Dream Spaces

Vision boards. Mood boards. The reassuringly ample pile of well-thumbed décor magazines on the coffee table. Endless hours spent in delightful contemplation on Pinterest (where we hope you’ve bumped into us). What could be more pleasant than a multiple entry visa to the world of décor dreams? But like all flights of fancy, you need to come down to earth again. When the translation of dream into reality begins, Italtile’s here to help you avoid the hard knocks and ensure a soft landing when you bring all those glorious dreams home.

What Makes a Space Dreamy? What’s a dream home? Almost indefinable really, and it means different things to different people, but let’s have a bash at it. Homes that have that special something. An essence that’s especially inspirational. It can be a gently calming feeling. Or powerfully energising. Or warmly welcoming. Whatever it evokes, a dream space is always breathtaking.

Dream spaces are timelessly appealing; and any formality – particularly in a modern environment – is loosened up with a generosity of spirit and an appreciation for the delightful whimsies of personality. It takes courage to imbue your home with ‘youness’. It’s human nature to admire someone else’s colour palette, or layout, or choice sets, instead of believing in the power of our own aesthetic. (At Italtile, we gently nudge you towards self-expression.)

There is always room for unexpected detail – an incredible chair, a staggeringly magnificent mirror, a compelling piece of wall art, an item collected on one’s travels – that adds SOUL, whether the space is modern or vintage. We always encourage our customers to keep things interesting, intensely personal and relaxed.

May is the Month of Manifesting. Perhaps you’re envisioning a new kitchen or bathroom? Or maybe you’re an adventurous decorator looking at the heart-racing possibility of a complete home reno. Even if your thoughts revolve around a stunning new kitchen splashback, there’s the moment when you either step into the reality of it all. Or step back in case the dream becomes a nightmare. We’re here to encourage you into forward motion, and proclaim that May is officially the Month of Manifesting!

Don’t let the dream die. Let’s make it happen together.

Romancing the Room. When it comes to making the most of our surroundings, we have a lot to thank the Time of Corona for, as it happens. For the first time we were actually living and working in our homes. Not just using them as sleepover motels. Each room became more important as we searched for privacy and created places of solitude and solace, homework spaces, Zoom Rooms, mini ashrams for yoga and meditation. Outside areas became high functioning spaces, where we took our tech, our toys and our entire kitchens. Spinach, tomatoes, chillies and beans burgeoned in our back gardens alongside – or often instead of – flowers. It’s exciting to see that for the most part, we’re not going to return to the way we were BC (Before Covid). We predict that the trend will turn into a way of life. Maximising the value we get out of every living space, finding the most beautifully practical ways and unique solutions to achieve décor nirvana, and in so doing, amplifying our everyday joy. Let’s break the Beautiful Living Algorithm down, room by room.

The Dream Bathroom. Now that the bathroom has become a place of sanctuary and self-care, we are rewarding ourselves with items of everyday luxury. Sumptuous floor and wall tiles, the ultimate bathtub, deluxe basins, exquizz mosaic work and crisp designer accessories. Because we’re worth it. In our opinion one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is the luxury of choice – perfectly exemplified in one of the most practically beautiful, eco-chic shower heads we’ve ever had the pleasure of unpacking on your behalf. The Almar Chrome Multifunctional Spin Stainless Steel Shower Head. This is a water system that delivers the specific type of shower you feel like, at a touch! Quite apart from its super sleek looks, you’ll be swept away into a dream world of enchanted waterfalls, magic mists and gentle rainfall with three settings – the Fall function, the regular Rain function, and the Spin function. And... you’ll be saving water while you soothe your soul.

Bring the outdoors into the bathroom with our imaginative and super-textural Pebble Mosaics. True Biophilic masterpieces, these little lovelies are organic, made from natural stone; delightful underfoot and gorgeous as a wall surface too. They’re available in a range of soft neutrals, to ramp up your nurturing natural palette.

Dream Kitchens. Kitchens tell the most interesting stories about their owners. We can instantly read whether this is the lair of the baker, the entertainer’s stage, or the throne room of Mom of the Year. What will your kitchen say about you? The kitchen is the place of practical magic, and sorcery requires highly specialised ingredients. Ingenious prep spaces, spotless, flawless countertops (may we suggest you speak to us about our XXL tiles and custom cutting service), cunning gadgetry... and The Ultimate Sink.

Modern, Contemporary or Urban kitchen designs just cry out for the more muscular lines of a Franke Sink. Cue the entrance of our brand new, exclusive-to-Italtile Franke Tectonite^TM Sink Collection. This is future-facing technology people, and we’d all have to take ourselves on an advanced science course to understand the molecular structures we’re looking at here that create such durable, hardwearing and good-looking items. Suffice it to say the gorgeous granite looks of the Tectonite^TM Sink you choose has a whole lot of under-the-skin business going on, including the ability to withstand 300⁰ C for 10 seconds. Bring on those searingly hot pans. And fear not the dropped pot or sharp knife, because this is tough stuff, this Tectonite^TM.

Now, if you dream dreams of a romantic English country kitchen, or long to step back in time to a Victorian kitchen, may we draw your attention to our curated collection of Shaker Sinks by Shaws of Darwen. The nostalgic, classic lines of these handcrafted, individually signed, stamped and dated works of art are quite simply

breathtaking. You’ll need to see them and touch them to understand the kind of quality and craftsmanship we’re taking about. Needless to say, these are Italtile exclusives, so you’ll be investing in that Limited Edition Lifestyle with true, rare pleasure that will last a lifetime. Enough said.

Dream Outdoorsiness. As we said, thanks to Covid, our outdoor spaces are getting much more use now. Everyday use, rather than just the occasional weekend knees-up. Internationally, décor writers have remarked upon the trend and use the term “high functioning spaces” to describe what was once just a common or garden patio.

Here, folk have been installing serious tech for excellent sound and big screen entertainment, as well as fully functioning kitchens. Go beyond the braai area. Think pizza oven, top-notch stove, prep surfaces complete with prep bowls, sinks, hi-tech taps, the lot. But, as we always say, it all starts with the canvas. A fabulous way to create a seamless flow and merge indoor and outdoor spaces is with smart tiling. Of course, this could be a combination of matt and slip resistant wood looks or beautifully practical screeds, but right now we’re thinking Glacier, a superbly flecked and stippled stone look tile range by Gryphon, local pioneers of sustainable EcoTec tiles. Actual-factual authentic rough-hewn rock vibes here, with a fascinating finish that the Gryphon wizards call ‘Stardust’. A cushion edge makes these tiles perfect for slightly imperfect surfaces in your outdoor spaces. Depending upon your preference, go for soft Snow, warm Beige or the dramatic near-charcoal Smoke; whichever colourway you select, you’ll adore the way Glacier creates a textured neutral canvas for you to layer with your inside-outside décor pieces, furnishings and accessories.

Texture is a dream to work with when layering up your look. One of our go-to feely-touchies for exciting wallscaping is our Natural Stone Cladding. Use it around fireplaces, or across the entire exterior wall, or gussy up the supporting pillars to create the romance of a 5-star luxury bush retreat. Our ranges include great colour and texture options, with various different designs. Although the finished look makes the viewer believe a master artisan has spent AGES fitting the natural stone pieces together, our little secret is that installation is terribly easy: pieces fit together like a puzzle, with no visible horizontal lines. The individual rock segments are embedded into a cement mesh base, which makes installation easy and cost-effective. Multiple rock segments make up a single sheet or tile.

Dream Bedrooms. Gone are the days of just ‘going to bed’. Now we’re ‘retiring to the boudoir’, and you can thank jolly old Covid again for this shift of paradigms.

The rise of self-care and the importance of nurturing wellness in a time of anxiety, anguish and all-round mental wobbliness has paved the way for the creation of bedrooms that rock us gently to sleep in the arms of deluxe calm. Plush furnishings, subtle lighting, room fragrances and exquizz linen go a long way to setting the scene for your bedroom bliss, but honestly, it all starts from the bottom up... and the top down... with what happens underfoot, on the walls, and on the ceiling. Surfacing. These are your great canvases. What will you cover them with? Majestic stone looks? Urban screeds? Or the comfort and embrace of warm woods? We’re for wood feels in the bedroom. And in particular, new-age vinyl. Wait, what? Yes. You heard us. Our Moda Vinile will astound you: for soft underfoot feels, durability, low maintenance and authentic wood looks, as well as – work with us here – overhead gorgeousness. The ceiling has been called the fifth wall, and we love a timber-finished ceiling for gentle elegance. Check out the lush shades of Moda Vinile warmth here.

Dream Living Rooms. Well, technically, in 2022, the Living Room has also become the Working Room, the yoga space etc. It’s all happening here. With all the busy-ness of everyday life unfolding here, we’re seeing the rise of broken plan over open plan; smart modular divisions that create smaller areas within the greater whole: little oases of privacy. You can quietly yoga a few metres away from where the kids are Tik-Tokking thanks to a room divider, or a folding Chinese screen, or a stunning book case. (Of course, a good set of noise-reducing headphones helps, too...)

Marble has been a popular surface for decades, selected to bring luxury into living spaces; but the marbles you know and love have morphed into something truly dreamlike. Take a look at our new-world marble looks. Mystic rocks the current larger-than-life Modern Marble look, with its breathtakingly beautiful swirls inspired by imaginary cloud banks and magic mountains; tile masters Ceramica Sant’Agostino have forged a sustainable EcoQuality path deep into a space they call “beauty beyond nature”.

Wall art takes many forms now, so why not bring interest into your living spaces with interesting paint techniques, or some amazing botanical wallpaper, or create a feature wall with fascinating pattern – our huge selection of Patchwork Tiles will spark some imaginative ideas.

Inspiration Spaces: Dream Homes Completed with Italtile Style.

It’s been our privilege and pleasure to help Italstylistas through home builds, renos, facelifts and makeovers over the years. Some have been subtle shifts. Others have been utter sorcery and top-down, bottom-up wizardry, with major overhauls and style revolutions. Each time, we’ve been thrilled to witness the transformations – watching like proud parents as dreams become reality. Have a browse through some of the dream spaces we’ve helped give birth to: (link)

Ready to download your dream? How can we help? Let’s count the ways. First of all, our extraordinary luxury collections of tiles, taps, baths, sanware, sinks and accessories are the stuff of dreams. Then there are our sales assistants, interior design certified and well qualified to assist with moodboard assembly as well as moodboard translation; showing you how to get the look. We have a sample service, as well as a couple of imaginative online product trial services – uView and The Digital Showroom. We also offer an incredible Waterjet Tile Cutting Service to create customised style for you. Our Delivery Teams are standing by, along with our vetted Installation Professionals.

We’d be honoured to help you “believe in the beauty of your dreams” and escort you through the process. We love the challenge of curating dreamy spaces which invite both owner and visitor to live their best life, immerse themselves in the delicious present, and live beautifully.

Ciao!