Tile, Italian style - Homefront: tips and trends from the world of residential design - Brief Article

Residential Architect, March, 2003 by Nigel F. Maynard

It's no secret Italians are on the cutting edge of design--their cars, clothes, and casas are cases in point. So it's no surprise the country hosts the world's leading tile design show. Cersaie, as it's called, is the industry's Fashion Week. Held each fall in Bologna, Italy, the show provides more than 100,000 architects, designers, distributors, and journalists with a sneak peek at the next new tile trends. The following year, we watch them filter across the Atlantic to U.S. shores.

"The Italians approach tile production as an artist does a canvas," says Christine Abbate, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based representative for the Italian Tile Board. Indeed, artistry and innovation go hand-in-hand. Among the trendsetters for this year: soft cements--for a user-friendly industrial aesthetic; big, bold colors; stone looks done in ceramic; metal inlays of copper and stainless steel; wood inlays; and sinuous textures that invite touch. Pop Art pieces, ethnic prints, and a plethora of racy rectangles are styles to watch for as well.

For availability in the United States, call the Italian Trade Commission at 212.980.1500 or do a tile search at www.italytiles.com.