The International Surface Event (TISE) was held last week in Las Vegas and I was fortunate to have attended along with Modenus’ Designhounds , where I was on a mission to view the latest floor covering and 2018 tile trends. Some people ask me why I attend so many markets (since the 1st of the year I have already attended 3 markets!) The truth of the matter is, I attend as many markets as I can because as a designer, it is imperative that I am kept abreast of the market trends and the newest product introductions on the market. The marketplace is constantly changing and even the most seasoned designer can never know too much. Information on product that other designers don’t have because they aren’t proactive in keeping current with what is on the market will always give the designer an edge over the competition, and that’s why it is important to attend market!
One thing that I always look for at any trade show I attend are the current design trends, and for the TISE market I was specifically looking at the 2018 tile trends. Being informed on what is current and trending in the market is important, but sometimes the trends are not what I as a designer am necessarily drawn to. While I am aware of what the major trends are, I don’t always specify the product that is on trend but rather look for fresh product that also has longevity. In this post, I will present both the 2018 tile trends and my top tile picks.
2018 Tile Trends at The International Surface Event
3-Dimensional Tile
How do you update the ubiquitous hex-shaped tile and make it new? You add 3-dimensional facets and that is exactly what Emser Tile has done with their newest collection of matte glazed ceramic tile.
Crossville showed a faceted, 3-dimensional tile, but with a totally different look than what was seen at Emser. The tile was only slightly skewed, as with a metallic gold tile paired with white glass and black grout, only a hint of 3 dimensionality was needed to make an impact.
Gauged Porcelain Tile Panel
Gauged porcelain tile panel has been quite the thing lately. The merging of two technologies – the technology of making porcelain in a large format and much thinner than natural stone along with advances in digital printing have allowed the look of marble to be brought into the home but at a much lower price point. Oftentimes with such precision that it is tough for the trained eye to tell the difference.
Crossville introduced Laminam a few years ago, and since then has built on the success of the line, adding new colors and finishes. Available in a 3mm and 5.6 mm thickness, floors and walls can be used as a skin on the wall or floor. With the material being as thin as 3 mm, Laminam can be applied over an existing surface, and a skilled fabricator can use Laminam for more than just floors and walls.
Notice the thickness of a traditional tile on the left side compared to a 3 mm thick piece of Laminam on the right.
Daltile showcases their gauged porcelain tile panels in a variety of stone looks.
Terrazzo
Terrazzo has been around for quite some time and was originally created to make use of marble “waste” – discarded marble remnants from the fabrication of marble slabs. These marble chips were mixed with a cement binder and then polished. While terrazzo is still produced today, advances in technology have made way for cheaper manufacturing processes of creating the look of terrazzo but by printing on porcelain. Printing is so precise that it is difficult to tell the difference between a traditionally manufactured and porcelain printed terrazzo.
Emser Tile showed both small scale and large scale black and white terrazzo and also introduced patterns, which would have been very costly to manufacture if utilizing the traditional methods of creating terrazzo.
Printing terrazzo on porcelain brings the manufacturing price down, much shorter lead times, and the ability print in different colors and patterns.
Cement Tile
Moroccan influenced cement tile continues to be strong and fashion colors such as teal are added to the mix.
TISE – Favorite Tile Picks
Enough of the 2018 tile trends – now for my favorite part of attending trade shows, which does not always pertain to trends – my top picks!
Bedrosian Tile
This beautiful patterned tile from Bedrosian Tile also uses modern technology – ink jet printing. I love the bold look and the artisanal appearance. Mixed with natural wood in this vignette it is reminiscent of a cross between Scandinavian and mid-century modern design.
Glazzio Tiles
This glass tile from Glazzio Tiles struck my eye. The appearance of a fractured teal colored agate mosaic looks fresh and new and is not like any other tile I saw on the show floor.
Crossville
End grain wood has been popular for a variety of uses such as flooring, walls, and cutting boards. Crossville has put a spin on that trend with “Convergence”, their newest collection which merges nature with modern styling – an end grain wood glass tile. I especially love the addition of the on-trend teal colorway to the predictable natural, whitewash, and grey “wood” options.
Mirth Studio
The designers that I traveled with were wowed by the tile at Mirth Studio, but this is one tile that I am very familiar with. We have carried the line in our showroom for the past 2 years and also used it in the room we designed for the Pasadena Showcase House last year. We are HUGE fans of Mirth Studio tile!
Mirth Studio tile is made of engineered oak parquet floor tile that is digitally printed with the most beautiful colors and patterns, (many of which were originally hand painted by owner Sally Bennett), and then topped off with several coats of a resin urethane for protection. The tiles are tongue and groove, so installation is easy.
While at the booth, several people asked if the wood scratches, and I confidently piped in that for the installation of our show house, we had 35,000 visitors walk through over the course of a month, and the flooring showed no wear and no scratches!
My favorite tile is on the right – weathered a grey and white hexagon which incorporates just the right tone of gold metallic accent (call me crazy – but I am very particular when it comes to gold!) The other two are hexagon prototypes which Sally is currently working on to put to market. I hope that happens quickly, because I love them!
The Celerie Kemble tile on the bottom left is installed in our store window!
Pera Tile
Pera Tile is one of my top picks as the customization options are incredibly appealing to the designer like myself. They have stone tile patterns that can be customized using any of the many types of stone they have in stock. If you head over to their website, they have a visualization tool where you can choose your own combination of stone and grout color and view the pattern in repeat (super important to be able to view in repeat, because oftentimes you do not get the full effect if it is just one tile. I know the consumer has a difficulty in visualizing,so this is a great way to present an option that one might not necessarily see in the showroom.
Daltile
While visiting the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) earlier last month, I viewed “Illuminary”, an iridescent glass mosaic tile, one of Daltile’s newest introductions, and I was immediately drawn to the subtle but timeless quality. When I saw it a second time at TISE, my original thoughts were validated. Definitely a beautiful tile that is so on trend, yet at the same time classic and timeless. I am always drawn to product that can act as a chameleon and morph according to the surroundings. Illuminary would look just at home in a traditional space as a modern space, which is why it is a great tile to have in a designer’s arsenal.
2018 Tile Trends – Scarlet Opus Presentation
Last but not least, some visuals on the trends presentation by trend forecaster Laura Greenwood of Scarlet Opus. As you can see from her presentations below, some of the emerging trends seen on the show floor were taken off the 2018 tile trends seen in the presentations, and more will be seen in upcoming markets.
What a great show! I hope you enjoyed my round up of 2018 tile trends and top tile picks. In addition to tile, The International Surface Event also showcased carpet, hard wood and luxury vinyl tile manufacturer in addition to the equipment and product needed to support the respective trades. I found it to be an important show to attend to see what products will be available through my tile distributors and dealers in the upcoming months. Knowing what is to come will give me a head start on some of the projects we are working on and will allow us to perhaps take into consideration what we saw at the show even though the product will not be making their way into the showroom until this spring.
Please note that this is a sponsored post and I was compensated to attend TISE and provide my insight/unique perspective. As always, all thoughts and opinions are genuinely my own.
SaveSave
SaveSave
I so enjoy your trend watching, style perspectives. Thanks for sharing!
The Bedrosian tile are our favorites! Reminiscent of middle eastern decor. I think these tile design options would pair beautifully with many of the rugs featured in our Moroccan collection.
Wow. So many trends and designs to choose from. Quite a few remind me of my parents home from the 70’s! I prefer tiles that are more plain than with bold patterns, but that’s my personal taste.