Digital printing advances are elevating the realism of faux finishes in many design areas, especially on ceramic tiles. These tiles from Ceramiche Supergres are printed and sized to look just like wood planking, with the advantages of being able to use them on walls, kitchen islands, bathrooms and other places where wood might be less desirable a material.The Associated Press
Tile has a rich and varied history in decor, from Roman floor mosaics to majolica to Delft ceramics to Mexican terracotta. These styles and more continue to inspire artistry. Many of the newest collections of ceramic and porcelain tile were on display this fall at the Cersaie international exhibition in Bologna, Italy. Some trends:
Master impostors
Faux finishes ruled. What seemed to be barnwood or other planking was actually porcelain. Manufacturers can now produce tile that looks – even feels – like wood, marble, granite or cement, but is thin and lightweight. The application advantages are obvious: A 20-foot slab of slim porcelain printed to look like stone is a lot easier to make and install than the real thing.
Advancements in digital printing have taken faux finishes a long way from earlier versions that looked unrealistic and one-dimensional. Now the detail is more precise, the image is deeply embedded and the surface texture is transformed.
In the U.S., the Reclamation collection from Crossville is comprised of an urban-industrial mix of cement and tiles that look like salvaged wood, while Italy's Serenissima Cir got hold of a palette of brick from Prohibition-era Chicago and used it to create a collection that looks and feels like time-worn brick.
Unusual sizes
Tile has typically come in standard sizes, squares and rectangles measuring between four inches and 12 inches. But larger versions up to 24 or even 36 inches are now available, and the faux-wood ones resemble planks. Dwell Patterns has collaborated with California's Heath Ceramics on a hip-looking collection that incorporates a diamond shape and two different hexagonal ones, available in a broad colour palette.
Unica by Target Studio's Origami collection added subtle textural patterns to tone-on-tone black, white or grey tile in shapes evoking the artistry of Japanese paper-folding. Another fresh idea was Mirage's XGone series of hexagonal tiles. Several sizes include some that are notched to connect to others; the resulting pattern had a modern-art vibe.
Old World and vintage
Neoclassical and oriental tapestry and lace patterns turned tile into elegant wallpaper in the Onice and Wallpaper collections at the Marazzi booth. The company also showed an oversize vintage floral in a new way, as a ceiling-to-floor accent on an otherwise solid-colour wall.
Ancient Mediterranean motifs printed on matte-finish tile in faded, organic hues bridged the centuries: Panaria's Memory collection recalls Provençal paver patterns of the late 1800s. Ceramica Bardelli featured the work of London designer Robert Dawson. He took the classic Willow porcelain design, deconstructed its chinoiserie elements and printed them on large-scale tiles.
Tile as art canvas
Ascot has launched Game of Fifteen, a series of tile designs honouring contemporary art. Keith Haring's radiant baby and running figures pack graphic punch in black on glazed white ceramic.