Bologna, Italy—The 22nd edition of Cersaie, the world’s largest exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings, held recently at the Bologna Fairgrounds here, turned out to be a record-breaking event as a total of 98,592 total visitors attended the market. The addition of two new halls increased the size of the show to 156,000 square meters allowing a total of 1,057 exhibitors to participate. With the record-breaking attendance and a larger show floor, Cersaie was the perfect place to see the latest fall/winter trends in color, format, technology and style.

At the show, Italian manufacturers mixed a taste for minimalism with boldly colored accents that popped in high relief. Cool gray tones, slate, stone and concrete looks continue to be popular, noted Christine Abbate of Ceramic Tiles of Italy, however, color, texture and shape were presented in bigger and bolder ways. Texture was on display across the show, she noted. “From bas to high relief, tiles were made to add a touch of richness to any setting. Brix’ Nudo, designed by Milanese Claudio Viola, has the delicate texture of a sandy surface and is available in a range of geometric shapes including polygons, mosaics and strips.

The company’s new Wave series also features undulating patterns in sand.” Ceramica Viva showed two new textured series—Melange and Textura. While Textura has the feel of a bamboo shade or a Chilewich rug, Melange has the look of a handwoven textile crafted with natural wools. Marazzi’s Muri tiles create the impression of shifting sand patterns. “Three-dimensional forms seem to rise from the tile surface creating the effect of movement,” said Abbate. Ascot’s Interiors featured an elongated subway style format with tiny, thin decorative grooves of varying size, while sister company Dom showed Superfici, which includes tiles with the look of leather, cardboard and even curtain iron.  With a look around at the new collections, one could not help noticing the playful motifs that were inspired by the mod colors and shapes of the ’70s. Circular rings, waves, tiny bumps, sunbursts and flowers stood out at stands across the show, noted Abbate.

Some notable examples of these fresh bright looks were: Ceramica Viva, Mon-ocibec, Naxos, Emilcer-amica, Dom’s Revolver, Marazzi’s Fashion, Sicis, King’s Living, Rex’ RGB - Pop Art, Progetto 14 and Floorgres’ Bagno. Respect For Nature The wood look, which has continued to grow in popularity in recent years, was once again very prevalent at Cersaie. Rex’ Abisko is a playful collection of wood looks that includes teardrop shaped pieces inspired by knots on a tree. A portion of the proceeds from Abisko’s sales will be donated to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for forestation purposes. Other standout wood looks were spotted at Marazzi’s Woods with a rich mahogany, as well as Kerex’ Comelegno (which means “like wood”) and Lea’s Texture Legno. These versatile new series include ceramic wood planks and insert pieces. Italian tile manufacturers have long made a broad commitment to responsible tile production, noted Abbate.

“In fact, just this year the Italian tile industry launched a new Web site, www.stiles.com, dedicated to the subject of sustainability and Italian ceramic tile. At Cersaie, many companies highlighted their sustainable product offerings. Caesar, which was recently awarded the highly desirable Eco-Label, introduced Feel, a new series with the look of wood that is sustainable and comes in seven colors. Leonardo 1502, Marazzi, Italgraniti and Imponta also showed tiles that were produced in state-of-the-art facilities that have received industry certification for their environmentally responsible production procedures. Another example of an ecotile is a new collection from Gambarelli called Oxgena, which has pioneered a new technology to create tiles that react with Co2 to cut down pollution.

All the tiles in the Gamberelli collection can be ordered with the Oxygena process. Companies continued to experiment with format and shapes. Cersaie was the launch of a brand new technical innovation. Two companies introduced oversized porcelain tiles that are extremely thin. Created with state-of-the-art technology and measuring 3X1m, both collections, Cotto D’Este’s KerLite and Provenza’s Endless are a slim 3mm thick. Provenza took technology a step further partnering with faucet manufacturer, Fantini and Davide Groppi, an Italian lighting partner, to create installations that mixed these slabs with fixtures and lights. “This revolutionary and light new format is ideal for floor, wall or countertop applications,” said Abbate. Ceramica Vogue added elongated glass slabs to its collection. The slabs measure 12X48-in. and are available in 17 colors.

Other interesting porcelain series that feature modular formats and minimalist “lofty” looks are Supergres’ Suburbia, Floorgres’ Sala, Monocibec’s Open Space, Edilcuoghi’s Compass, Isla’s Nexxt, Rondine’s Mineraria and Lea’s Midtown. Color & Metallics Many exhibitors showed collections that mixed rich color with glass and metallic effects. One such manufacturer was Ceramgres, which displayed Opus, a line that combines liquid glass cut into thin strips and mixed with ceramic. Gabbianelli showed the work of Dutch designer, Wouter Dolk. His new collection titled, Cornici, features cartoon-like frames with a distinctly Baroque feel, noted Abbate. Sister company Bardelli showed Bronzi, a new handmade floor and wall series, which has the appearance of a rich weave of fine wool and copper yarns.

Cotto Veneto showed SottoVetro, a new collection that mixes glass and ceramic. Painterly color swirls are captured under glass. Available in a 4X12-in. format and a 4X4-in. format, these tiles shimmer with color and light. Cotto Veneto also showed In formale, a collection that captures the iridescent glazed effects of the raku technique used in Japanese pottery. Also on exhibit were a series of new products created by student-designer teams working at Milan’s Domus Academy. Some new ideas to come out of the program were leaf-shaped tiles with LED lights for garden walkways and modular pyramid-shaped tile systems for exterior cladding that can support plants—creating a green wall effect. Additionally, on the cutting-edge of technology, Mapei introducted Ultra-color Plus, a new mold resistant grout ideal for damp environments. —Louis Iannaco