Natural stone and other luxurious materials were once products reserved only for the highest end of the market but that’s no longer the case as porcelain tiles have developed to become ubiquitous with a range of high-end looks.
The latest technological advances mean the ranges available are almost indistinguishable from the materials they mimic.
According to Tile Space’s Miranda Powrie, that’s thanks to the fine-tuning of digital printing technology combined with their Italian suppliers’ futuristic manufacturing methodology that combine to create products of a superior quality.
Marvel Pro Statuario Macchia A
One of Tile Space’s main Italian suppliers, Atlas Concorde, operates a manufacturing facility that is arguably unrivalled the world over. “Manufacturing tiles is a tricky business, as they are fired at over 1200 degrees, incredibly minor differences in the ingredients make for noticeable differences in the end product” Miranda says.
“A good marker for a superior tile manufacturer is their true black and true white tiles. While warm white is relatively easy to create, true white is not. Atlas Concorde transfer their clays in oxides from the silos to the kiln in a completely airtight process that is completely computer controlled, ensuring incredible accuracy over the entire process”
One of the most popular ranges from Atlas Concorde in New Zealand currently is their Marvel range. The range of incredibly realistic marble replica tiles in sizes from a practical 600x600 right through to a stunning 1200x2400 slab.
“We’re seeing people use tiles throughout the home much more than they used to, primarily to create a feature or room mimicking either natural or high-end products,” Miranda says.
Along with the Marvel range, Tile Space have recently bought in a new industrial style range from Diesel Living, inspired by urban decay, realised with rough materials, contrasting shapes and textural treatments.
Diesel Concrete
Natural stone-look tiles are the other hot product in the tile world at the moment, with the Cliff Stone Range which mimics limestone, as well as the Nordic Stone Range that provides a more pared back classic stone look some of the most popular.
Large format tiles are also on trend, giving people the ability to do a single-piece splashback, for example, or line a shower with tiles but do away with the need for as many grout lines. “The large format tiles create a really stunning whole-form look,” Miranda says.
“What you can achieve with tiles is always developing, but what we’re seeing people favour at the moment is a predominantly natural look.”
And it’s this aesthetic that Miranda says has been able to be achieved with the latest advances in digital printing. “All these tiles are created by digitally printing an image onto the tile,” Miranda says. “Even close up, you can’t see the pixels so they are incredibly realistic.”
While most tiles are of similar quality, the difference – particularly in the ranges that mimic natural materials – is in the image printed on the tile. “While the top-end manufacturers, spend a lot of time considering the design and how to make it as realistic as possible, such as purchasing a piece of the most expensive stone to photograph and then transfer to tiles, a more economical manufacturer could simply create a design, and it’s in these details that the difference lies.”
It’s these seemingly subtle differences that often, at first glance, are unnoticeable that alter the quality of a project, and it’s the reason Tile Space is dedicated to working with the world’s top tile manufacturers.
Tile Space’s design consultants work with architects and designers as well as directly with clients to help achieve the desired look for every project. Their stores are located around the country with resellers stocking their product in the smaller centres.
