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JANUARY 2019 RETAILOBSERVER.COM 9 2018 Fall/Winter TILE TREND report 1. LUNAR MARBLE Moving beyond common varieties of stone like carrara, statuario, and travertine, Italian tile producers are scouting quarries throughout the world to find obscure marble full of color and character, or digitally manipulating the look of natural stone to create something that is literally out-of-this-world. For Sicis' ever-evolving Vetrite collection, the enchanting magic of 13 gemstones is captured and amplified in between giant sheets of glass to create lunar-like landscapes for the Gem Glass line. Meanwhile, Refin Stardust combines the nebulous veining of alabaster with elegant metallic surface effects to create a line of porcelain tiles inspired by the nighttime sky. Other collections include: Atlas Concorde Marvel Edge, Ava Preziosi, Casalgrande Padana Onici, Ceramiche Piemme Majestic Valentino, Cercom To Be, Cotto d'Este Vanity, Edilgres I'm Italian Marble, Emilceramica Tele di Marmo, Fire Transalp, Fondovalle Shards, Imola The Room, Italgraniti Mega, LaFaenza Bianca, Lea Delight, Marazzi Grande, Novabell Imperial Michelangelo, Panaria Eternity Zero.3, Rex Etoile di Rex, Stile Italia Extra, and Supergres Purity of Marble. (Pictured Clockwise: Ceramiche Piemme Majestic Valentino, Cotto d'Este Vanity, Emilceramica Tele di Marmo, Fire Transalp, Atlas Concorde Marvel Edge) 2. TRADITION From ancient forms and 18th-century patterns to tiles inspired by charming places seemingly stuck in time, Italian tile manufacturers are finding creative ways to make the old feel new again. Mixed and matched patterns, like those of 14oraitaliana's Folk and Ceramica Sant'Agostino's Vita collections, evoke the imagery and vibrant colors of Italy's most famous and beloved territories. Fioranese's Liquida slabs resemble 1950s-style wallpaper, while the earthy tones and textured surfaces of Provenza's Terraquea collection recall traditional terracotta ware. Designed with nostalgic sentiments, each of these collections combines the aesthetic and cultural qualities of the past with the technological innovations of today. T here are a handful of events that set the stage for defining the world of design each year. Cersaie—the international exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings—is one such tradeshow, where over 100,000 designers, installers, and buyers travel to Bologna, Italy each September to learn about cutting edge products and technologies in the tile industry. The following pages feature seven of the biggest tile trends as seen in the hundreds of new collections from Ceramics of Italy member manufacturers at the 36th edition of Cersaie.