The Crisp Wall Tiles from Kaza Concrete and designed by Levi Fignar were recently featured on Design Milk.
As anyone who loves tile knows, Design Milk is always on top of reporting the latest innovations in design and architecture with consistently stunning photography. We had the great opportunity to sit down with Design Milk Founder / Executive Editor and Coverings 2014 Panelist Jaime Derringer to talk about tile and stone and why she’ll be visiting Frank Gehry when she is in Vegas for the show.
In 2014, what do you think are the most significant design trends in tile and stone? Where in the home are they most commonly seen and in what sort of application?
I think that this year we will see more concrete tile, tile that has shapes to it (such as faceted tile or a relief pattern) and I also think we will see more organic shapes.
We are very excited to be celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Coverings this year! How do you think tile design has changed over those years and how has it stayed the same?
That is so exciting! Tile has changed so much in the past 25 years. I think that in recent years there has been a huge shift toward the idea of out-of-the-box materials, texture and shapes. I think my favorite has been the introduction of metal and glass. But even the old standby materials like porcelain tile have gone from blah to bold — sometimes you can’t even tell it is porcelain! Designers and manufacturers are taking more risks in terms of both form and function. Here’s to another 25 years!
What do you think is most valuable about attending Coverings from the perspective of Design Milk and your audience?
As an editor, what do you look for? Our readers love to see innovative materials, creative design in terms of form, and function that makes you say “why didn’t I think of that?” I’m looking for things that make me say “Wow!” or “How did they do that?”
You feature a lot of innovative products in tile and stone that are breaking the boundaries of the medium on Design Milk. What are some of your personal favorites?
We recently featured a concrete tile that had a metallic finish, which I thought was very clever. We also featured a slate-look tile that was actually made of paper! One of my recent faves is a tile that uses a hand-laced cord to add depth and texture.
We are very excited that Coverings 2014 will be in Las Vegas this year. What do you think some of the most important places to go and see in the city are for design-conscious visitors? Any places you’re planning to check out?
Vegas sure is an interesting town! In terms of architecture, I think the coolest place I want to see is the Luo Ruvo Center by Frank Gehry. Unfortunately, I don’t think I have time for much more! I might put some quarters in the slots, though… 🙂

Jaime Derringer

Jaime Derringer will be sitting on the “Get Published” Panel at Coverings this year, alongside Architectural Record’s Sheila Kim and Dwell’s Diana Budds on Thursday May 1 from 1:30-2:30pm. Learn more about this session and the entire Coverings education program here.