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In the world of fashion, you have “The Big Four” – Milan Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week and London Fashion Week. In the world of surface events, there are quite a few contenders for runway supremacy, but it’s Cersaie that always gets top billing as the world’s leading surfaces event, with good reason. Cersaie boasts three decades of showcasing the world’s latest and finest surface trends and is the undisputed global launch pad for new tile products. It’s where top designers, architects, construction giants, manufacturers and retailers gather to view the latest looks before anyone else.
This year was the 39th edition of Cersaie in Bologna, in September, and despite COVID damage to the economy, fuel shortages, airports almost incapable of handling traffic and bungling luggage retrieval ... and all the other Extreme Nuisance of a world struggling to find its feet again, there were a record 91 296 visitors across five days. And Italtile was there, eyes wide with adoration and pulses racing with the thrill of literally thousands of square metres of incomparable beauty, originality, fantasy and innovation.
Pronounced “Cer” as in church (and it is after all a worshipful place for surface aficionados) and “saie” as in sigh (which we did, a lot), Cersaie once again gave us the opportunity to review the finest examples of international surface trends, and in the process, to go inward and examine our offerings, so we continue to stay on top of our game and audit our own collections to bring you the best of the best.
So much to see, so much to sigh over, but here’s a snapshot of our impressions. Italtile’s Cersaie 2022 LookBook. The Top 10 Trends.
#1 Wallpaper Prints.
Designing with wallpaper became a red-hot trend in 2021 and it’s not slowing down any time soon. Cersaie proved that anything wallpaper can do, tiles can do better, with insanely advanced digital printing techniques creating everything from dainty English meadowscapes to verdant Amazon jungles. Unlike their wallpaper counterparts, these large format porcelain botanical beauties can be installed in any room without fear of water, heat or sun damage. With rectified tiles, the look delivers a seamless wallpaper effect. Only more durable. So pretty. And pretty practical, too. Keep an eye out for these wow factor universal décor tiles.
#2 Green. A very strong lead colour across the board, in all its magical hues and graphic representations. The strongest contenders were the sage green and soft eucalyptus shades, but there were some richer jewel tints, too – in marbles, metallics and matt stone. And in every size, from slab, to XXL, to mini bricks and subways. Green is a winning biophilic shade that brings us psychologically closer to nature and it’s very big in the fashion world too, right now.
Ahead of the trend, Italtile stocks an appealing range of greens, like our Mint Bevelled Mini Subway Mosaics, or our eternal darlings, the almost translucent Aria Green Gloss Glazed Ceramic Wall Tiles.
#3 Pastels, particularly blush pink and light blue. A while ago we spoke about the rising trend of the New Neutrals, aka Newtrals, being soft, dreamy lavenders, pale blues, shell pinks, tender lilacs and sage. Delicate tinges of colour that are beginning to operate as neutrals alongside the classic neutral beiges, greys, terracottas and creams. So. We were excited to see our predictions come true, in the shape of blush pinks and pale blues, in every corner of the display areas; an utter delight to the senses with their whispers of tenderness.
Bring a little blush to a feature wall with our rustic chic Morrocotto Rose Ceramic Brick Tiles. Or add pale blue appeal to floors and walls with Howard Blue, with its artfully faded, light blue patterns.
#4 The Mighty Slab. Tile technology has enabled the age of the titans, with a format the specialists call slabs. These giants of the tile world begin at around 120 x 2400 and push the boundaries of possibility into 3.26m and beyond. Our esteemed partner suppliers, Atlas Concorde, always headliners at Cersaie (this year celebrating their 10th anniversary of their impressive Marvel range) are masters of the art and science underpinning the slab. We are proud to include select pieces from their Marvel range, exclusive to Italtile, like the breathtaking 120 x 240 Marvel Calacatta Extra Lappato Colour Bodied Porcelain tile. Aged, polished marble looks on a grand scale.
#5 Vein-cut Travertine. A very powerful new aesthetic, with incredibly realistic graphic detail that mimics travertine stone cut in the same direction as the vein.
This is the beautiful song of travertine, reinterpreted and sung in a modern key.
It’s hypnotising us. All the classic charm. With a twist.
#6 The Mini Brick. Dazzling layering techniques showcased the versatility of mini-subways and mini bricks, to create feature walls of staggering beauty. Diagonals, verticals, herringbones. All achievable with our eco-chic new kids on the block – KitKat tiles.
# 7 Wooden Slats. We were fascinated by a clear new trend of slatted wood, both printed on porcelain tiles – think traditional parquet flooring with a 21st century twist – and used to clad bathroom vanities and other furniture. The first word that came to mind? Immaculate. Watch this space.
#8 The 2cm Paver. Outdoor pavers were in abundance from every manufacturer on show. It was interesting to note that due to fuel shortages worldwide, these pavers were only available in 120 x 120 and 60 x 120 sizes – gas is used in the firing process.) Italtile has curated a select range of 2CM tiles with high slip resistance and a high breaking load. Forever looks that you can lift and re-lay when you feel like re-choreographing your outdoor area... or need to move to a new home. Have a look at our exclusive, innovative Plus Amstel Antracita range.
# 9 Tile-Clad Furniture. Think beyond floors and walls and ceilings, to tile clad pots, vases, kitchen cupboard doors, kitchen islands, basins, vanities etc. We were knocked out by one particular Japanese-style bathtub plus seat, completely clad in marbled tile. All created with the help of Precision Waterjet Cutting. It’s a service we are proud to offer our Italstylistas, so bring us your ideas, or ask us for some thought starters.
#10 Oversized Mirrors. The funkier the better, organically shaped, geometric or circular, backlit, with smart LED lighting as feature across the board. And we were reminded that a small wall loves a large mirror. (Just passing that wisdom on to you.)
Take a look at our Affirmations Dark Moon Pill-Shaped Mirror – 1500 x 600 x 30 – an eco-chic beauty which you can hang vertically or horizontally. Or, if you prefer a glow-up, our Affirmations Day Break Pill-Shaped LED Mirror – 1200 x 500 x 30.
Sustainability is the Watchword. Of course, Cersaie 2022 proved to us beyond any shadow of a doubt that sustainability is a have-to-have. It is not a trend, people. It is a movement. It is table stakes in the surfaces world and is rewriting architectural and interior design projects. Find out more about our sustainable journey, which we call LiveGreen.
Visit us online or spend an hour or two browsing a showroom near you. Either way, you find design-certified assistants standing by to guide you through the Cersaie 2022 trends and Beautiful Living.
Ciao for now!
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