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OCTOBER 2015 | 39 Tiles Mosaics, large formats and clean lines dominate the world of tiles by LAURIE JONES I n the ever-changing world of tiles, new patterns reminiscent of old-world charm or cutting-edge design solutions are all on deck this year, giving designers a plethora of options. Olympia Tile + Stone now distributes from its recently renovated 30,000- square-foot, state-of-the-art showroom with a vast selection of wall, floor, glass and stone tiles. Anila Bregasi, director of product development, says the trends are leaning toward large format tiles for the floor as well as wall applications in vari- ous shapes. "Our new Inspire collection in size 10-inch by 30-inch traces the precise appear- ance of some of the finest Italian marbles. This collection is complemented by mosa- ics and by a wide selection of decors," says Bregasi. "Another new modern product we offer is called Digitalart. It is a contemporary porcelain tile with a fabric look that offers sizes up to 36-inch by 36-inch with five beautiful colours and rectified edges." Bregasi adds that this collection can offer many styling combinations and laying patterns which can be used for floors and walls in kitchens, bathrooms, res- taurants, hotels and offices. "Wood tile options are still very popular," says Bregasi. "The Noon series is a contemporary expression of simple life. It has five warm colours in two finishes – matte and high polished – in an eight-inch by 48-inch plank. Also, Noon comes in a Chevron format which is an extremely popular design." Gemstar Group Inc. is now offering Laminam, a tile product that is produced in large, quarter-inch-thin sheets. "It is made under a number of names, but Laminam is the Italian version that we carry," says Frank Rossi, president. "It is almost a slab replacement without the weight and although it is made to look synthetic, they just started making copies of authentic stone. So for example, a Carrera look could be made in Laminam. Because it is so thin, it is like paper and will shape and fold into crevices." Rossi says Laminam has been around for a couple of years and is now being used in installations like hospitals and washrooms because of its porcelain nature. It is easy to maintain and cost effective for labour. Rossi's team is installing Laminam in a subway station in Toronto. "It will be coloured and will look like cladding in stairwells, down the wall perimeters and escalator walls," he says. On The EDGE Laminam can be used over existing finishes for retrofits but for a new fit, using the large panels can make the installation look very monolithic. "Because the prod- uct is so light, you only need one or two guys to manoeuvre the sheets and cover some good square footages," adds Rossi. Classic shaped tiles are seeing a resurgence throughout North America. "Earlier this spring, at the Coverings show in Orlando, Florida, the presence of hexagons, herringbones, chevrons and the ever popular arabesques was quite evi- dent," says Curt Higham, product specialist, Ames Tile & Stone. "Many of the international factories show- cased a wide range of shapes and sizes, balanced well with more traditional tile finishes. Our Terra series is a prime example of geometry meeting tradition, featuring eight-and-a-half hexa- gon tiles with a flume glaze." Higham notes Buckingham is a clean and dynamic new series in the company's col- lection, available in both three-inch by nine-inch and arabesque formats, with a won- derful crackle glaze and five delight- ful, neutral colours, suitable for any kitchen backsplash or feature wall. "We're also very excited about Chevron Chic, an exciting new Italian series," he says. "It's a three-inch by 21-inch porcelain floor tile available in four colours with lots of colour variations through- out." These tiles have an angle cut at both ends to give a v-shaped pattern, and the herringbone patterns are created with square end tiles also set in a v-shaped pattern. Digitalart porcelain tile from Olympia Tile + Stone; The Inspire collection of Italian marble also from Olympia; Chevron Chic from Ames Tile & Stone; Classic shaped Buckingham also from Ames.

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