A striking porcelain tile range that evokes the natural world

In the 2010s, minimalism was having a moment. It’s a design philosophy around which countless different trends coalesced: understated aesthetics, muted colours, and a less-is-more attitude permeated throughout not only in architecture but design in general.

Then the world locked down in early 2020, and, with half of humanity confined to their homes, attitudes began to change. After months of spending more time indoors than anyone ever expected, it’s no surprise that many felt a desire to become more connected to that which they couldn’t access at the time — the outside world, and by extension, nature.

And in an effort to make this connection, many sought to bring the outside inside: experimenting with earth tones on their walls, bringing more and more colour into their immediate surroundings, and satisfying a need to both connect with nature and bring more warmth into our spaces.

As one of the most common mediums through which we can express colour throughout our homes, tiles are a significant aspect of this overall trend. European Ceramics, a tile and stone importer that’s been a leader in the New Zealand market for over 30 years, has taken notice of the trend and has developed several ranges in the past few years catered around natural tones and aesthetics.

The latest range that fits into this motif is its Nature Mood range of tiles, a collaboration with the company’s Italian supplier, Florim. Taking inspiration from the world of marbles and the material of wood, European Ceramics Managing Director Craig Stachurski says the range is a study in marrying traditional design ideals with the natural world.

“It's a very traditional kind of design — bringing back the past but integrating nature with a very soft kind of lineal flooring that is very uncomplicated,” says Craig.

With the Nature Mood collection, the natural environment “invades” man-made spaces, enters our homes and becomes part of the way we sense and experience our surroundings, influencing our mood in a positive way. Floors, wall coverings and furniture become an emotional backdrop interwoven in a harmonious dialogue of nuances and veining.

In line with the latest trends in housing evolution, in this collection, Nature becomes an active component of design, mixing a palette of surfaces with warm hues that take their inspiration from the world of marbles and the material of wood, with clean, minimalist veining and array of colours.

Craig says the range is very much designed for high end residential spaces. “The range is all about large-format slabs, which is very typical of higher-end homes at the moment,” he says. “Large format tiles reduce the amount of grout joints and give a very simplistic but elegant design. It’s popular as an interior wall covering for bathrooms and powder rooms, and internally on floors throughout high end apartments as well as commercial spaces.”

The Nature Mood range is also highly versatile in that it can also be used as a bold aesthetic element for exteriors. “The range can also be used as external cladding, on feature walls for facades, around large outdoor fireplaces, around pools as well,” says Craig. “It can transfer its elegance from interior to exterior, which can give the entire property a cohesive feel.”

One of the true standouts of the range, though, is the wood-inspired porcelain stone tile. Designed as a flooring tile, it does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to Nature Mood’s goal of bringing the natural world inside, but without the disadvantages that come with typical timber flooring.

It shines particularly in bathrooms or other wetrooms, where timber is not usually suitable. As a porcelain product, it can conduct heat and is therefore ideal for underfloor heating, and is obviously an ideal option for waterproofing.

“It’s also great for durability, and no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are used, which is common in the sealers and topical coatings of wood flooring,” says Craig.

The primary goal of the Nature Mood range though, he says, is the attainment of elegant spaces that flow between interior and exterior, enhancing the presence of light so as to bestow a sensation of immersion in the natural environment.

Learn more about Nature Mood and European Ceramics’ other ranges.