Coverings 2010: Gira de España (Tour of Spain)

A media tour around the Tile of Spain exhibitors at Coverigns 2010 this week revealed some beautiful and innovative products:

 

The first stop was at Natucer, which debuted its Alfa De Plato Award-winning LifeArq Collection. The Ivy (shown above left) and Bamboo (shown above right) series are an example of innovative applications for porcelain as room dividers. The tiles are wrapped around metal support poles to offer a variety of architectural solutions. Also, the company has designed Scale and Channel, tiles cut in the form of long rectangles that function as exterior siding via stacking and/or overlapping edges.

Family-owned Rosa Gres presented a large-format tile line called Imagina. the commercial ceramic, launching in the U.S. for the first time this year, can withstand heavy traffic and comes in five formats that range in size up to 47.2-in. by 47.2-in. It is available in five natural stone shades.

 
  
Pictured above left, Jean Philippe of the Navarati Group shows us Calacatta HD, a new line that features what the company calls "the next generation of high definition printing technology." The line, as well as their Daino Reale Series, feature realistic stone and marble patterns in matte and polished finishes in three sizes. The company also displayed Serie River Stone (show above right). The "pebbled" tiles, created using ink jet technology over embossed three-dimensional ceramic, offer immensely realistic texture and visuals that made me have to reach out and touch it. Available in three color collections.

  
 

More ink jet technology was highlighted at Grespania. The new Krimiss Series (above left), the company's first wall tile utilizing the digital patterns, emulates the look of marble and travertine in three colors and four sizes. Additionally, the company had multiple trims and decorative tiles, such as Astorga Negro (above right) that offered textured looks and feels to walls. Astorga comes in black or white hues, and in 30-in. by 40-in. sizes.

 

Inalco's new products aim to show that tiles can be used in a range of applications. Wood (shown above) is part of the Sensations Collection, created in collaboration with architecture studio Bunch, S.L. The tile emulates single tone, distressed wood in look and texture. The full series, with Concrete and Clay, evelopes natural elements for a timeless look. The tiles use SlimmKer technology, meaning they are ultra-thin at 4mm, come in sizes up to 32-in. squares. Additionally, Inalco launched Pyrene Negro (shown below), the first tile to utilize white on black ink jet technology to rreplicate veining found in stone.

  

Iridio (above left) by Apavisa is a fusion of semi-precious stones, metals, and natural stone in a highly technical porcelain tile that shines with a hint of metallic sheen. The line looks very Avant Garde and replicates Brazilian granite. Outdoor (above right), as it's name suggests, is suitable for external applications. It mimics the look of white or gray concrete and is made from 40 percent recycled materials.

 
 
 Porcelanatto, a subsidiary of TAU, showcased its NO-Stalgia series, designed by Karim Rashid. (Read mor eabout the presentation and Karim's comments at ContractDesign.com.) TAU also presented its Afterdark project (shown below in a provided image), the first intelligent, photo-luminescant tile. The product accumulates and stores light from the sun or artificial lighting installations and later releases it, which is ideal during emergencies or for public spaces, such as metro stations, movie theaters, etc.

 


-- Stacy Straczynski


 

Secret's Out for Hilton

Hilton Worldwide has revealed LightStay, a sustainability secret it has kept for two years. After a long bout of internal testing, it has been unveiled that LightStay has saved more than $29 million in utility costs in 2009. The system records a running account of energy and water use, and waste and carbon outputs at the properties, and computes their causes across 200 operational practices.

Thirteen-hundred Hilton Worldwide properties, all of which used the system, saved enough energy to power 5,700 homes annually, enough water to fill more than 650 Olympic-size pools, and lowered their carbon footprint to the equivalent of removing 34,865 cars from the road. Hilton Worldwide properties that have been using LightStay have reduced their energy use by 5 percent, their carbon output by 6 percent, waste output by 10 percent, and water use by 2.4 percent compared to the previous year.

LightStay also helps Hilton Worldwide’s guests to evaluate their own sustainability practices by calculating the environmental impact of each business meeting or conference. By the end of  2011, all of Hilton Worldwide’s 3,500 properties will be using LightStay.

-- Gillian Wong

Coverings 2010: TCNA Tile Tour Highlights

Here are some of the highlights and new products I was able to see on the Tile Council of North America media tile tour:

 

Crossville had several new product introductions, but the company's Ultimetal tile, which won a Coverings Select award, stood out above the rest. The tile incorporates a metal mesh texture and gives a hint of metallic sheen. It is also extremely versatile, as shown in the Liberty Bell depiction to the left.

 
Trikeenan's tiles resemble glazed bricks, which is extremely fitting since the product incorporates up to 40 percent post-consumer recycled brick. The tile has a brilliant finish which reflects light, causing the tile color to change depending on the viewing angle.

 
Porcelainite Lamosa had a very unique looking porcelain tile, called Strauss Tech, that resembled natural marble patterns. The blue and white (also comes in blue and gold) has the feel of dutch tradition with a modern edge. Tiny specks of reflective metallics and extra oomph and luxury to a piece that is suitable for lower price points.

 

Florida Tile showcased several looks-like-stone tiles that utilized ink jet technology. Their HDP (High Definition Porcelain) Series features three lines--Quartez, Travertine, and Marble--with over 300 different face patterns to ensure that the tiles do not repeat.

 

At the Vitromex booth, focus was on sustainability and the return to nature. Four dancing models were poised at each corner, dressed to represent the four elements--earth, wind, fire, and water. The Mexican tile company states that in line with its current green initiative, it will plant a tree for every person who visits Vitromex.com and fills out the online form.

Coverings 2010: Color Me This

I had the opportunity to attend a seminar at Coverings 2010 called “Color Trends: The Catalysts that Create Change” by Pantone Color Institute’s Color Consultant Leatrice Eiseman, presented on April 27. Known as the “international color guru,” Eiseman spoke in depth about the importance of predicting color trends for manufacturers and retailers in any industry, and what the 2011 trends will be.

“Catalyst is one of my favorite words,” she says, “because it says to people that you’re creating something of excitement.”

She started out by detailing that the current markets are heavily influenced by the recession (which isn’t a surprise to anyone). But while consumers and design clients are buying less, the research shows that consumers says they will spend more on the products that help improve their health and their lives. They want simplicity, clarity, and a return to authentic applications to connect them to the past and bring them back to a comforting place—a main catalyst behind the many retro-inspired designs and projects that we’re seeing today. (This is also where the green movement fits in as another driver behind the rapid increase in sustainable design, as can be witnessed by all the “green” claims and promotions this year at Coverings.)

Eiseman also emphasized the importance and necessity of architects, designers, and retailers to stay informed about the world of fashion. “In a world of color, what happens in the fashion industry will happen in all others as well.” (She suggests reading magazines like Women’s Wear Daily.) To get the message home, she displayed a recent Armstrong ad in which a Judy Garland look-a-like was used to create a classic vibe. “Retro is not dead. It’s very much around. This is what we call eclecticism. But it’s far less rococo and much more modernized.” In fact, Eiseman says that this was easily witnessed in Milan at the Furniture Fair 2010 by how the more retro-inspired collections were the most heavily trafficked.

As far as color and style trends go, here is what Eiseman says will be all the rage in 2011:

• Excessive glitz will be downplayed by warmer colors and texture surfaces. People are looking to do away with “cold” design and looking for a touch of humanity in their interior environments, styles, and designs.
• Anything that lends itself to “movement,” via optical illusions, light interplay, etc., is in.
• Quality and value are going up in popularity. People want style first and foremost, but they want quality, as well. This quality also applies to color. With technological advances and HD resolutions, color is taking the forefront in movies (such as Avatar and Alice in Wonderland), which is changing how people view their own sense of style. The mentality is now, “If I see it in a textile, or the movies, or here or there, why can’t that be translated to the floor, or the wall, or adapted to all areas?”
• The main colors will be periwinkle blues, warm earth tones, blacks and whites that allow accent colors to pop, vibrant/rich reds, as well as the continuation of deeply “alive” purples. Additionally, anything with metallic sheens that add light and movement to a space will be popular.

Overall, Eiseman says that the general public is getting smarter about color—they are designing themselves and doing their own research—so that means designers are going to have to stay that much more ahead in their own expertise. But she also notes, that the trends are simply extensions of what we’ve been seeing for the last several years. “I don’t think that trends are changing all that fast, just the reinventions of how colors are put together.”

--Stacy Straczynski

"Rematerial" Investigates Waste in Design

Before you throw out that used paper plate or Styrofoam bin, you may want to consider another use for it. Rematerial, the new book by architect/photographer/editor Alejandro Bahamón and painter/photographer/videographer Maria Camila Sanjinés, will teach you that one man’s waste is another man’s design materials. The book features tons of projects that have taken recycled objects, from paper cups to cargo containers, and utilized them in efficiently and sustainably-designed buildings.

 

Rematerial is also jam-packed with photos of such achievements, including projects of the Rural Studio, REFUNC, and Dan Rockhill, among others. It includes a series of initiatives as well, all of which promote the use of these recycled materials in architecture and design.

 

The movement—of the use of waste in architecture—has consistently picked up steam alongside the “green” movement, and this book offers both industry insiders, like builders, architects, and designers, and the general public the opportunity to hop on board and learn how to participate or just become informed.

 

Bahamón has authored numerous books before on the subject of contemporary architecture, while Sanjinés, along with her art, edits illustrated design and architecture publications. All 340 pages of Rematerial hit stores June 21.

Public Art: What’s on the Horizon?

Whew! It’s nice to know that the man standing at 853 Broadway, sky high above Union Square, is actually made of iron and fiberglass. Perhaps I’m slow on the uptake, but it was a little stunning to look up from beating other New York Pillow Fighters to see what seemed like a man on top of an extremely tall building.

So what is that sculpture doing there?

Antony Gormley, a British artist, has made 31 life-size body forms of himself. These sculptures, cast in iron and fiberglass, are scattered across Madison Square Park in addition to the rooftops of several landmarks in New York’s Flatiron District. Thornton Tomasetti was delegated the responsibility of installing the public art exhibition named “Event Horizon,” which is taking place in New York City. Event Horizon is organized by Madison Square Park Conservancy in collaboration with the City of New York.

Event Horizon was primarily made for the Blind Light exhibition in 2007, in the Hayward Gallery in London. Then, the art pieces were placed around the South Bank of the Thames River.

Should you want to take a look at these strange pieces, you will be able to find them on the Empire State Building, Flatiron Building, The New York Life building, the Clock Tower on 5 Madison Avenue, 853 Broadway (Union Square) and many other places. The exhibition will end on August 15, 2010. Thornton Tomasetti was so excited about the exhibition that it has funded much of the installation process itself. Should you want to know what the fuss is about, perhaps it’s time to engage in a little statue scavenger hunt.

Don’t forget: if you look up, don’t scream! Just look closer.

-- Gillian Wong

Dietiker to the Rescue!

Many furniture manufacturers rely on dealers and installers to provide delivery and installation services to end users.  But what happens when grand acts of nature impede your furniture delivery? 

Swiss manufacturer Dietiker recently had to go to extraordinary lengths, the kind you only see in action movies, to deliver an order of stack chairs to a hospitality client. For the first time in their 130 year history, Dietiker had to enlist the services of the Swiss Army to airlift the chair order to their client, who could not be reached due to closed roads. The end user was a Mountain Resort, and despite the road closures, the facility was in need on an on-time delivery. Therefore Dietiker devised a plan - to deliver the chairs via helicopter! Determined to bring Swiss Design (and Swiss precision timing!) to the forefront, Dietiker has shown that this is but one example of a company committed to its clients.

-- Royce Epstein, Repeat. No Repeat Blog

Calling All Designers

My mother notoriously reconfigured and redesigned our family living room on a monthly basis. Some of us (namely me) found this behavior neurotic. My mom described it as a “creative” outlet and a good release from stress. In hindsight, my mom’s alleged neurosis could also have been an indicator that she should have pursued a career in design and not the medical field. After all, our living room did always look fabulous.

Today, having a flair for design can win you money or put you on one of those TLC design shows. And Design Within Reach (DWR) is counting on folks like my mom, along with design professionals, to enter their national design contest. The Design Within Reach contest asks participants to submit original designs of commercial, hospitality or residential spaces that include DWR products (very smart marketing, btw).

The winner will receive a $10,000 gift card for more DWR products (or to pay off their existing purchases, perhaps), will be the “star” of a DWR Studio event and will be featured in the DWR catalog and Web site. Entries must be received by April 30, 2010 to be eligible.

So, are you a designer or do you constantly redesign your spaces? If so, you could soon be a “star” and have $10,000 in products to design something entirely new. And frankly, you can’t beat a deal like that. Unless of course, you can get yourself on a cable design show…

What’s your most bizarre design project? Tell us about it! And if you enter the contest and win – be sure to report back here.

--Heather Strang, DDI Magazine

Today, having a flair for design can win you money or put you on one of those TLC design shows. And Design Within Reach (DWR) is counting on folks like my mom, along with design professionals, to enter their national design contest. The Design Within Reach contest asks participants to submit original designs of commercial, hospitality or residential spaces that include DWR products (very smart marketing, btw).

The winner will receive a $10,000 gift card for more DWR products (or to pay off their existing purchases, perhaps), will be the “star” of a DWR Studio event and will be featured in the DWR catalog and Web site. Entries must be received by April 30, 2010 to be eligible.

So, are you a designer or do you constantly redesign your spaces? If so, you could soon be a “star” and have $10,000 in products to design something entirely new. And frankly, you can’t beat a deal like that. Unless of course, you can get yourself on a cable design show…

What’s your most bizarre design project? Tell us about it! And if you enter the contest and win – be sure to report back here.

--Heather Strang, DDI Magazine

Kimball Sees the Forest and the Trees

By Gillian Wong

Kimball Office is joining Earth Day Network in celebrating Earth Day 2010 (April 22) by planting 40 trees in 40 communities. As part of the global celebration of Earth Day’s 40th anniversary (founded in 1970), as well as Kimball Office’s own anniversary festivities, one tree will be planted in each region.

Every tree is selected specifically for the region that they will be planted in, to help guarantee the trees’ longevity and adaptation to the environment. By involving its employees in these sustainability projects, Kimball Office is making sure that its staff operates as a team.

Good for Kimball Office that their organization is following up on its policies. For a company that says it is “committed to sustainable business practices,” Kimball Office is making sure that it stays honest to its company’s core values, but also to the world itself. The rest of us could take a lesson from them.

For more on Kimball Office’s sustainable practices, click here.

Reinventing the Wheel

By Gillian Wong

If anyone can reinvent the wheel, it might be these two—Anne Conte and Jeanne Wiley recently created the “Woven Car” in Cohasset, Massachusetts. DuPont supplied them with sheets of DoPont Corian Oat and Corain Cocoa Brown from its Terra Collection to remake the interior of an old, rusted MG Midget. The eco-friendly project is being exhibited at the South Shore Art Center, as a part of the Media Mix exhibition.

The car is made entirely by sustainable, recycled, and overstock materials. Golden seatbelts were woven to make the checkerboard pattern bridging the car’s body, and 500 yards of webbing was used to cover the car itself. Live flowers were dipped into paper clay to create the car’s stick shift, and the tail lights are ceramic with orange, yellow, and red prints reminiscent of the ‘60s.

A unique, eco-friendly car that crosses boundaries while remaining beautiful.