Each year, the largest international exhibition of tile design - Cersaie - is hosted in Bologna, Italy. Thousands of tile manufacturers present their products at the exhibition, while large distributors, leading designers and most authoritative architects from around the world take part as guests. In order to find out what is Cersaie, you can read our article on Is it worth going to Cersaie? The following text will be only about this year's novelties.
On one of the days of the exhibition, we met a very sad tile distributor form Moscow. "What is this?! - he screamed with a crushed look, - "These manufacturers absolutely don't think about the Russian market! They haven't produced one beautiful thing - it's just stone!"
It's true that with the coming of a new technology in Digital jet printing on ceramic tile monotonous imitation stone tile is produced for 3 years now and will continue being produced until even the smallest and most hidden factory will not install a new printer and print that, what was printed by everyone else hundreds of times. But we will tell you all about what's new in imitation stoneware in a separate article, so you don't get upset. Though there was a lot of stone, it doesn't seem that our friend, the distributor, took a good enough look at the exhibition.
Here's the proof
When we described Cersaie in 2007, we wrote "Flowers are dead, long live walls of flowers! There are a lot less flower insertions and borders now than there are villages in China, but a wall that is completely laid with flowers is more trendy than ever. Ceramic facotries have their eye on Sicis main as their own and now, instead of mosaic panels, you can glue a tile one on your wall". "Thesis-anti-thesis-synthesis" - said Hegel, and he was right! This year, flower decors have risen like a phoenix from ashes. These decors have definitely maintained the multitude of flower walls.
Black and white flower decors.
A part of manufacturers decided that colored flowers is very trite, not saying tautological, and produced flowers that are black and white. Bisazza decorated half of its booth with a black and white mosaic, which looked kind of dark, but proud and with honor.
Black and white decors from Self |
Black and white flowers from Acif |
Black and white flowers from АВК | A black and white mosaic wall of flowers from Bisazza |
To speak truthfully, we remembered how during the peak of the financial crisis bathroom manufacturers produced black bathtubs that reminded small coffins. These flowers are a bit too late - they would look great with the black bathtubs.
A flower mosaic wall from Bizassa |
Black and white flowers from the Spanish factory Saloni |
Black flowers on a white background from the Pirtuguese factory Cinca. These can be installed on the entire wall |
Another option of black and white flower decors from the Italian factory Acif |
Multi-colored flower decors.
Thankfully, not everything is quite as bad - there are still colored flowers in this world and a large part of these were exhibited at Cersaie and Sicis tried the most. This factory is famous for its flower panels and it did not disappoint this year, though strange depressed people were sitting in front of each flower panel of its booth and we were unable to take one photo without their presence.
A large flower panel (approximately 2 meters) from La Fabbrica could be seen from far away. Where can one find such a bathroom, where this panel will look elegantly? |
A large mosaic flower composition from Sicis with a depressed visitor in front. |
Flowers from Francesco de Mayo | More flowers from Francesco De Mayo. This factory is famous for its hand-made work, so they were able to create some trully wonderful flowers |
Of course, not only mosaic factories, but factories like Francesco De Mayo, made the world happy with their flowers.
Spanish factory Saloni and its flower decors | and if you don't like large flowers, you can use small ones |
New from Iris - water-color flower decors | New beige flower decors from АВК |
We would like to talk separately about the ABK factory. We don't know what got into the chief designer of ABK, but it's very obvious that whatever it is, it has conservative views and an ugly character. This factory has always been distinguished by its high-quality tile and leading designer ideas and attracted famous international high fashion designers to create its collections.
However, this year, the factory desided to be unique and create baroque tile of the 50's and 60's of the last century. Each tile in the collection has an uneven coloration and artefacts in its enamel, and, softly speaking, is not the leader in designer art. With that said, this tile costs a lot of money. We have a ton of such old, defected tile and to pay two and a half thousand per meter for it, you have to be a person of an exceptional brain capacity.The photo below is just one of the examples of a somewhat normal color. Still, mining tile is better.
New flower decor from АВК | An interior option using АВК flower tile |
If you don't really like pastel colors, we offer you a lively red from the Portuguese and Italians. Though the managers of the factory have admitted that they went a bit too far with the color and looking into our eyes, timidly asked "How do you like our gypsy camp?" Amidst the dirty and dark Russian winter it will be just what is needed to raise your spirits at 6AM!
A red and white bathroom with flowers from the Portuguese Pavigres |
A red and white bathroom with flowers from the Italians Atlas Concorde
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Of course, Sicis has created an amazing panel from its mosaic and we couldn't stay away from showing you several photos.
A flower spectacle from Sicis. A wonderful panel from multi-colored mosaic with gold interlacing |
Flowers to fit anyone's taste from the Italian factory Sicis |
Another photo of Sicis and several works by two other very popular in our country manufacturers: Sant Agostino and Aparici. Aparici creates such volumes that other factories can only eat their heats out with annoyance. But why? Because they create special collections for Russia, like the one to the right (golden stripe tile).
More flowers from Sicis
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Flower options from Sant Agostino (there were more flowers, but they all didn't fit)
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Flower motifs from Apparici. These were created especially for Russia and the factory is expecting to sell millions. |
In general, maroon color was quite popular among manufacturers and Atlas Concorde had proudly announced that they created this color especially for Russia. Compare thi with the special Russian collection from Aparici (above right) and try to figure it out.
Maroon colors from Cinca,
combined with coffee colored tile |
An entire wall of decor from Francesco De Mayo combined with a blue background |
Maroon-blue flowers from Atlas Concorde combined with maroon tile |
More flowers. Also maroon and green.
A flower mosaic panel pixel style from Bisazza | New flower decor options from Iris | and one Iris decor close up |
The Spaniards had rightfully decided that real flowers can't be so thin and dull, like those of the Italians, and released bright, large and lively flowers. Right next is Italian FAP, which cannot compate with the Spaniards in size, but did not yield in joie de vivre.
An entire flower family from the Spanish Azulehos Alcor
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A flower panel from Saloni |
New flower decor from FAP
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And a special collection for those who love chocolate - flowers on a chocolate background.
A flower mosaic panel from Sicis
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Flower patterns from Saloni |
Brown flowers from Atlas Concorde
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The flower topic was, of course, the most pleasant at Cersaie, but there were several other trends as well. You can read about these in our future articles.