Marble and Wood Look Tile: Top Tile Trends From Cevisama 2015 in Valencia, Spain

Warren Lampert and I are back from Cevisama 2015 where we got to experience the latest tile trends and ideas happening in Valencia, Spain. During our visit, we spent two intensely packed days visiting with over 20 exhibitors and learning about beautiful new tile products that we can't wait to share with you!

In terms of top tile trends from Cevisama, we observed a continuation in the intensely realistic wood look tile as well as marble looking tiles. Inkjet technology continues to evolve and make possible even more real looking ceramic and porcelain tile products that look exactly like real wood and polished marble. Tile formats are also becoming bigger.

In this article, I'll focus on several beautiful marble and wood look tile product we came across.

What is Cevisama?

The Cevisama trade show has been taking place for 30 years with a focus on ceramics. Participating exhibitors showcase the latest innovations in ceramic tiles, bathroom equipment, natural stone, glazes and colors, tiles and bricks, materials and tools.

This European exhibit attracts distributors, importers, producers, wholesalers, shops, architects, interior designers and the press from over 144 countries. It's truly an international celebration of all things ceramic. Per the press release issued post-show, Cevisama 2015 exceeded 75,000 visitors!

Kathryn Spencer, VP Purchasing & Business Development, Tile Outlets of America in transit between Atlanta, GA and Valencia, Spain to attend Cevisama 2015.

Top Tile Trends from Cevisama 2015: Classic Marble Looks in Porcelain Tile

These products amazed us in how much they looked like polished marble. Even when you walk up to touch and examine the tile really closely, the beauty of the tile is so real it looks like a piece of natural stone.

Warren and I believe we'll be seeing even more of these classic beautiful marble looks in many formats. Here are several selections from Pamesa, Spain, in a range of finishes and selections.

Classic marble look porcelain tile from Pamesa in Spain.

Notice how the tile sizes are getting bigger.

By the way, the middle Grey marble called Helios will be a new addition to the Tile Outlets of America tile collection.

Note how this porcelain tile looks just like polished marble.

The Pamesa booth was impressive! It consisted of 6,000 square feet of full size vignettes which brought to life the different tile products. It takes 20 guys working at least a week or more before the show to get this booth together according to William Bannantine, the US Area Manager for Pamesa, Spain.

From the minute you walk in the booth, you can walk from room to room and get a real feel for what the different tile looks will create in your home.

Below is another classic marble look in a polished porcelain tile. These walls are displayed in a 15x30 format and cover floor to ceiling. (You can even see me taking notes in the mirror.)

The classic marble looks continued throughout the show. The image below is of one of our favorite picks - Calacatta 24x48 - that Grespania presented on the floor of their booth.

Talk about a timeless look that completely captures the real look of marble on the floor in a polished porcelain.

Below is a picture with the owner of Grespania, Luis Hernandez, along with his daughter, Claudia Hernandez, and our US agent Richard Niddam.

Kate with the owner of Grespania, Luis Hernandez, along with Claudia Hernandez and our US agent Richard Niddam

We are so impressed with Grespania which continues to bring us great designs and looks. We always look forward to seeing what is new at their booth and greatly appreciate the quality of their ceramic products. We also look forward to adding the Calacatta line to the Tile Outlets of America collection.

Top Tile Trends from Cevisama 2015: Wood Looks in Porcelain Tile

We love wood look tile and are really excited about how that trend is evolving in tile.

Wood look planks are getting longer and more dimensional.

They aren't just all the same color and flatness. You'll notice more structure and shading to the tile designs to create an even more real look of natural wood in a porcelain or ceramic tile.

Below are two new wood plank series from STN called Merbau and Mukali. Notice how each brings great colors and movement to the floor. The entire STN booth floor was installed with the Merbau series.

Merbau and Mukali wood look porcelain tile from STN

Below is Kingswood from Pamesa, Spain. It's a more classic wood look, yet it too features added depth and movement in the design. It comes in 5 colors.

Kingswood wood look tile from Pamesa, Spain.

This product will also become part of the Tile Outlets of America collection.

Wood looks in tile don’t stop at planks. You can also get these beautiful wood looks in modular formats as well.

Here you see two products from Ceramica Gomez, Spain that Warren and I both found attractive.

In the photo below, Candido Urtiaga, US Agent for Ceramica Gomez, is explaining to me the inkjet techology in this product and how the pieces and colors differ from one piece to the next.

Candido Urtiaga, US Agent Ceramica Gomez and Kathryn Spencer, TOA

Ceramica Gomez created a wall display with these 20x20 tiles to demonstrate how the floor is not your only option for tile installation.

As we walked around the Ceramic Gomez booth, we noticed a beautiful wood tile format that caught Warren’s eye.

Warren couldn’t stop talking about it and wanted to see it again, so we came back to the booth to have a plate of Paella. At least that is what Warren said. It was lunch time….

What's very different compared to trade shows in the U.S., is how food is part of the trade show experience in Europe. It's a way to relax and start a conversation with the exhibitor during which you learn about the company, the people, the products and the country.

Marvelous paella at the Ceramica Gomez booth.

Cevisama takes place in Spain and the majority of the exhibitors are from Spain. However, there were a few exhibitors from Italy who showcased their new tile looks.

One item of interest was a wood looking tile in a 12x24 format that even displayed actual screws in the inkjet glaze! The tile had the appearance of a floor that has been sanded, including the marks in the wood that sanding creates.

Check out the dark dots on the tiles below, that give you the look that this floor was installed with nails or screws. This is a feature tile from Epoca, Italy.

Exciting, no? There's more that I'll share with you in other articles.

In the meantime, what do you think about these top tile trends from Cevisama? Which marble look and wood look tiles do you like most? How do you see using them in your home? Let me know in the comments.

I look forward to sharing with you more trends from Cevisama in the next articles in this series celebrating the show.

Kate