Geometric shapes, notably chevrons and hexagons, have dominated the ceramic catwalk for the past couple of years. At Coverings on of the sector’s fashion setters, Lea Ceramiche, combined this trend with a stunning range of stone-effect tiles to create Waterfall.
Which seems as good an excuse as any to quote some of the lyrics of one of my favourite songs: ‘Waterfall’ by The Stone Roses.
See the steeple pine. The hills as old as time. Soon to be put to the test. To be whipped by the winds of the west. Stands on shifting sands. The scales held in her hands. The wind it just whips her and wails. And fills up her brigantine sails. She’ll carry on through it all. She’s a waterfall
In Lea’s expert hands Waterfall realistically and physically represents slate. Recreating, on the stoneware surface, the iridescence typical of sedimentary rocks, Waterfall has surface texture, pattern irregularities and variations in colour; all natural expressions of the passage of time.
The colours, in the grey scale, vary from the darkest tone, dark flow, to the lightest, ivory flow, recalling the natural oxidation process of the stone, a material that is under continuous transformation, changing colour, shape, and structure, and adapting itself to the evolution of natural phenomenon. In this way Lea Ceramiche’s research went above and beyond the normal, creating a material of indisputably high quality, but also successfully lending it a more complexity.
With the inclusion of other types of stone, like Brazilian quartzite, a very dramatic aesthetic has been achieved, giving elegance to the material and allowing it to interact effectively with changing light.
Surface options include a natural finish that is soft to the touch and non-slip; a honed (lappata) finish that gives the impression of depth; and, finally, a grip texture that is particularly suitable for external use and is also available in a 20mm thick version measuring 450 by 900mm.
The format options include 450 by 900, 600 by 1,200 and 900 by 900mm. There is also a range of decorative mosaics and murettos. This choice, together with Protect anti-microbial protection, makes Waterfall an exemplary collection for both commercial architecture, as well as in residential spaces.
Further coverage of the design trends at Coverings 2017 can be found in Tile & Stone Journal May 2017, Pages 48-65, or online.
Further coverage of the design trends at Cevisama 2017 can be found in Tile & Stone Journal March 2017, Pages 44 -50 and April 2017, Pages 74-76, or online.
A new post by Joe Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, April 2017.
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