Intense colours and bold decors
I-Sense by Vallelunga & Co reinterprets the essence and material quality of onyx and agate in a modern key, complete with classic veins and rich decors. Continue reading Intense colours and bold decors
Author: diaryofatileaddict
I have been writing about the tile industry for more than 25 years. I have started this blog to share some of my knowledge of, and enthusiasm for, ceramic tiles. I also wanted to shine a light on the work of some of the artists, architects and designers around the world who work with ceramic tiles.
I was the Founding Editor of Tile UK, and I am currently the Editor of three tile-related publications in the UK: Tile & Stone Journal, The Specifier’s Guide to Ceramic Tile & Calibrated Natural Stone; and TDY: Tile Design Yearbook. I am also International Correspondent for Tile Today and Discovering Stone, both published in Australia.
My aim with Diary of a Tile Addict is to introduce tile enthusiasts to developments in tile design, significant architectural and interior design projects that get the best out of tiles, technological developments that are driving the ceramic tile sector forward, and breaking news from tile exhibitions around the world. I will also introduce readers to some of the talented and inspiring individuals who help make the ceramic tile world so creatively diverse, technically advanced and intellectually fascinating.
Precious patterns from Piemme
The new Opulence collection by Ceramiche Piemme combines aesthetics and sustainability. Rare minerals shades merge into a high-tech, yet totally recyclable, material. Continue reading Precious patterns from Piemme
NovaBell: Naturally in three dimensions
NovaBell’s vibrant BrickUp surfaces create strikingly realistic walls, and are suitable for all applications, both indoors and outdoors. Continue reading NovaBell: Naturally in three dimensions
An ethos of quality fuelled by colour
Tonalite’s ethos is that quality is essential and that passion creates ideas. Production is 100% focused on product quality, regardless the cost, the technical challenge and the required artisanal input. Continue reading An ethos of quality fuelled by colour
Reactive glazes and urban nuances
Vetro Marino by Ceramica Porto Ferreira is a range of reactive-glaze effect tiles inspired by Vietnamese ceramics. Continue reading Reactive glazes and urban nuances
Powerful interplay of colour, light, and shade
Bow really encapsulates Harmony’s avant-garde approach to interior design. Continue reading Powerful interplay of colour, light, and shade
Wow: exclusive designs and virtual Coverings
Wow has created a virtual Coverings guide that allows visitors to take a 360º virtual tour, and also download the catalogue for each of the new collections. Continue reading Wow: exclusive designs and virtual Coverings
Sophisticated surfaces with Maximum impact
Fiandre has added new colours and finishes to the Maximum Marmi collection: Agata, Amazonite, White Beauty, Grey Beauty, Calacatta Bellissimo, Arabescato Orobico, and Rock Salt; while Roc de Bourgogne, and Solida are new colour ranges in the Stone Effects category. Continue reading Sophisticated surfaces with Maximum impact
Reader’s poll names Kiano as tile product of the year
This year the victor in the tile category in Fliesen & Platten’s readers poll was Agrob Buchtal’s Kiano range; the latest in brand’s impressive run of successes. Continue reading Reader’s poll names Kiano as tile product of the year
Natural neutrality: Kron by Museum
Museum’s 4D technology, used to produce Kron, combines digital and traditional techniques to allow complete co-ordination of the graphics and the relief. Continue reading Natural neutrality: Kron by Museum
The authentic magic of raku
Francisco Segarra took the ancient raku technique as his source of inspiration for the FS Raku range, experimenting with it and coming up with a brick-format tile whose colours, textures, crackle effect, and surface nuances all evoke the authentic beauty of raku pottery. Continue reading The authentic magic of raku
Exploring the sustainability of ceramic surfaces
Ceramic products can be certified as complying with the main international green building assessment protocols (LEED, BREEAM, etc.). Ceramic products may be compliant because they possess many of the characteristics required to earn credits, such as: a content of at least 20% by weight of post-consumer recycled material or the equivalent percentage of pre-consumer recycled material, the absence of VOC emissions, sector or product EPD certification, and optimised energy performance. Continue reading Exploring the sustainability of ceramic surfaces
A sector-specific eco-label for ceramic tiles
The Spanish tile industry has developed a sector-specific ecological label known as an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) which has been registered under the GlobalEPD system of AENOR. Continue reading A sector-specific eco-label for ceramic tiles
Ceramic tile for safe and sustainable homes
The UL-certified Industry-Wide Environmental Product Declaration for North American-made ceramic tile shows that ceramic tile has the lowest environmental impact across major impact categories, when compared to other floorings with generic EPDs evaluated under the same product category rules. Continue reading Ceramic tile for safe and sustainable homes
Mouldless Milestone
Claimed to be the first ceramic press in the world without a mould: Superfast can to produce, in a simple, flexible and rapid manner, all formats of porcelain stoneware starting from 600, 800, and 900mm modules in thicknesses from 3 to 30mm Continue reading Mouldless Milestone
Maestro Montanari
Although I have been writing about ceramic tiles for decades, and have visited Cersaie every year for over a quarter of a century, I still get a flush of excitement at the thought of this year’s show. I guess I really am a Tile Addict! So, in just four weeks, Hanna and I will pack our bags and head off to Bologna … full of … Continue reading Maestro Montanari
Maastricht Mosaic
In 2017, working alongside ceramic designer Sándor Sinko, the inhabitants of central Maastricht embarked on a truly local project to cover the grey environment around Radium with colourful mosaics. The project aimed to bring people of all ages, races and religions together in a shared goal. Participants were able create their own small piece of work to be incorporated into the permanent flowing mosaic artwork … Continue reading Maastricht Mosaic
Exterior Engineering and Enigma Variations
Enigma is labyrinth of 700 sq. metres created by the RCR architectural studio. This interior explored the outer-limits of the design versatility of Neolith to deliver one of the most remarkable projects of recent years. Continue reading Exterior Engineering and Enigma Variations
Inkjet Innovation and External Energy
Vives Ceramica will explain how digital inkjet decoration and other advanced manufacturing techniques offer creative freedom and open up fresh design directions for today’s ceramic tiles. Continue reading Inkjet Innovation and External Energy
Inspiration and Imagination
This year’s Natural Stone Show will take place at ExCeL, London, from 30th April to 2nd May 2019. Alongside an impressive array of exhibitors, and many outstanding products, visitors can benefit from an expertly-curated set of value-adding seminars and talks on many different aspects of the solid surface market. Continue reading Inspiration and Imagination