It is just starting to be an exciting time of the year at the Tile Addict desk as the world’s leading tile manufacturers offer a sneak peek of what they will be launching at this year’s Cersaie exhibition in Bologna.
First out of the block this year was Ariana, and if this a foretaste of innovations to come, I’m optimistic. Ariana’s first pre-Cersaie missive also suggests that wood-effect tiles still have some way to run. In Bologna, Ariana are promising to show where the natural appeal of wood meets contemporary design trends to create a warm, elegant look.
Essential will be initially available in a palette of four contemporary yet timeless colours, that brings charm and elegance to floors and walls. Almond, Beige, Oak and Grey are stylish tones designed to open up new potential for material and colour combinations. The Ariana Mix&Style philosophy continues to expand its aesthetic potential thanks to the range of single-calibre rectified modular sizes and the new geometric decorative solutions, which are ideal for experimenting with constantly new and original compositions and patterns.
Essential is produced using Ariana’s most advanced ceramic technologies – Wide and Auto-levelling – and comes in two formats: 200 by 1,200 and what is billed as an exclusive 260 by 2,000mm. Cut from Wide ceramic panels, Essential planks are produced using a new pressing system that uses a dry raw material compaction process to create surfaces with extraordinary technical qualities. The size and mere 7mm thickness of the planks, together with the exceptional elasticity of the Auto-levelling body, is said to allow the planks to bond perfectly to the substrate and create a uniformly flat surface.
A new post by Joe Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, June 2017.