New for walls and floors: David O'Rourke of Ashbury Tiles reports 

Beauty of style, harmony and grace depend on simplicity.   This could be a mission statement from any interior design manifesto.   The words are actually attributed to Plato, that Asian Greek philosopher, showing that, like beauty itself, a good idea is timeless.   

I gave this some thought as I viewed the new tile collections at Cervisma06 in Valencia, Spain, a gathering of the world’s leading tile designers and manufacturers: the trendsetters.  Among the big ideas that caught my eye were rectified porcelain tiles, particularly effective in a 60x30cm .  

Rectified tiles undergo a further machining process to produce clean edges on all sides, perfect for a minimal grout line.  The end result is a virtually seamless plane of tiles.  Used on walls and floors, the result is an elegant modern design that ticks all the boxes in Plato’s checklist.  The fact that the product comes in a number of different finishes (polished, satin or matt) and various colours means even more design options.  Innovative design has kept up with recent technical advances offering different choices for unique projects.  Free your imagination and the ‘new look’ can be your look. 

Floral designs were also a big hit at the exhibition.  Fear not, these are not the tiles your Nan used to have: Viva have taken the floral motif as an inspiration for a truly contemporary look in ‘Flora Nova’, including large nine tile panels, measuring 95.5x156cm.  Stunning art for your living space. 

Another of their collections ‘Hamptons’ introduce subtle floral decors in calming tranquil hues of cream and beige, ideal for the perfect relaxing bathroom.  A third Viva collection, ‘Black is Back’, the result of a collaboration between Fabrizio Zanfi and Sara Borghi, also features delicate flowers; Fabrizio believes that flowers are ‘leaves madly in love’.  As befits a company fuelled by artistic integrity, Viva chose to exhibit in private viewings at Valencia’s Institute of Modern Art. 

To set trends, one must buck trends, which leads me on to an exciting new talent.  Angel Olmos announced himself at Valencia with some superb collections.  Modern yet classic, at times playful, often reflective but  always imaginative and creative, his ‘Latina’ floor and wall range also features a (somewhat abstract) floral theme, introduced as vertical wall borders.  When seen they demand to be touched: they are tactile tiles, offering stylish, harmonious graceful simplicity.  Tiles of beauty.   

Angel’s ‘Emotions’ collection is, he claims, inspired by ‘five aromas;.  Well … I just admire the daring youthful design, adding a splash of colour and irresistible charm.  He also premiered his ‘Museum’ collection, 60x60cm polished rectified porcelain floor tiles with a gorgeous crystal-effect finish.  I predict great things from this extraordinary talent. 

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