Cersaie 2021: let's find out the new tiles trends
The 38th edition of Cersaie, the international exhibition of ceramic tiles and bathroom furnishings, in which the collections that will characterize 2022 have been launched, has just ended in Bologna. Let's find out what were the most trending products of the fair.
We do not know how much the trends of Cersaie 2021 have been influenced by the recent lockdowns and forced lives within our houses. While visiting the stands of the Bologna fair we have certainly noticed how almost all producers have ventured with nature-themed products. The desire to bring the nature at home has been clear both in the choice of colours, with a predominance of pastel shades and earthy tones for the floors, and tropical-themed décors that simulate wallpapers, (with banana leaves, jasmine and monstera deliciosa above all) for the coverings, which have been combined with light blue shades, also declined on unusual surfaces such as onyx and agate in large format slabs.
Large slabs and small sizes
As far as size is concerned, the trend for 2022 is undoubtedly that of large formats. From the "smallest" 120x120 up to 160x320, the large slabs showed off all their beauty in every pavilion of the fair, a sign of how a niche trend that began only a few years ago has been able to conquer vast parts of the market.
The astonishing formats of these stoneware slabs (soon also available on Tile & Style) are able to represent in an excellent way the marbles and stones they are inspired by, and the fair was an opportunity to present an expansion of the range with onyx, agate and the ceppo di gre stone, which is often produced with extraordinary graphics.
On the other hand, the offer has grown a lot even for smaller formats. Since the advent of the brick by Ceramica Rondine, which has brought back brick effect stoneware tiles, there has been a proliferation of new collections not only by historic businesses which are specialized in wall tiles such as Tonalite and Quintessenza, but also by companies such as Marazzi, which has reinterpreted the small-format wall covering in an artisanal way with its own Crogiolo brand. Irregular shapes and surfaces are no longer conceived as poor-quality products but take on the characteristics of craftsmanship, conferring character and personality to the entire space.
Marble is the new wood
The presence of wood-effect floors, which up to a few years were not only present everywhere but represented almost all of the ceramic tile offer, was rather marginal this year. It seems that a ten-year cycle is starting to reach its natural end, replaced by floor and wall tiles that imitate the marble effect, which can reproduce almost all the finishes of marble today. A truly vast choice of tiles that faithfully replicate travertine, statuary, pulpis, calacatta, marquina, emperador, carnico grey etc.
In short, the choice is truly vast both in glossy and matte finishes and, as the passion for marble has boosted, also the floorings of the past, such as the Venetian Terrazzo, have become more and more popular.
The rise of outdoor tiles
Finally, the last trend we want to talk about is that related to garden furniture. There is now a vast range of outdoor stoneware tiles with 2 or even 3 cm thickness, which is ideal for dry installation on both gravel and grass. In Cersaie 2021 this increased popularity has been confirmed, as each stand had an area dedicated to different types of outdoor solutions. From installation on self-levelling supports to green spaces to simulate outdoor areas with walkways or areas with garden furniture. In this case stone effect tiles are definitely more in demand, especially slates, quartzites, cobblestones and porphyry declined in increasingly larger formats even with high thicknesses. Alongside the stone look, however, concrete and wood effect tiles are also becoming more requested. The first effect is more suitable for drive-over areas while the second one lends itself better to the installation in terraces and dehors.
In conclusion, we can say that also in this edition of the fair we could notice the versatility of ceramic tiles, with which it is possible to leave room for your imagination while taking into account the current trends.