Recent trends in porcelain tile have seen the emergence of lines, dots, floral, paisley and metallic décor indicating a change and a sign of the times.
The industry is becoming far more sophisticated in their production technology; An example of this is Old Victorian Wall paper changing to metal walls. (shown below)
For those of you that are interested in possibly installing your floor you may want to check out
There are many different shower instillation kits but personally I like the Kerdi kit from Schluter .
An article came across my desk today which had a pertinent global business focus. With the weak US dollar, US manufactures are now focusing on exporting and expanding their facilities, I for see carpet being a major leader in this sector, it will be interesting to see how tile in general will do.
With this in mind I noticed Ceramic Tiles of Italy is now accepting entries into its annual design competition. Here Architects and designers are encouraged to submit projects they worked on over the past 5 years: Up for grabs are cash prices ($5000 for the winner in each category) and a number of trips abroad. Feel free to check it out at www.tilecompetition.com.
Modern times are seeing a change in consumer tastes. Out, are the conventional 12×12 and 16×16 inch tiles. In, are the larger format tiles such as 18×18, 12×24 and 16×24. Finishes such as honed, antique and brushed are becoming more popular as well as the lighter colors (shades).
Factories are recognizing that they need to be more innovative, they are launching lines with more accessories and developing new technologies such as thinner tile to insure they stay competitive all while maintaining a high standard of quality. Factories are going to greater length to source new quarries in the hope of finding the next “big thing”. A wider range of sales channels are also being investigated in an attempt to give the consumer a more cost effective product. Builders are looking for a product that will help sell there homes faster when in the past the interior of the house was largely neglected.
Builddirect works with both the factory and the end user making marble more affordable.
Having fielded a lot of recurring, but important, questions from customers, suppliers and inspection companies about tile, I’ve found that there is a lot of misinformation out there and what better way to discuss tile related topics than here?
I look forward to helping you with your questions and sharing my thought on trends and product for tile.
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