As part of its drive to introduce the latest international trends to the local market, leading construction and tile adhesive specialist TAL attended Cersaie 2016 in Bologna, Italy from 25 to 29 September. Billed as the largest tiling and sanitaryware fair in Europe, TAL was in attendance to cement its reputation in the local market as a trendsetter with its thumb on the pulse of the latest developments.

A notable trend at Cersaie 2016 was large-format tiles, with tiles as large as 3.2 m by 2.4 m installed on walls and floors, and even showcased as furniture. The end result is a seamless look in the overall design of a room.

 Asso Posa, the Italian tiling installers’ association, demonstrated the specialised installation of these large-format tiles in a shower. Considerable skill and experience is required in measuring, cutting and fixing these tiles without cracking or breaking them, specifically when cutting the holes for the taps/mixers and shower rose. Placing adhesive onto the wall and back-buttering these giant tiles, and then fixing them in place, requires good timing and coordination in order to prevent the adhesive from skinning.

General tiling trends at Cersaie 2016 focused on a ‘warm’ colour palette. Display colours ranged from natural and muted to dark charcoal and even black. Wood has progressed from a petrified or fossilised look to encompass warm, golden tones akin to the giant Sequoia trees.

Cement and concrete designs remain popular. Tile designs at Cersaie 2016 also incorporated a lot of fabric print, such as tweed or denim, but again in a muted manner that meant it was only noticeable up close. Metallics were also evident as veining in some tiles, or as inlays, with rose gold being the most popular. Texture is created by the tile surface itself, in the form of raised geometric shapes such as triangles, circles or squares.

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