Ceramic spotlight shines on top of the line Article Number : 4354

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Date	4/3/2009 10:22:51 AM
Written By	LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services
View this article at:	//floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=4354
Abstract	By Louis Iannaco When it comes to having a fashionable floor, there aren’t many looks that make a surface more beautiful or upscale than ceramic tile. Its natural attributes, bold color choices, metal and glass accents, and larger formats make ceramic tile the choice for flooring for many...
Article	By Louis Iannaco When it comes to having a fashionable floor, there aren’t many looks that make a surface more beautiful or upscale than ceramic tile. Its natural attributes, bold color choices, metal and glass accents, and larger formats make ceramic tile the choice for flooring for many consumers. And when top-of-the-line products are installed, living spaces can become breathtaking. The following takes a peek at some of the high-end designs several ceramic producers are currently offering. American Olean St. Germain is a ColorBody porcelain designed to emulate the textile look of woven fabric. The collection is available in nine, matte-finish colors— Blanc, Crème, Chenile, Or, Sable, Chocolat, Sauge, Gris and Noir— and five rectified, modular sizes: 12 x 12, 12 x 24, 24 x 24, 6 x 24 and a mesh-mounted 1 x 2 straight-joint mosaic. Designed to coordinate with American Olean’s glass and metal accent pieces, St. Germain’s trim package includes a 3 x 12 bullnose, 6 x 12 cove base and 1 x 6 cove corner. Avenue One is a ColorBody porcelain with the minimalist look of stained concrete. The series boasts a “brushed” surface and squared edges, and is available in 10 matte-finish colors— Streetlamp, Sidewalk, Playground Sand, Brownstone, Coffee Shop, Designer Leather, Midnight Sky, Municipal Gray, Nightlife and Blackout—and five modular sizes: 12 x 12, 18 x 18, 24 x 24, 12 x 24 and a contemporary mosaic made of mesh-mounted ½ x 6-inch tile strips. A 2 x 12 accent features a rectilinear pattern and incorporates coordinating metallic finishes and glass elements into its design. Its trim package includes a 3 x 12 bullnose, 6 x 12 cove base and a 1 x 6 cove corner, each of which is available in all colors. Costa Rei is a glazed floor and wall tile that emulates the look of natural stone found on the ancient island of Sardinia. With a smooth surface and square edges Cost Rei is available in four colors: Pietre Bianca, Sabbia Dorato, Oro Miele and Terra Marrone. Costa Rei’s floor sizes include 12 x 12, 18 x 18 and 12 x 18. Costa Rei collection also features extensive decorative tile options, including an interlocking 12 x 20 rectilinear accent, 3 x 6 harlequin and 2 x 1-inch porcelain brick-joint mosaic. Also available is a 2 x 2 porcelain mosaic, a 2 x 10 leaf accent, 1 x 14 vine accent and 3 x 14 vine concave accent. Costa Rei also includes a full trim package, including bullnoses, cove bases, quarter pieces and counter rails. For more information, call 888.268.8453. Avaire Included in Avaire’s high-end offerings is its Select collection, available in an 18-inch format and five colors. “The color combinations are endless,” said Jonathan MacIntosh, president and CEO. “The gamut runs from a sleek and sophisticated slate look to an earthen, multihued Tuscan feel and everything in between.” Avaire specializes in an interlocking, floating porcelain tile floor, which features its patent-pending SnapSys Interloc technology. The company seems to have perfected the technology needed to create a true porcelain floating floor. The tile is permanently attached to a non-skid, sound-deadening grid and installs directly over solid, flat subfloors such as vinyl, wood and concrete. No thinset or cement board is needed. “A rubberized grid absorbs minor imperfections in the subfloor and the tiles easily ‘click’ into place,” he said. “And broken tiles are easily replaced.” For more information, call 888.528.2473. Crossville According to Laurie Lyza, director of marketing, “Our Venetian Glass product is really the ‘jewel(ry)’ of the Crossville line. It is a hand-blown Murano glass tile that is unique in the marketplace. The depth and movement in the tile make it appear almost liquid. Designers choose it for customers who want something they are not going to see anywhere else. It continues to perform well in the market, even many years after its introduction.” Buenos Aires Mood is another high-end product that has become a favorite with designers, she said. The tile is manufactured with a proprietary Multistrato technology, which gives it a highly authentic natural stone appearance. “Virtually no two tiles are the same, just as in nature. The gentle movement on the tile’s surface brings to mind the ripples in wind-blown sand. It is also highly versatile—there are polished and unpolished finishes for interior use and textured finish for exterior applications. The color stays true on all three finishes, meaning a designer can create seamless installations where from outside living areas or entryways into the main interior space without sacrificing continuity of color.” For more information, call 800.221.9093. Dal-Tile Lori Kirk-Rolley, senior director of marketing, said the manufacturer’s wide variety of sizes is one of the main design aspects differentiating Dal-Tile from its competition. “Most of our high-end collections feature not only the latest looks with versatile color palettes but also offer unique linear and large unit sizes, and a wide range of decorative accents and trim options that help homeowners and designers add beautiful, high-end finishing touches to their projects. Additionally, our tile’s sophisticated graphics, depth of color and realism set them apart from other tile products on the market.” Contemporary looks continue to dominate today’s design landscape, she noted. Three of the company’s newest high-end offerings include Metal Effects, Metro Leather and Vibe. “Our Metal Effects series features the varied color tones and dramatic movement of oxidized metal, while our Metro Leather series mixes the look of worn leather with a cement-like visual. These high-end collections create a look that is both warm and contemporary. Our Vibe series is a modern ColorBody porcelain that features a textured, pin-dot visual with subtle veining for a dramatic yet sophisticated look.” Metal Effects comes in four colors and four rectified, modular field tile sizes—20 x 20, 13 x 13, 13 x 20 and 6½ x 20—as well as a 1 x 2-inch mesh-mounted mosaic brick straight joint pattern— all with an unpolished finish and square edges. A 2½ x 13 coordinating decorative accent and full commercial trim package complete the collection. Metro Leather is available in five colors and the same five sizes, while Vibe’s four modular sizes—12 x 12, 18 x 18, 24 x 24 and 12 x 24—are rectified, allowing tight grout joints. A 2 x 12 decorative accent is available, while a 3 x 12 bullnose, 6 x 12 cove base and 1 x 6 cove base outcorner complete the collection. For more information, call 800.933.8453. Mannington Mills Antiquity has been a big hit for the company. Featuring the look of reclaimed, antique tile, Antiquity comes in three colors. Serengeti Slate and Carmel have also performed very well, noted Jim Dougherty, director of porcelain tile. In fact, Serengeti is up about four times over last year, he said. “Mannington designs all of its own porcelain product offerings,” he explained. “This ensures the colors and textures are right for the U.S. market. Our styling department has the expertise in color and design because they are designing for all our product categories and know the trends, colors and designs in line with the tastes of U.S. consumers. “Additionally, all our products offer a 6-inch tile to go with the larger unit field tile. There is a trend to run the field tile up the wall but sometimes the customer does not want to use the larger tile; they want a smaller tile for the wall. As part of a high-end porcelain package, these 6-inch tiles, because they are made the same way as the larger ones, match them exactly. Other mills will offer a ‘coordinating’ tile, which would not be an exact match.” For more information, call 856.935.3000. Vitromex USA The ceramic tile manufacturer has revamped its red body ceramic tile offering. “Today’s market asks for new looks that are definitely different from the ceramic tile we used to sell years ago,” said Massimo Ballucchi, director of marketing and product development. “The consumer taste has been refined by all the imports and porcelain tile development. Red body ceramic tile looks have not been updated for a long time. Its consumption had been eroded by the world of better looking porcelain. Vitromex has jumped to the opportunity to develop products that the consumer is now demanding.” Rustics are a hot product category, he noted. “A new series called Angra offers the look of a high-end rustic porcelain tile in a red body.” Angra, like many porcelain collections, comes in Café and Hueso and multi-format 13- and 18-inch, cut and routed bullnose, mosaic sheets. Another example of high-end red body ceramic tile is Kabul. This is a high-gloss marbleized tile that resembles the more expensive looks of polished porcelain. Kabul is available in an18-inch format and in a Crema color. Both lines represent the new look of red body tile and are made with the latest Italian technology. Artemis, the manufacturer’s impervious porcelain line, has added a new design, Sandstone. “It’s an outstanding interpretation of the original sandstone material using state-of-the-art technology,” Ballucchi said. “We created this revolutionary tile look by using five jumbo size synchronized roto-colors and extended graphics of stone designs. Thanks to this technology we’re able to make every tile different from one another.” Vitromex is launching Arko, its new luxury brand, at Coverings. “Arko is a entirely new brand,” Ballucchi said. “Most of the 12 new lines are 24-inch size. Many of them are also offered in a 24 x 48 format. These lines are semi-polished and matte-finished. Some also have an anti-slippery outdoor finish. Every tile is rectified and ready to be specified in commercial and residential use.” For more information, call 210.490.4620.