Tiles are the most represented sector at the International Exhibition of Ceramic Tiles and Bathroom Furnishings, occupying 55 percent of the total space, followed by bathroom furnishings, nonceramic surfaces, finishes and ceramic tile laying companies. The 2024 edition counted 606 exhibitors on an area of 145,000 square meters, 38 percent of which were foreigners from 25 countries.
In addition to the variety of proposals, the level of technological innovation, the result of research into materials and the environment, reaches increasingly ambitious goals year after year. In order to find your way around the new products – here is a non-exhaustive but significant overview – it may be useful to define some thematic itineraries: surfaces inspired by stone materials and those that refer to the irregularities and colors of the earth; colors ranging from saturated to more ‘dusty’; geometries characterized by ribbed or grooved surfaces, glossy or matte finishes.
Marble effect
Industrial processes capable of producing series of tiles inspired by natural materials are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Refin’s Etherea line combines the excellence of different stone materials and synthesizes their qualities to obtain light and uniform graphics. Quarella’s collections are made up of marbles extracted from the waste of Italy’s most famous quarries. The new Plume table, created in collaboration with Bizzotto Italia and designed by Elisa Sabrina Bizzotto, has a top in Quarella Vivaldi, a Verde Alpi marble base with pastel beige and pink marble veining.
Cement feel
RAK Ceramics’ approach is based on creating different combinations of materials, colors and textures. The mix-and-match concept underlies the Creative Concrete P modular collection, which transforms the raw beauty of concrete into stone textures, wood-effect finishes, intricate decorations and classic brick patterns.
Solid colors
Color is at the heart of the new Hop washbasin by the Simas Design Team, which distinguishes the dimensions of the tap and the countertop. The booth, designed by Giancarlo Angelelli, received a special mention in the ADI Booth Design Award Cersaie 2024. Saturated colors are also proposed by Moove, a microsystem designed by Enrico Cesana for Ardeco that allows the user to freely choose the storage capacity by juxtaposing elements of different sizes.
Minimum gauge
With a thickness of only 3 mm, reinforced with fiberglass, the new Florim skin is available in a single 120×300 cm format for multiple uses. The reduced thickness in fact uses less raw materials, water and energy in the production process and is part of the brand’s Carbon Neutral surface project. The twO by Laminam surfaces are enriched by the new 2mm Slate collection, patented by the company and inspired by the North American natural slate.
Hi-tech
Hypertouch® is the intelligent ceramic tile by Iris Ceramica Group. The result of the reengineering of matter, it is able to respond to hand contact and activate home automation devices. Another novelty is the Moonlight backlit ceramic slab, which diffuses light evenly thanks to its translucent quality.
Ribbed geometries
Defined by the succession of subtle ribs on the surface, cannett effects give three-dimensionality to the ceramic or wood surface. In the Ecos project by Itlas, the cabinet upholstered with Le Righe Slim in walnut is matched with a ceramic top in Laminam. The variable element is the pitch of the strips. The Brick finish used by Arbi Arredobagno for the monolithic Ercole washbasin in white Ocritech gives the front a depth.
Textured finishes
Ceramic surfaces characterized by reliefs, coarse grains and engraved decorations are able to evoke special tactile sensations. Elisa Ossino’s Boost Expression collection for Atlas Concorde highlights textures and tonal variations in a continuous dialogue between materials and spaces, light and shapes. A collection with a strong three-dimensional effect. Lime paint is the inspiration behind Marca Corona’s new Calcecreta collection. A material suitable for floors and walls (indoors and outdoors) that expresses all the beauty of imperfection.
Space optimization
The Renovo 2.0 shower kit by Damast adapts to structural constraints and requirements, as well as to new trends for the bathroom environment. Pictured next to the toilet is the Shut-Off, a hand-held shower that is installed next to the sanitary fixture through a wall-mounted water outlet and performs the function of a bidet.
