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Some homeowners go for metal, while others prefer leather. Some prefer wood-plank floors, while others choose concrete. Some love a linen wall covering, while others adore grasscloth. But one thing is constant: They are all using porcelain or ceramic tile. New technologies allow these kinds of tile to mimic vastly different materials, which is one reason many types of tile are emerging from kitchens and baths into other areas of the home. Along with new size formats and eco-friendly qualities, you now have a wealth of decorating options.
What’s Hot
David Carmona, regional vice president at Porcelanosa USA in Rockville, MD, recently returned from Cevisama, the annual international exhibition of ceramics in Valencia, Spain, where emerging trends appear first. “We are seeing a lot of large-format porcelain ceramic, more rectilinear shapes, and texture,” Carmona says. Also popular are sheets of tile that resemble mosaics, and stone cut in oversized pieces. One of Porcelanosa’s best-selling lines is Ferroker, large tiles that resemble sheets of metal. Also growing in popularity is porcelain that mimics stone and wood, with all their natural surface variations.
The ability of tile to mimic more expensive materials helps customers save money, designers say. “To keep costs down and have a high-end look, people are mixing products,” says Megan Hoy, marketing director for The Tile Shop. They will mix real stone accents with porcelain that resembles stone, for example.
In addition, tile that resembles marble or limestone is great for surfaces such as countertops, where the real thing “is just not practical,” says Nadia N. Subaran, owner/senior designer of Aidan Design.
Driving Forces
Two forces are at work in driving this proliferation in tile design: Open-plan homes and improved technology. “People are living in more and more open spaces, and kitchens and baths are merging more into open rooms,” says Jen Renzi, author of the recently published book, The Art of Tile (Clarkson/Potter Publishers, 2009). That means homeowners are looking for more decorative options, and manufacturers are responding in kind.
New technology, too, makes it possible for manufacturers to make tile in large formats, with texture and color variation that was never before possible. Even if one leans toward the traditional white or beige, he or she can now choose individual tiles in those neutrals that measure 23 inches by 47 inches, in a herringbone pattern or a field of circular shapes, using glass, stone, or marble, with a flat or 3-D surface.
The Recycled and the Really Cool
Like it has in most industries, green has become a buzzword in tile. “The main goal is sustainability,” says Deron Bennett at Ann Sacks. “Everyone’s really into green content.” Currently popular are its mosaics made from shards of recycled glass, stone, and metal, he adds.
Mosaic Tile Company has added a new section to its Web site dedicated to eco-friendly products because of the demand. “We have people coming in now specifically asking for green tile,” Marketing Manager Alison Geare says.
There are also products emerging that are just really cool. The company that makes leather goods for Louis Vuitton and Prada, for example, now has a line of leather tile, Geare says. Porcelanosa offers metal edging to its tiles instead of the typical bull nose cut.
But perhaps the most interesting tile, as it has been for centuries, is authentic mosaic, made by hand using thousands of tiny pieces of marble in its natural colors. Stonia in Columbia, MD, sends customers’ orders to be fabricated in Europe and then brings them back for installation. Says office manager Murat Turkmen: “It can be in any size, any figures, any design a customer brings us.”
