You likely believe”kitchen and bathroom” if you think about tile, but it’s widely utilized in living spaces, also, and has been for millennia.
In fact, some of the top firms making tile today are located in Spain and Italy, where you can see tile from centuries past still in use today. Tile-makers in both states look ahead, also, because you’ll see in some of the pictures below.
Many of these European manufacturers — together with tile businesses from the U.S. and around the world — show North Americans their brand new tiles first at Coverings. The tile and stone industry’s premiere U.S. series (place for April 17-20, 2012) features substances and trends long before you’ll see them in a showroom near you… unless you happen to gain access to a significant market design center.
Here are the way the best trends shake out with this versatile medium on your”other” living spaces. I hope you are inspired to integrate tile in ways you may not have believed before, in ways you may have used other, less lasting materials in the past. After all, countless early Roman and Iberian flooring and walls can not all be wrong!
Eclecticism shows up in shapes and finishes this year, in addition to patterns. You see that in a rare blend of rustic drama from Tile of Spain. While the appearance is present, I don’t see eclectic tile appearing dated in a couple of years, given that not every space will probably be sporting it.
Eclectic style is definitely a trend for 2012 — although maybe not for the faint of heart. This appearance from Tile of Spain is not for everyone, or every area, but it sure looks cool in a nontraditional living area.
Tile as wallpaper, as seen here from Ceramic Tile of Italy, is a popular trend for 2012. Utilizing tile allows you put in sophisticated texture and layout in a really new-millennium style.
Metallics are a hot trend for 2012, especially in bronze tones, as shown here from Crossville. Use them in focal point places for a classic elegance.
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Large-format flooring tiles are a powerful trend in 2012. They tend to have subtle textures, as shown here, and are set up with minimal grout lines.
Look for large-format tile to show up firmly on walls in addition to flooring. It’ll work as”wallpaper” or accent walls — an upscale alternative to paint. The demonstration, shown here by Ceramic Tile of Italy, is present but classic, rich without being showy.
You will notice less and less grout in 2012. Rectified ceramic tiles, such as those shown here from Tile of Spain, create close installation feasible make a streamlined appearance. Less maintenance is really a byproduct.
Grays are showing up as a very powerful trend for 2012. They work in contemporary or traditional spaces, and go with just about everything. You will see them with many finishes from rough background style to matte linen. Here, they are seen in a Ceramic Tile of Italy-designed living area.
Text-inspired prints are hot, hot, hot. Here you see it in a whimsical black and white library flooring comprising Tile of Spain. You will also see it in wall software. The appearance is fun but definitely not for everyone.
Graphic tiles add pattern and color without telling a story. It is more about creating a casual mood. Use it in areas you would not think about a traditional tile placing set of art, as Ceramic Tile of Italy has done here.