Category: Design & Technology

Design

Beatrice Lucchese appointed Florim CEO

On Thursday, 21st May Florim appointed Beatrice Lucchese as Chief Executive Officer, the third generation of the Lucchese family to hold the leadership of the Italian tile group.  Founded in the early 1960s by engineer Giovanni Lucchese, Florim is now an international benchmark in the field of high-end ceramic surfaces for architecture, interior design and construction. Since 1984, the company has been led by President … Continue reading Beatrice Lucchese appointed Florim CEO

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Analog, Analogue Room, Design, Design Trends, Trends

Back to the future: the hidden 2026 design trend

Joe Simpson settles down to contemplate the future of interior design in his restful analogue room. From financial crises and wars through to weather extremes and pandemics, major global events profoundly influence architectural and interior design trends. The banking collapse of 2008 saw a strong nesting instinct take over, with a calm neutral palette and restful minimalism moving centre stage. The Coronavirus pandemic, in contrast, saw … Continue reading Back to the future: the hidden 2026 design trend

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Design

Please support my Alzheimer’s fundraising

I am about to undertake a second run – the full 26.2 mile Brighton Marathon – on 12th April in memory of my dear sister, Gina, who died last year.  Although I have been a keen runner for years this will be my first marathon … at the age of 68. Training is going well, and running to celebrate Gina’s life means that I have … Continue reading Please support my Alzheimer’s fundraising

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Art and Artists, Design, Digital Art, Tile Companies, Weird & Wonderful

Anna Kesäniemi

Visual artist Anna Kesäniemi flits between mediums. Collage, textile design, paint, and sculpture each offer new opportunities for Kesäniemi’s playful eye. Her roots in graphic design and illustration inject her work with stories and imagination, adding life and layers of detail in colours both bold and unexpected. Her recent focus on ceramics embraces this same style. Tiles and shapes serve as canvases where texture and … Continue reading Anna Kesäniemi

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Design, Design & Technology, Tile Companies

Emulating Escher

M. C. Escher lives anew in the magic creations of Lisa Schmidt. In her Seattle studio, opened in 2021, sits Good Press Ceramics, a place where the freedom of clay is explored and enjoyed. With huge amounts of freedom from finish, texture, shade, and shape, ceramics offer endless opportunities to learn new skills, hone techniques, and play with new ideas. For Schmidt, ceramics add uncertainty … Continue reading Emulating Escher

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Design

A Pyramid of Tiles

Anything can be a tile! That’s definitely our attitude, but it’s also the attitude of Austrian creative Christina Chalupsky. From a master’s degree at the Vienna University of Technology to artistic inspiration in Frankfurt, the imaginative work of Chalupsky’s A Pyramid of Tiles blends craftsmanship, intuition, and playfulness. Made for mixing and matching, the three dimensional hand-painted shapes and patterns on each tile are unique, … Continue reading A Pyramid of Tiles

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Colour Trends, Design, Design Trends, Trends

Colours of the Year 2026: Field and Sky

There’s always a blue and green amongst the Colour of the Year picks, so let’s see what the shades of 2026 say. Valspar – Warm Eucalyptus Grounded and calm, Valspar‘s Warm Eucalyptus follows a trend for vintage shades with its perfect blend of softness and warmth. And the tiles to match: Dulux – Free Groove, Mellow Flow, and Slow Swing A trio of blues from … Continue reading Colours of the Year 2026: Field and Sky

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Art and Artists, Ceramic Curiosities, Design, Weird & Wonderful

Cyberspace Curiosities XXIV

It’s our last post of the year so we’re leaving 2025 with a bag of curiosities for your viewing pleasure. Feast your eyes on flowers, matryoshka, and Daliesque scenes, and have a lovely winter holiday! 1) Ditorni Isola Designed by Inga Sempé for Mutina, plain colours, patterns, and scenes make up Ditorni (surroundings). Geometric motifs and solid shades form distinctive details and intriguing space, but … Continue reading Cyberspace Curiosities XXIV

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Colour Trends, Design, Design Trends, Trends

The trending colours of 2026

Every year we dive deep into the minds of trend ‘experts’ to predict and anticipate the big hitters for the months ahead. Themes, such as this year’s obsession with all things brown and edible (see Pantone’s Mocha Mousse, C2’s Raku, and Little Greene’s Mochi) or 2024’s love for light blue (see here), always appear. So what’s on the agenda for 2026? Before getting into the … Continue reading The trending colours of 2026

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Architecture & Interiors, Colour Trends, Design, Design Trends, Trends

What fashion weeks tell us about the next interior design trends

Although fashion and interiors seem to exist in very different bubbles, it’s social behaviour, the economic climate, and pop culture that drives trends. This means that whether you’re buying a new coat or upgrading your sofa, your choice will be a snapshot in time, guided by the pressures and tastes of that exact moment. It also means that we can look to the various fashion … Continue reading What fashion weeks tell us about the next interior design trends

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Art and Artists, Design, Weird & Wonderful

14 Festive Christmas Tiles

I was hoping to gather a range of fun and festive tiles to match the bunch I collected for Halloween but it seems that Christmas time isn’t as tile-heavy as I thought. However, there are two companies keeping the holiday spirit alive – Petra Palumbo and Motawi Tileworks – so instead we’ll just enjoy their Christmassy offerings! 1) Christmas Tree and Festive Wreath Petra Palumbo … Continue reading 14 Festive Christmas Tiles

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Architecture & Interiors, Design

Don’t make these five tile mistakes

We’re always singing the praises of tiles. They make every space better, they offer so much personality to design, and they’re fun to include. But not every tile is made for every interior. So imagine – you’re picking tiles for your home and you don’t want to make a decision you’ll regret in a few weeks, months, or years? Here are some tile mistakes and … Continue reading Don’t make these five tile mistakes

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Design

Cyberspace Curiosities XXIII

Grab yourself a bunch of flowers, a koi pond, or a stack of washing machines with this latest set of Cyberspace Curiosities! 1) Bell’s Tulips Pairing bunches of tulips with handfuls of foliage, this decorative design by Cressida Bell for Villa Lagoon Tile makes marvellous use of the fishscale shape to create an adorable garden for the wall. The four colour ways provide dramatically diverse … Continue reading Cyberspace Curiosities XXIII

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Art and Artists, Design, Weird & Wonderful

Five De Stijl Style Tiles

Today our tile theme is super niche. After searching through years of content and trawling countless company portfolios, we’ve finally collected enough tiles for a De Stijl compilation. 1) Coonley Playhouse Inspired by the architectural details in the Avery Coonley Playhouse designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, these unique art tiles by Motawi Tileworks feature a perfect snapshot of De Stijl style. 2) Kente This playful … Continue reading Five De Stijl Style Tiles

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Art and Artists, Design, Weird & Wonderful

Mini multimedia tile mimics in Munich

Making mini multimedia jewels, Munich-based artist Jiye Yun offers architecture for your clothes. Working with metal, leather, resin, porcelain, wood, and acrylic, Jiye Yun creates strikingly unusual brooches, necklaces, and earrings. Imitating swimming pools, tiled seating, walls, houses, and more, these tiny wearable artworks mimic tile and brick surfaces whilst playing with perspective and forming unexpected decor. Jiye Yun’s creations include large, chunky necklaces with … Continue reading Mini multimedia tile mimics in Munich

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Design & Technology, Motifs & Materials, Sustainable Design

Five materials we want to see turned into tile

Throughout out many years of tile addiction we’ve come across countless unique materials from biobricks, to sunflowers, to potatoes, to salt, but there are some materials that haven’t quite made it to the tile world yet that could definitely have some legs if they did. 1) Phee board Currently used as an eco-friendly packaging and as a protective case for phones, PHEE-board utilises the sea … Continue reading Five materials we want to see turned into tile

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Art and Artists, Design, Public Art, Street Art, Weird & Wonderful

Poetic Vandalism from the Polish Paintress

Participating in ‘Poetic Vandalism’, the Polish Paintress Joanna Koziej, artistically known as Malarka, is spreading tiled treasures across the world. Creating one off pieces, large scale multi-tile installations, and sneaky additions to public spaces, Malarka and her artworks join our list of favourite finds. With a style that radiates an ethereal aura, staggered brush strokes, interrupted lines, and energetic waves transfer beauty from brush to … Continue reading Poetic Vandalism from the Polish Paintress

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Architecture & Interiors, Colour Trends, Design, Design Trends, Trend Inspo, Trends

Five Micro Styles for 2026

It’s the time of year where trend forecasts begin so I thought I’d create my own set of micro styles based on some of the many fabulous interiors I’ve collected from instagram and beyond. Maybe they’ll be big in 2026! Bubblegum Filled with light pastel shades of baby pink and powder blue as well as whimsical patterns, gentle curves, and unexpected textural accents, Bubblegum is … Continue reading Five Micro Styles for 2026

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Art and Artists, Design, Weird & Wonderful

Fine Folklore Forms

Myths and folklore inform the magical tiles of multidisciplinary artist Edith Morris. Made in Cornwall exclusively for The Shop Floor Project, each of the 22 designs feature creatures, scenes, and woodland plants that tell stories passed down through generations. In one, a pair of Knockers (cave dwelling, 2ft tall gnome-like creatures from Cornish folklore) stand, dressed in minors clothing. In another poses Krampus, a half-goat, … Continue reading Fine Folklore Forms

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Architecture & Interiors, Design

Switching on Porcelain

So you saw the amazing plug plates in September and have been waiting eagerly each week for something similar to come along? Fear not, today that something similar has arrived. From the chic and stylish homeware suppliers Dyke & Dean we bring you porcelain light switches! Designed and made by Czech company Katy Paty (founded by Katarína Rothová and Patrik Pokorný), this distinctive series of … Continue reading Switching on Porcelain

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