May 8, 2013

Coverings 2013 Top Products and Trends

Billed as “The Ultimate Tile & Stone Experience”, the industry show Coverings was held in Atlanta last week. Many exhibitors showcased inkjet printing and digital processes, used to visually transform porcelain tile into weathered wood planks, worn concrete, and stone, while mosaics assumed an exaggerated pixilated appearance. Contoured surfaces—not blatantly textured, but softly sculpted—tempted the eye as well as the hand. In glazed goods, color fell into two categories: cautious, muted combinations of jewel tones or a quick hit of brightness (in most cases, red) in a neutral field. Metallics were burnished and complex, with little clear, gleaming gold or silver to be found.

But the show wasn’t all eye candy. Barry Goralnick, president of New York-based Goralnick, was impressed by the functional qualities of the products on display. “As an architect, I’m fascinated by new technology,” says Goralnick. “The large-format tiles offer new possibilities for design, such as brise-soleil, rain screens, or ventilated building facades.”

Coverings 2014 will take place in Las Vegas, April 29-May 2.

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