OK, I’m going to start by asking a few questions. In the past year, have you?
… watched Mad Men?
… made cupcakes?
… used Instagram?
… browsed Etsy?
If you answered yes to any of the above then you’re not alone – as a nation we’re lovers of nostalgia. If we’re not at the local flea market at the weekend then there’s a good chance we’re in the backyard, giving an old piece of furniture a new lease of life.
The latest interior trend
Without a doubt, vintage is one of the most popular trends in interior design right now and whether you’re a mid-century maestro or a sucker for shabby chic, you’ll find plenty of designs that float your boat.
Over the past twelve months we’ve noticed an increase in the amount of retro-style tile designs available thanks, in no small part, to inkjet printing. This new manufacturing process has opened up a whole new world of possible tile styles and allowed tile manufacturers to experiment with more innovative and unusual designs than ever before. Here’s our pick of some of the best.
Tapestry
Inspired by Victorian encaustic tiles, Tapestry is one of our most popular collections and it’s easy to see why. The collection is designed by the Spanish designer Francisco Segarra – often referred to as the ‘King of Vintage’. These are the tiles to use if you’re looking to combine traditional design with a modern twist and as it’s made from ceramic, it’s the ideal tile to use to create an eclectic kitchen or bathroom.
Take a look at the main picture above to see how good Tapestry look and yes.. we’ve used Instagram there
Life
What happens if you combine vintage style with popular wood effect tiles? You get tiles like Life – inspired by weathered and distressed timber floors. Lay these tiles on your kitchen floor and your guests will think they’ve been down for years.
And the great thing? As these tiles are made from glazed porcelain they won’t actually weather any further and you’re new floor will look this good for years to come.
Vintage Wood
Another distressed floor tile, the slender size of Vintage Wood makes it a great choice for smaller rooms such as ensuite bathrooms and hallways. Inkjet printing is used to faithfully recreate the strong shading and colour variation you’d expect to find on reclaimed timber floor boards. If you’re looking to maximise your vintage style and minimise you’re budget, this could be the perfect tile.
Seawood
This tile is so new it’s not yet on our website but we knew it was something special as soon as we saw the first samples.
Made by a small Italian design factory, as the name suggests Seawood is heavily inspired by the sea. Think of fishing boats bleached by the sun, driftwood washed ashore and you’ll get the picture. This is a large format porcelain plank and will add an authentic, beautiful touch to any open plan floor space.
Seawood will be added to our collection shortly so keep an eye out!
In September we’ll be visiting the annual Cersaie tile exhibition in Bologna, Italy, to see what’s new and source tiles for our winter collection. Distressed and vintage tiles are likely to feature prominently again this year so look out for our post-exhibition report at the end of September.
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!