It's here-
the post I've been dying to publish and scared to death to create. Probably because to do it properly you should be a bit of an internet geek. Guess what I'm not??
As most of you know, Uncle Rey (my baby brother) is responsible for the techno-quality of Tile Envy. And when I told him every 4th week of the month I wanted my post to feature all of the most illustrious "tile news" from that month, he said - that sounds good. But then when I said- can you be in charge of gathering this information? - after all he is the ultimate internet geek, he never lifted his brow from the internet and said- you're a blogger, that's what your supposed to do. (You know how sibling communications are the most utterly efficient form of communications in the universe?)
Whoa- I'm a blogger, I thought. Then I thought who the heck am I kidding?- I'm not a blogger!! But then I realized that sorta, maybe I kind of am.
So after hours of trying to figure out how to do searches for cool stuff- not underlayment or showroom display ratios- but the coolest of cool tile news- I most humbly, and awkwardly, and really, really thankfully offer you all of the fun tile news I could find for January, 2010-
(Helpful hint- Italicized copy is from the source. Click on any photo for the full story.)
ELLE DECOR-
Inspired by Mediterranean architecture, the lead-free handmade Ravenna pewter tiles from Metal Focus Tile’s Byzantium line are ideal for backsplashes, countertops, and more.
Do any of you remember the Odegard tiles in a recent Tile Envy post? Tilevera also has some "open grill" tiles in the wings for Hearst Castle Collection so it's nice to see more of this look.
Here, The chic Irvington line, shown, is sheathed in black or cream shagreen trimmed with bone.
I'm not sure if this is a "first" but I think I like that tile showrooms are beginning to add "furnishings" such as bath accessories. Of course, Waterworks has done this for a long time- but they've always been much more than a tile showroom.
Heath Ceramics for Ann Sacks
This particular set is made for Ann Sacks by Tilevera neighbors- Heath Ceramics. (I'm hoping to share a post featuring the fine Heath folks soon.)
apartmenttherapy.com
Jean of NotCot shares her preview of New York's new Standard Hotel restaurant, The Standard Grill with apartmenttherapy.com and they've tiled the floor in pennies!
What in the world is groovier than this?? And if you just read my last post- Metallic. - then you know I'd be all about this metal. I'm not sure if this was actually January 2010 news- but since I found it this month- there ya' go! Hey math savants? - how much would this actually cost per SF?
freshome.com
Karim Rashid, in the quest to give your trendy homes a new classy touch has come up with his latest creation and this time he has tile; metallic tiles! Steel, copper, brass, titanium and raw steel by the names like Flux, Infinit, Karma, Kismet, Ninja, Kink and Ubiquity are the choices available.
Even more metallics! I've never, personally, been a fan of the very modern hi-tech looking stainless mosaic tiles. But I like when well-known designers contribute their talents and fame to our tile realm.
designspotter.com
The design trend towards orientalism has started to bear fruit in the ceramics sector with the launch of Çanakkale Seramik & Kalebodur’s Orientile collection. Thanks to its special mold, walls covered in Orientile can be given the depth of three dimensions, allowing the creation of rich and unique ambiances.
I've never heard of this Turkish tile company, nor have a clue where you can find their products. But I do like the 3-D aspect of these tiles and I'm always a sucker for this type of pattern.
trendir.com
Blending the trendy look of wallpaper with the practicality and longevity of tile, this stunning floral Florilege ceramic tile by Novoceram is hot in homes! For more info visit Novoceram.
If this strikes you as familiar, you may be remembering my 2010 Tile Trends post. Tilevera has also been working on our very own wallpaper project. We hope to be announcing this line shortly. Stay tuned!
Bringing a little luxury to the everyday, Italian company Fap Ceramiche has introduced its latest collection of modern wall tile for the kitchen and bathroom. These contemporary diamond-cut wall tiles feature a chic satin finish atop a range of cool colors to bring a fresh face to your space. Yours at Fap Ceramiche.
These are certainly unusual. Mod, severe, colorful (as in sherbet!)- very European in style and sentiment. I'd have to say that mod pastels continue to be an emerging color group coming from across the pond. I'll be interested to see how this translates in the US.
With the warm look of wood and the practicality of tiles, the Ironwood wood effect ceramic tiles by Fondovalle bring you the best of both worlds. Visit Italian company Fondovalle for more details.
I'm loving all the "ceramic wood" that's available right now. I've got a post coming up featuring all of my favorites. But these from Fondovalle are quite nice. The extra long length of the planks makes them extra nice for large expanses.
Check out this amazing tile line by Petra Antiqua. The aptly named Art collection features travertine tiles in a range of modern metallics like gold, copper, silver and iron, or in mother of pearl, red and violet finishes for a more modern twist on an antique look. For more information visit Petra Antiqua.
Even though these are metallic-finished stones (I love metallic finished stones)- they are a bit too rustic or Flintstones, for me. I can also hear my own customer network complaining about the inherent cleaning issues. I'm still trying to figure out this line.
Neobarocco is the latest classic contemporary wall tile range by Italian company Iris Ceramica that’ll make a splash in every room. The Imperiale collection is a classically inspired large-scale tile featuring a stunning damask pattern in a range of the hottest hues. For more information visit Iris Ceramica.
Large format is everywhere in tile and so is damask. I think this could make a nice shower- in an all white master bath. 86 the rose petals and add lofty white towels instead!
style-file.com
Anglo-Dutch designers Studio Glithero have created a series of vases and tiles decorated with shadows of plants captured on photosensitive chemicals. Called Blueware Collection and produced for Vauxhall Collective, the surface decoration was produced using a technique similar to traditional blueprinting.
I kind of liked these tiles. The spin on the traditional blue and white tile assisted by the "blueprint" technology caught my attention. My preference is classic blue on white, more than white on blue, however.
homedesignfind.com
Just when we think modern kitchens couldn’t get any sleeker, we see the “Linear” concept in the ISOLA series of the Japan-based TOYO Kitchen & Living Co., Ltd. Made by stainless steel, 5 types of Venetian mosaic (White, Black, Glory, Dsisy and Marigold) and 4 types of etchings (Plain, Skull, Chandelier and Dog), the Linear kitchen pushes the boundaries of the design-function pursuit and enters the realm of genuine artistry. A true jaw-dropping kitchen from TOYO, as usual.
This was my favorite news this month. The idea that an interior furnishings solution would be designed around tile is very unique. It's good to see tile play a bigger role in product design.
Finale-
So that's all that surfaced in my search for tile news in January 2010, and I would have to say- hmmmm...a bit of a mixed pot, yes?
I'm not making this news- just reporting on it (with a bit of commentary), but it is interesting to note how much is dominated by the Europeans. They've been doing it longer than all of us- and it's interesting to see how much they've played around with the materials, finishes, and sizes in this collection of news, alone.
I wasn't thrilled with a lot of the product but I always applaud innovation, and there was tons of it in this month's news. I'll be curious to see what pops up for Tile Salon- February 2010! (probably include a mini-report from Surfaces 2010)
Muchas gracias-