This range was previously covered in Tile Addict back in October but due to the recognition of its excellence from NYCxDESIGN it feels like a good excuse to celebrate these fabulous tiles once again. Designed by Gordon Guillaumier for Ceramiche Piemme, Shades utilises technology to replicate the spontaneous hand of an artist.

Within shades there are five colour families representing light variety throughout the day, from dawn to dusk. Six sizes make up the selection with twelve design variants in total – six of basic colour and six decor. Each family contains its own interpretation of these decor designs, mimicking the mood and light from the chosen hour. Evening focuses on a blue-grey but also contains some deeper brown and grey hues, whereas Night’s black tiles feature dark blues and greys which are reminiscent of a cloudy night sky and the invasive light of the moon.

Of the decors there is a variety of featured shapes, reliefs, and glazes which, although distinct, all harmonise with the complementary members of their colour family. Organic shapes fill three of the decors – Wash and Blot (600x600mm, 300x600mm, and the 175x205mm hexagon) and offer an intriguing look inspired by water colour. The glaze of the coloured area highlights this feature and makes the surface not only decorative, but tactile.

Complementing these mass water colour style tiles is Drip, which has a similar effect but is instead a continuous pattern of smaller water colour dots in varying hues. Mesh is again similar to Drip in its continuous pattern and use of smaller water colour details, but en masse has an appearance of pebbles, and the raised area surrounding them adds wonderfully to this effect. Moving slightly away from strongly rounded shapes is Net – a sequence of squares with varied relief. However these squares have what Piemme describe as “rhythmic textures” and the soft organic look of the collection is still very heavily present.

Looking through the Shades catalogue one can see the multitude of ways this collection can be utilised and the tiles combined. They provide a truly unique experience that show just how delightful tiles can be.

Ceramiche Piemme
NYCxDESIGN

A new post by Hanna Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, May 2019