Timber-effect tiles have benefitted more than most ceramic design trends by incremental technical and design advances. Look back to the earliest examples and, in today’s eyes, they seem staid and unsophisticated. The ability to print in register on sophisticated surface textures using digital inkjet technology, means that distressed, coloured, knotted, aged, reclaimed and bleached effects can all now be produced in almost unbelievably authentic detail.
At Cersaie 2017, some of the more out-there distressed and reclaimed looks had been replaced by subtler decors, wider planks and restrained tonal colouration. The results were highly commercial timber-effect tiles suitable for almost any interior decor scheme. They may not have been centre stage on most stands: edged out by concrete, marble, fabric and geometric tiles; but few factories failed to launch one or two new timber-effect ranges: most of which were highly sellable.
Some love it for its purity, some for its timeless old-school appeal. Rugged and alive, wood has long been a favourite of architects and designers, and this was Rondine’s inspiration for the Inwood collection. Blending the qualities of various wood types, this new range features ceramic surfaces with a charmingly rugged feel to both sight and touch. The six colour options, with their attractive warm tones, have been selected to bring out the natural essence of wood in all its beauty and imperfection. The tiles are especially impressive for their intriguing shade variations, capable of creating different moods depending on how they are laid, in a bewitching maze of contrasts and hues.
The porcelain stoneware floor tiles are available in two different formats: 150 by 1,000mm and 75 by 450mm. There are six colour nuances in the main Inwood range: dark grey, black, blue, caramel, ivory, and sky.
With Inwood 3D, a glazed porcelain stoneware decor in a matching 150 by 610mm format, can be used to add a whole new layer of style and movement to walls, thanks to the scenic 3D effect created by the tiles’ varying thickness (7 to 11mm) and by their three colour schemes – beige, black, and multicolour – obtained by combining the six nuances of the main range.
A new post by Joe Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, November 2017.