February 10, 2020

Last week in Valencia, Spain, the Cevisama tile and surfaces show boasted more than just beautifully traditional encaustic tiles or more wood-look surfaces. For three days, KBB scoured the show floor for the most groundbreaking products – look out for our What’s Hot in Flooring section in our April issue for more – and the newest trends that are making their way over to the U.S.

Texture is King. With so many screens in consumers’ lives, many are drawn to tactile experiences. This is a trend we’ve been seeing for some time in wood-look tile and manufactured stone, but some companies are taking it a step further and creating unique textures and patterns that haven’t been seen before. The Carven Collection from Gayafores includes a mix of honed pieces and delicately striped tiles for a mix of feels.

Fish Scales & Art Deco. Art Deco was an expected trend, and its influence was seen in the colors and patterns manufacturers are offering. One of the most used patterns was the fish scale; it’s natural influence and the movement it evokes work well across different blends of wall tiles in particular. Shown here is glazed Malla from Cevica, which is available in a number of custom colors.

Textile Influences. This emerging trend has exploded into a number of different patterns, including tile inspired by crochet, wicker designs and woven wallpaper. Textile patterns also play into the appeal for texture we’ve been seeing. Wicker from Aparici, shown here, was one such woven pattern that melded playful colors like green, yellow and red with an overall neutral gray palette.

Melting Away. Somewhere between the rock and water inspirations and the more conceptual idea of painting came products with liquid-like patterns. These manufacturers were breaking away from the idea of commonly used surfaces like stone, wood and patterned tile and instead had completely new products totally unlike what we’ve seen before. Shown here is Fire from Apavisa, which combined traditional stone-look tile with a colorful, melting design.

Oxidized Metallics. It’s a given that metallics are big, but a certain type of metal was trending in particular at the show. The weathered look of oxidized metal gives a surface character and a time-worn appeal that works well in modern, industrial-style designs. Iron 4D from Museum is shown here, with hints of blue under its copper-toned surface.

Modern Botanicals. Big banana leaves are definitely popular this year, whether they appear with the traditional green-blue color or are simply part of a pattern. These fun and exotic patterns do not need to wait for tropical environments and beach houses; a touch of these graphic patterns can add a nature-inspired appeal to many modern designs. Paradis Art from CasaInfinita is one such example of how the pattern can subtly change the attitude of a space.

Traditional Made New. Spain – and Europe in general – takes pride in its history through its tile, remaking what was ancient into something modern and trendy. This appeared in traditional ceramic tiles with modern shapes or patterns and also in the prevalence of hand-made tiles at the show. Shown here is Boom from Cevica, a flooring and wall tile that mixed the traditional hexagonal shape with a colorful design inspired by pop art.