High End Promo Dee Shultz & Erin Copper : Page 20
Meet the New Tile continued from page 18 laid in some type of a pattern. Visual interest comes from the light playing off the surface. Along with aesthetics, technology is the catalyst bringing tile into almost every room of the house. Digital imaging enables tiles to mimic any material from grasscloth to wood. Water jet cutting creates flowing curves and shapes that were unthinkable years ago. Additionally, large pieces of stone can be carved by machine and finished by hand. Becker points out that the technolo-gy to do this didn’t exist a few years ago. “Ceramic offers amazing breadth of choice and style preference, and is natural-ly low maintenance. Glass, with its translu-cent nature and reflective qualities is also getting a lot of attention, as are metallics with their reactive glazes and textural inter-est,” says DeeDee Gundberg, product devel-opment portfolio manager for Ann Sacks. “The key,” she says, “is not to mix too many materials or mediums. By keeping it simple and tasteful, your selection will remain fresh and inviting long after the color of the season has been replaced with the next ‘best’ shade.” Looking ahead, Becker says, “Design boundaries are being pushed.” Texture will continue to be a big trend, as will products that combine different materials in one tile. Here, we illustrate some of the top trends unfolding today. Not Just a Flat Surface Textures and carving add dimension to tiles today, but even a single carved tile can add dramatic impact. Also creating visual interest are mosaics using highs and lows that bring depth and dimension to a space. In kitchens and baths, a mosaic back-splash often extends to the ceiling rather than just above the counter. PHOTO COURTESY DALTILE Tone on Tone Artistic Tiles’ Chrysanthemum is a dazzling stone and natural river shell, jet-cut mosaic, featuring petals of polished Calacatta Gold marble paired with hints of white natural river-shell inserts. The mix of white on white elevates this classic design, says Nancy Epstein, founder and CEO of Artistic Tile, and it also reflects some of the biggest trends of 2012. Monochromatic looks, espe-cially white on white, are in vogue, as are organic — rather than geo-metric — shapes. But it also demonstrates water-jet technology. Warm beige and cream palettes continue to reign as the most However, Kirk-Rolley says, “We have recently seen an increased interest in grays, specifically cooler grays, and anticipate this will continue in the years to come.” PHOTO COURTESY ARTISTIC TILE Metallics are still popular, but the trend has morphed into a more subdued look. It’s a great way to add pizzazz to a bar. desired colors for the Daltile brand. PHOTO COURTESY DALTILE 2 20 T HE H IGH E ND
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