Coverings 2015 Ambassador Alena Capra recently traveled around the world, from Italy, to Spain, and even San Antonio, to see what’s new and trending for tile. With many emerging trends across shapes, sizes, and techniques, we looked to Alena to narrow down what she expects to be big in 2015.
To keep our followers informed, Alena shared with us the top trends for 2015, and what to look out for a Coverings in Orlando:
1. Hexagons
Once considered a more “retro” design, hexagons are now making a huge comeback, adding a unique element in designs modern to traditional. Hexagon tiles are available in sizes from small to large, with a 10-11” size among the most popular. You can find it in porcelain, ceramic, stone, and exteriors, as well as 3-dimensional and even paired with the other trends – including wood.
2. Wood Porcelain Tile
A suitable choice for both interior and exterior, wood porcelain has become very popular over the past few years. Seen as an attractive and easy-to-clean alternative to real wood, digital printing techniques have allowed the wood tiles to look as close to the real thing as possible. Manufacturers are now adding additional style and design by printing patterns on top of the “wood,” such as damasks and other bold prints.
3. Pop Art
The emergence of pop art-themed tiles has been quite prominent across design trade shows, including Cersaie 2014. These tiles are designed with bold colors and often incorporate the use of 3-D, a technique Alena has seen across many emerging trends. Artist collections are also hot, as Alena highlights collaborations with Keith Haring and inspiration from Roy Lichtenstein.
4. Gold
Talk about all that glitters. Gold is making a huge comeback in all things design – from bath fixtures to home accessories and furniture, and now tile is feeling the gold rush. Alena has seen that mixed metallics and metallics in general are also a big trend, but gold appears to be taking the cake for the most used metal. To boot: it’s available in everything from glass tile to porcelain, and even in interesting 3-D shapes.
5. Bold Patterns
Rounding off Alena’s list for tile trends to see in 2015 is bold patterns – an ever-present trend that is taking off in the New Year. As wallpaper makes its resurgence, tile that resembles wallpaper is front-and-center with paper-like bold patterns. The usage of bold patterns on wood porcelain tiles has also been very popular, and provides a nice spin on the traditional wood look. Additionally, new visual imaging technology has allowed tiles to have dynamic textures in the patterns.
Be sure to stay tuned for more from Coverings 2015 Ambassador Alena Capra, including industry events, presentations, and more! Don’t miss these trends and more at Coverings 2015 – register now for free!
