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26 | Kitchen & Bath Design News | May 2015 By Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS Trend Spotting C overings 2015 flled the South Hall of Orlando's convention center last month with the latest offerings in tile and stone. If you're not able to travel to Spain or Italy to see the even more massive expos there, then this is the show for you. Cover i ng s br i ng s t he best of the world to the U.S. market every year. Both Ceramics of Italy and Tile of Spain, two leaders in the industry, along with the Tile Council of North America and exhibitor groups from Turkey, Brazil, China and other na- tions were represented around the show foor. Whether you were looking for high style or low cost, new tech- nologies or recent trends, Coverings 2015 had a range of stunning prod- ucts to ofer. STYLE TRENDS Wood looks continue to dominate the fashion tile scene, with a major em- phasis on reclaimed styles. Enhancing the distressed look at this show were worn edges, designed to make the wood look even more authentic, and a very realistic burnt wood look. COI members Sant'Agostino, Mirage and TOS brand STN Ceramica nailed these details. Mirage ofered an added fea- ture with a rectified miter-cut for angled installations. Rustic, textured and fabric looks were also a major style trend across the show floor. Tiles with pitting, ribbing, concrete, oxidized stone, brick and fabric looks showed up ev- erywhere, and have the potential to create fabulously interesting designs. TOS member brand Keraben Grupo showed of wood-look tiles that were so strongly ribbed you could consider them to be dimensional. Those who wa nt rea l fabric can have that, too. Renaciente, an Ecuador-based manufacturer, was showing tiles made of genuine leather. They can be installed permanently or on Velcro for removal when desired. For those who prefer their fabric- look tile to be porcelain or ceramic, there were plenty of choices on the show foor. COI member Sant'Agostino had the most unique look with its eclectic modern DigitalArt series. Bricks showed up everywhere on the show foor in an incredible array of looks. Whether one is looking for reclaimed brick for an historic project or modern gloss for a contemporary one, there's an option available from clay to metal. Metallics also ruled the show foor, especially (but not exclusively) gold. COI mosaic star Sicis showed of a $40,000 tile rug in 24 karat gold mosaic. It also displayed its Diamond Series with elegant metallic accents. On the more modern (and moderate) side, Crossville debuted a handsome addition to its oversized slab series called I Metalli. It has the look of warm and worn woven metal. TOS brand Apavisa went metallic with mini gold hexagons, tying into three popular show trends. Terra zzo hasn't been on the European radar much in recent years, so it was an unexpected – and welcome – mini-trend at Coverings. There's a defnite beneft to having an easy-to-install, low-maintenance production source for that look. Interceramic of Mexico and Texas, as well as TOS member Tau, were both ofering terrazzo selections. Polished texture, embossed and dimensional looks were also strong trends at Coverings 2015. If one's projects call for gloss, there were plenty of trends to fll those specs, too. You could opt for either delicately embossed patterns or playful bumps and penny rounds. COI 's Pet r acer's Ta ngo a nd Charisma Italiano delivered em- bossed style subtly and elegantly, as did German brand Agrob Buchtal with its Imago Series, while COI Imola member went playful with its dimensional Pop Series. Hot Trends from COVERINGS 2015 A Distressed wood looks added a burnt look. B Worn edges added realism to distressed wood-look tile. C Fabric styles got a modern look in this Italian tweed. D Gold metallics trend goes luxe with Sicis' 24-karat gold rug. E One of the most elegant trends was embossed- look tiles. F Dimensional tiles with vibrant color and fun patterns brightened the show foor. Photo: Tile of Spain member brand STN Ceramica Photo: Novita PR Photo: DSA-ceramics Photo: Ceramics of Italy member brand Imola Ceramica Photo: Ceramics of Italy member brand Sant'Agostino Photo: Ceramics of Italy member brand Sant'Agostino A D E F B C Continued on page 28