Around The World In Amazing Ways

Jab a finger at a map with wild abandon and you’ll be sure to land on a spot with interesting, exciting design and unique artistic ingenuity: from the awe-inspiring modern art-filled subways of Stockholm to the mesmerising and mystical dot art of Australia’s First Nation Peoples. Then there are Tibet’s knifemakers, Murano’s glass blowers, Moroccan leatherworkers, Japan’s Ikebana experts, Madrid’s ‘luthiers’ who still make flamenco guitars in the time-honoured tradition. There are the decorative calligraphy masters of Pakistan, the pounamu jade carvers of Hokitika in New Zealand, the Ndebele in southern Africa with their iconic, geometrically patterned dwellings.

The world is literally bursting at the seams with artistic expression of all kinds, shapes and sizes and at Italtile, we’re thrilled to represent a mere handful of the best world design. Walk with us as travel around the world in amazing ways.

Italian Glamour.

The fabulous thing about Italian glamour is that it’s carried off with nonchalance. A shrug, as if to say – so what? It is taken for granted and is effortlessly graceful, never overdone. “Sprezzatura”, they call it. Studied carelessness. Looking great, but unfussy. They’ve been doing it for so many centuries, it’s built into the Italian DNA. The design studios of Atlas Concorde are not quite centuries-old, but certainly half a century of innovative creativity has informed the gorgeousness of all their ranges. We are fortunate to have a longstanding relationship with these tile maestros and our Atlas Concorde collection is pretty much exclusive – for Italstylistas only.

Atlas Concorde’s investigation of the natural world finds the kind of special inspiration that has brought us breathtaking interpretations of wood and stone looks. Exence is arguably their most stunning remastering of carpenter-hewn timber:

The eco-chic range replicates the rare and endangered Italian oak still found in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. Available in Almond and Amber – in both matt and slip-resistant finishes, to take those sun-honeyed wood looks from the inside to the outside. 

Atlas Concorde’s understanding of quarried stone and alpine rock has inspired a gaspworthy collection of impossibly real stone looks. Right now, we’re declaring Aix our favourite favourite. The range reinterprets the rock used to build the castles, fortresses and stately homes of northern Europe and the UK – cooler-toned and masculine – and the beloved warm-toned stone that brings to mind the ancient farmhouses of Provence and the old villas of the Mediterranean. Whichever tone you are drawn to – warm Beige and Blanc, or cool Cendre and Fumée – you will be fascinated by the time-worn worn patina, with irregular and patchy natural variances, complete with the marks of the stonemason.

Tivoli taps are Italian to the bone with their effortlessly graceful lines and opulent personalities. Italtile’s exclusive Tivoli tap range is wide, waterwise and wonderful, encompassing smart eco tech built into classic, urban and high-fashion, on-trend styles. And colours – think chrome, matt black, gold, brushed bronze. These are taps with talkability. Every one of these supermodels offer both a 15-year guarantee and the reward of knowing you’ve done something good for the planet: purchase a Tivoli tap and we’ll donate R2 to The SharkWise Project.

Enduring French Style.

French couture icon Coco Chanel famously said: “fashion comes and goes, but style lasts forever”. And her Little Black Dress concept continues to outlast any other look. Her timeless vision typifies the soul of French design. With The Good Dress, The Good Shoes, The Good Pearls and The Good Bag, you’re good to go forever – rather like The Good Shower Channels designed and manufactured by Wirquin. Who knew that the most insignificant water trap detail in your shower stall could be raised to such a fusion of high art and functionality. More art installation than waste trap installation, some of these beautiful pieces are designed with lifetime guarantees.

Meticulous German Precision.

The Art of Design is taken very seriously in Germany, where an eye for detail, precision workmanship, meticulous engineering and beauty are inextricably linked. One look at our gallery of Zack Atore mirror-polished 18/10 stainless steel bathroom accessories and you’ll be “yup, everything you said!” Zack has been around for 35 years and is at the top of the accessories game. The Atore range embodies the German design aesthetic, being modern and minimalist – everything you need, nothing you don’t – without being austere. Every piece you select comes with a 5-year guarantee.

Spanish Flair.

If you think Spain is a bunch of party animals alternately fiesta-ing and siesta-ing, may we respectfully adjust your view. While they certainly know how to play, they also know how to work – with flair and originality. In fact, the passion they bring to the party, they inject into their design, too. That passion, or “alegria de vivir”, is so evident in our utterly exquiz new range of Spanish Wall Tiles. Modern Spanish style is a rising star in the design sky, blending classic traditional flair and timeless chic with fresh ideas: you’ll find clean lines, neutral palettes, layered textures and natural materials in the ultra-elegant indoor-outdoor villas of Marbella. Spaciousness, lightness, brightness and glow – that’s the aesthetic of modern Mediterranean living, represented so beautifully in  our new Spanish collection. A perfect fit for our contemporary South African lifestyle, which is outdoorsy and open plan. Parsel Perla’s pale greige is gently grainy. Pienza Avoria

offers elegantly veined travertine looks. Quios Cream brings all the milky softness with golden brown veins. Savona Grigio and matching Caph Savona are a double act in marble-travertine variancing. Urban Ivory has a fragile, pale terracotta feeling. And Boulevard Natural replicates warm limestone.

Everlasting English Craftsmanship.

Our exclusive curated range of Shaker Sinks by Shaws of Darwen in Lancashire are without doubt the Most Instagrammable Sinks on the Planet. They embody absolutely everything you’ve ever dreamt about gracious English Country Living. And their time-honoured techniques of design and makery speak to millennia of craftsmanship, handed down through the generations. Shaws fireclay sinks are made the way they were always made since the mid-19^th century – by hand. Our austere Shaker beauties are painstakingly modelled, then dated, numbered and stamped with the insignia of the master crafter. A Shaws Shaker Sink is in it for the long run (good old British genes!), handcrafted for life. This is Limited Edition Living, people.

 #lovelocal and South African eco-pioneering.

Here, at the southern tip of Africa, far away from the rest of the world, we’ve always found our own way – to intuit, do, make, invent and create. Ultimately, today, in our African Renaissance of design, this simple, bold, original aesthetic also aligns us with ethical and sustainable methodologies. We have so much to be proud of, here in South Africa. There are so many reasons to #lovelocal.

At Italtile, we couldn’t be prouder of our local design and manufacture partners, who lead the way in sustainability.

Gryphon and EcoTec. Italtile’s LiveGreen journey takes us to the doors of some of the most sustainable and eco-conscious South African makeries. We’re standing in the aisles applauding Eco-Tec, the eco-pioneering of our partners Gryphon. With EcoTec, light is the new strong. Their thinner tiles reduce the amount of clay required for tile bodies, so they’re incredibly light, yet up to 55% stronger than the required SABS standards. They’re greener, because less fuel is needed for firing. Less water is used during the processes and it’s recycled afterwards. They are lighter to transport, which means vehicles use less fuel, which results in a gentler carbon footprint. Some of our all-time best-sellers are Gryphon EcoTec beauties. Take a look at Spazio, a matt, speckled cement-style porcelain tile. And Landstone, an authentic stone-look matt porcelain tile.

 The world’s toastiest towels are warmed by Jeeves. Featured in upscale homes and hotels around the world, Jeeves heated towel rails are a world-class South African export. We’ve been friends with the folk over at Jeeves for yonks, since they opened their doors in 1995; and we’ve been fortunate to offer our Italstylistas some exclusive-to-Italtile heated towel rails over the years. We’re currently unpacking two newbie exclusives: the compact 6-bar Jeeves Sorrento and the Jeeves Torcello, a 15-bar beauty which is ideal for bigger families. Both will deliver a constant supply of fluffy, fresher-for-longer towels, to reduce washing and tumble drying. Because they’re designed with Smart Automatic Heating Technology, the heating cost is similar to that of a standard light bulb. Both models are wall-mounted. They’re made from 304 grade stainless steel, so they’ll be rust-free. Colour-wise, you’re looking at a range of beautiful neutral tones created to pull every bathroom moodboard together: classic mirror polish, matt brushed stainless steel, pearl gold, white, antique rose gold and always-on-trend matt black.

Of course, we could have made your around-the world trip much, much longer – we offer the Thai Eco-Style of Cotto, Laufen’s Swiss Perfection of SaphirKeramik technology, and our fabulous Franke sinkspiration  – but we’ll leave you to browse at your leisure.

We’re always here as your design travel guides, both instore and online. Visit us for your international passport to the World of Beautiful Living.

Ciao!