Every autumn comes news in the field of ceramic tiles and bathroom equipment, which are presented at the international fair Cersaie in Bologna, Italy. The producers presented the trends for the following year and showed that there are no limits to creativity and there is still something to discover.
The fair is a perfect picture of tendencies and endless inspiration. The tendencies are different, the tiles appear very decorative or not at all, the dimensions are still growing, but we can also find small retro formats, there are also trends of very realistic imitations of natural materials such as wood, stone or marble. The formats have recently become significantly larger, the 60 × 60 cm format is already considered a traditional size and is being replaced by the larger 75 × 75, 90 × 90 cm formats and the newly available large 120 × 120 or 120 × 240 cm formats.
The huge range of products confirms that sintered paving has more and more possibilities of use. In residential projects, they are not only traditionally used in bathrooms, but they can also be used perfectly in kitchens, corridors, living spaces as tiling, paving or as a kitchen countertop. Of course, there are outdoor tiles in the same design as indoor ones, it is very common to use a thick shard of 2 cm on terraces, gardens or balconies.
One of the most important manufacturers of ceramic tiles is Ragno, which belongs to the Marazzi Group. Eight new collections were presented at Cersai under the Ragno brand. This year, large formats measuring 120 × 120 and 240 × 120 cm with a shard thickness of 6 mm were introduced for the first time. In this case, Ragno was not among the first to bring the trend to market, but thanks to exclusive technologies, Ragno produces large formats guaranteed in the best quality, the tiles are perfectly straight, easy to drill into and easy to cut. The name of the collection is Maiora and with the help of two designs, the effect of marble and concrete, it offers a surprising aesthetic for the interior design of residential and commercial projects. Marble paints are also produced in smaller formats (75 × 150, 75 × 75, 60 × 60, 30 × 60 cm) under the name Bistrot.
Another surprising element of the Ragno novelties is the Re_Solution collection, which untraditionally reinterprets the resin. Re_Solution features a very simple design creating visual continuity. The timeless range of colours highlights the versatility of the product and allows unusual combinability with materials such as wood, marble or majolica. The collection is produced in four formats: 75 × 150, 75 × 75, 60 × 60, 30 × 60 cm suitable for application to the floor and walls of residential and commercial projects, the structured version also allows application in outdoor areas thanks to high anti-slip. An interesting interior would be offered by a combination of the Re_Solution and Abitare collections. Abitare is a collection with geometric patterns and decorations of tiles from granulated marble from the 20th century in the format 20 × 20 cm, or terracotta. The original terrazzo is a mix of pieces of marble, stone dust and concrete and is widely used in old buildings. The Abitare series is ideal for the reconstruction of older apartment buildings and family villas, it will also look great in modern bars and restaurants.
The new addition of Realstone Slate imitating slate has been added to the series of stones. This stone has a more unified tonality, but at the same time, it is enriched with a characteristic drawing. The result is versatile paving suitable for combination with tiling collections of large and small formats of various colours. Realstone Slate offers a choice or combination of four formats (75 × 150, 75 × 75, 60 × 60, 30 × 60 cm) and two surfaces. In addition, the collection is also produced in a thickness of 2 cm for outdoor use in the formats 50 × 100 and 80 × 80 cm, including a wide range of special elements, eg for swimming pools.
Another novelty, which, like Realstone Slate, also offers an outdoor variant, is Woodspace. As the name suggests, this is an interpretation of wood, specifically oak in the format 25 × 150 and 20 × 120 cm. The manufacturer faithfully imitated the antique parquets of majestic houses. Woodspace will stand out in interiors and exteriors, where the atmosphere of ancient and modern blends. The outdoor 2 cm variant is offered in the format 40 × 120 cm and also offers pool elements.
So far, we have imagined novelties with sintered tiles, which can be used on the floor and wall, but tiling is also interesting for the Czech market. The manufacturer Ragno presented tiling collections in white shard two. The first is Cocciopesto, an original cladding in a concrete design inspired by the ancient world and the Roman cladding “opus signium”. This material consisted of a mix of stones, marble and lime. Cocciopesto is produced in a single format 40 × 120 cm with a thickness of 6 mm (3D effect 8 mm) and 5 colours in natural tones. The collection offers an interesting 3D decor, the plasticity of which is admirable. The series is completed with one geometric and two floral patterns. Floral patterns are a new trend in tiles, as the demand for floral decors with the effect of wallpaper is growing in interior design. Floral decor can also be found in the second newly introduced tiling collection Texcem. The manufacturer here combines two remote materials in an original way: fine fabric (TEXtil) and retro concrete (CEMent). The result is a unique tile that is pleasant to the touch. This tile is also produced in a thin 6 mm design (3D effect 8 mm), but in a smaller format 32.5 × 97.7 cm.
