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Tile of Spain Reveals Global Design Trends

March 18, 2014

CEVISAMA, the International Ceramic Tile Fair, recently took place at the Feria Valencia center in Spain. The Spanish tile industry continues to grow with sales on the rise for a third year. Additionally, Spain is currently Europe’s leading ceramic tile producer and the second-largest exporter at the worldwide level.

At the recent CEVISAMA, key trends and new products were featured, including:

Encaustic and Hydraulic:

Classic encaustic ceramic hydraulic cement styles (see above) in a wide variety of colors and geometric patterns continue to attract attention. From distressed antique to contemporary colors, the mixed pattern look was everywhere at the fair and was shown on walls, floors and counter surfaces.

Bevelling:

Beveled tile adds dimension, depth and interest to a subway tile pattern. Tile textures and geometric shapes give designers flexibility to take classic looks and recreate them in new ways.

Geometric and Fashion Inspired:

Geometric shapes such as hexagons and fashion-inspired Victorian reliefs or herringbone patterns offer a fresh vantage point – outside the rectangular or square box. Shapes also provide a crafted or artisan feel given the attention to detail in execution. Mix-and-match patchwork takes this effect even further.

Technology Advances:

New 12mm countertop slab sizes in 5-ft. x 10-ft. dimensions were launched by Inalco and Neolith. Inalco also presented a material with the resistance of porcelain tile combined with an innovative translucent quality called Poise. TouchÈ (pictured below) is another new addition to Inalco’s range, offering an ultra-white surface.

Oxidized and Fossilized:

Spain manufacturers continue to push the envelope on wood looks by creating new petrified or fossilized concepts that have a stone-like appearance. Oxidized looks were also prevalent incorporating rust, blue and metallic tones for a contemporary industrial feel.


Global EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations):


The first AENOR (Spanish Association for Standardization and Certification) Global EPDs were recently awarded to tile companies, making the Spanish tile sector among the first to be awarded type III ecolabels. EPDs form part of a European ecolabelling system for products from the construction sector, aimed at certifying the environmental impact of products during the life cycle and their eco-efficient manufacturing process. The companies that were awarded the certificates were Azuliber, Ceracasa, Iberoalcorense, Peronda, Azulev, Cer·mica Ribesalbes, Gayafores, Keraben, Cer·mica Latina, Azteca and Novogres.