Size Matters in the World of Ceramic Tiles - Bathroom Decor Trends For 2010
"Should I choose large tiles or smaller ones when I remodel my home?" This is one of the most commonly asked questions which clients ask when planning to renovate their bathroom, hallway, or kitchen floors.
The answer to that question became clear to me after attending Cersaie 2009, the 27th edition of International Exhibition of Ceramic Tiles and Bathroom Furnishing exposition in Bologna, Italy.
It is one of the most important annual international events for ceramic tile and bathroom remodeling.
Despite the economic meltdown that dominated 2009, the exhibition was fully booked with more than 1030 exhibitors from 34 different countries and 83,000 participants.
The amount of people that came to this exhibition once again confirmed the leadership and importance of this event in the world of tiles and bathroom furnishing.
One of the most prevalent trends this year was ceramic tiles getting bigger.
For the first time at this exhibition I saw tiles that were 24x56 inches in size.
Can you imagine that six such tiles will easily cover the standard shower? Different, bigger machines are needed to cut such tiles, and they were also presented on the exhibition floor.
In addition, tiles are slimming down.
The newest tiles are 1/4 inch thick, which is especially important in terms of reconstruction and renovation.
Tiles this thin can be installed over existing material and still produce a floor that is less than 1 inch thick.
They are not as heavy as traditional tiles, which means lower shipping weight and more room for storage.
Trends from previous years were still evident, including ceramic tiles that mimic natural materials such as wood and stone.
Many such tiles have the textured look and feel of "the real thing" but are much easier to maintain because they are stain and scratch resistant and do not respond to moisture or to ultraviolet (UV) rays.
Rainfall shower heads became a norm this year.
Many of today's customers are focusing not only on functionality but also on design and aesthetics.
The new generation of luxury shower heads qualifies on both counts - they are beautiful and they are functional (I took more than 200 photos just of the shower heads because they were so original).
A lot of them can be installed as a recess in the ceiling.
Depending on the setting, they are able to mimic the torrential rain of a storm or create a more mild rain experience.
Some of the more luxurious ones can produce different types of 'rain' while mixing water with light that changes its colour with respect to temperature.
No more shut-off valves.
Showers are now equipped with electronic modules that can adjust the volume and temperature of water.
The additional memory module allows setting the water temperature for each family member separately.
The answer to that question became clear to me after attending Cersaie 2009, the 27th edition of International Exhibition of Ceramic Tiles and Bathroom Furnishing exposition in Bologna, Italy.
It is one of the most important annual international events for ceramic tile and bathroom remodeling.
Despite the economic meltdown that dominated 2009, the exhibition was fully booked with more than 1030 exhibitors from 34 different countries and 83,000 participants.
The amount of people that came to this exhibition once again confirmed the leadership and importance of this event in the world of tiles and bathroom furnishing.
One of the most prevalent trends this year was ceramic tiles getting bigger.
For the first time at this exhibition I saw tiles that were 24x56 inches in size.
Can you imagine that six such tiles will easily cover the standard shower? Different, bigger machines are needed to cut such tiles, and they were also presented on the exhibition floor.
In addition, tiles are slimming down.
The newest tiles are 1/4 inch thick, which is especially important in terms of reconstruction and renovation.
Tiles this thin can be installed over existing material and still produce a floor that is less than 1 inch thick.
They are not as heavy as traditional tiles, which means lower shipping weight and more room for storage.
Trends from previous years were still evident, including ceramic tiles that mimic natural materials such as wood and stone.
Many such tiles have the textured look and feel of "the real thing" but are much easier to maintain because they are stain and scratch resistant and do not respond to moisture or to ultraviolet (UV) rays.
Rainfall shower heads became a norm this year.
Many of today's customers are focusing not only on functionality but also on design and aesthetics.
The new generation of luxury shower heads qualifies on both counts - they are beautiful and they are functional (I took more than 200 photos just of the shower heads because they were so original).
A lot of them can be installed as a recess in the ceiling.
Depending on the setting, they are able to mimic the torrential rain of a storm or create a more mild rain experience.
Some of the more luxurious ones can produce different types of 'rain' while mixing water with light that changes its colour with respect to temperature.
No more shut-off valves.
Showers are now equipped with electronic modules that can adjust the volume and temperature of water.
The additional memory module allows setting the water temperature for each family member separately.