Kristin Coleman and the team from Novita PR in the USA are one of a handful of external marketing consultants who really get tile. When I first started writing about the global ceramic tile market some 30 years ago, helpful PR was as common as hen’s teeth.
Thankfully, today, I no longer have to travel to Bologna or Valencia with a spare suitcase to carry back a vast library of catalogues, or lug about the camera equipment required to get magazine-ready photographs of the latest tile styles. Most of the leading manufacturers now have excellent in house PR teams, and there are also just a few external PR agencies who have “gone native” and now know more about the ceramic tile sector than most of the journalists they supply with a steady stream of stunning PR stories.
Novita takes it a step further and is one of the very few agencies who analyse the market in sufficient depth and with enough knowledge, to produce definitive trend reports.
So, hats off to Kristin, Chris, Melissa, Diana and the rest of the Novita team, who represent Ceramics of Italy in the USA, for the agency’s latest 2018 trend analysis. I will be dedicating the next few iterations of Tile Addict to this report because, in my view, it is always valuable to get another perspective … and especially one I trust.
So; take it away Novita. “As an eventful 2017 comes to a close, we know that everyone is searching for the trends that will define the world of international design in 2018. Following our annual trip to Cersaie, we have gathered the top 10 tile trends that were dominating the booths of hundreds of exhibitors and are sure to influence interiors over the next year.”
Ceramics of Italy member companies continue to be at the forefront of tile innovation with a wide range of new collections that demonstrate their unparalleled understanding of architects’ and designers’ needs. Certain trends like terrazzo and nostalgia-inspired tiles are becoming a staple for companies, while traditional stone and wood looks are being reimagined to create an entirely new category of design. With a greater emphasis on healthcare and wellness, tiles are also becoming a reflection of this theme with an increased push for sustainable factories, botanical prints and earth tones in the tiles themselves. These trends are sure to inspire the residential and commercial interiors that will be the highlights of the coming year.”
Novita has called the first trend Botanical. While floral designs have been around since decorative tile was invented, botanical is a new trend that reflects two movements in the design industry. The first is a focus on health and wellness and the incorporation of the natural world into interiors, which research has shown to contribute to human health and productivity. Meanwhile, the influence of tropical modernism has seeped into interiors and product design, which can be seen in this year’s abundance of palm, cacti and other flora-inspired patterns.
Collections in the Botanical camp include Wide & Style by ABK, Verde Verticale by Ceramica Francesco de Maio, Abitare la Terra by Cerasarda, Dream by Fondovalle, Pulse by Keope, Botanical Tale by Mosaico+, Overlay by Refin, Natural by Roberto Cavalli Home Luxury Tiles, Incipit by Valentino by Ceramiche Piemme and Decorandum by Vallelunga.
A new post by Joe Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, December 2017.