One of the surprises at Revestir, as it had been at Cevisama a couple of weeks earlier, was that fabric-effect tiles – such a dominant feature of Cersaie 2016 – were so thin on the ground.
One of the few Brazilian factories to embrace this trend was Portodesign; but even here the emphasis was more on texture than pattern.
Portodesign had a range of three or four fabric options on display: the ethnic-feeling Tumi Multicolour and the more restrained Tumi beige, the heavy weave of Ashford Tropics (surely a oximoron), the seagrass surface of Natural Elements and the hessian warmth of Luxury Finishes.
Overall, Portodesign had one of the best displays at Revestir; well curated and ticking a lot of current trend boxes. There were the variegated concrete tones of Urban Chic and Touch in the stylish and popular 600 by 1,200mm format, and the metallic minimalism of lead (same format); plus tactile wood-effects in seven livable colourways, marble- and limestone-effects in 500 by 1,000mm and 720 by 720mm; three vintage/distressed timber tones in Future (186 by 1,227mm plank); 600 by 600mm and 800 by 800mm neutral floor tiles in Monviso: all set off by one of the widest and most interesting range of decors at the show, including the fabric-effects and 3D tiles pictured above.
A new post by Joe Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, March 2017.
Further coverage of the design trends at Cevisama, Revestir and Coverings 2017 can be found in Tile & Stone Journal May 2017, Pages 48-65.