
3-BIG FAKES
The quest to make a ceramic tile that perfectly mimics other materials is seemingly never-ending, and many companies debuted collections that are shockingly close to their source in look and feel. The Dakota (a) collection by Flaviker is a new interpretation of alder wood planks, with surprisingly realistic natural aging imperfections typically caused by scratches, stains and tiny woodworm holes; Trace (b) by Ceramiche Caesar uses a mottled colour effect similar to oxidized bronze to give tiles the irregular character of worked metal; marble imitation is quite possibly the Holy Grail, and Atlas Concorde does an admirable job with its new Marvel PRO (c) line of floor slabs and coordinated wall tiles; mosaic heavyweight SICIS launched the thin, long, rectangular Fiber Collection (d), which has certain pieces imbedded with real gold flakes; the new Keramos (e) collection by Century is doubly duplicitous by replicating the colour of traditional terracotta but the feel of cement. flavikerpisa.it caesar.it atlasconcorde.it sicis.com century-ceramica.it