Style & Design

Tile suppliers shop the world

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

MSI Adella, installed here in a shower, is made in Spain.

Much of tile’s inspiration can be garnered from its long, storied history from all over the world. Even today, much of tile’s inspiration is influenced by different countries and cultures.

“With our many contacts around the world, we get to preview the latest and newest products from top producers and influencers in the tile industry, all the way to the artisan factories in small villages,” said Felicia Clark, creative director of decorative products with Bedrosians. “We use that knowledge to create exclusive designs for our clients by working closely with these factories to create custom collections and custom color palates that will fit the specific needs of our markets.”

International trade shows also serve as a great resource for suppliers and retailers alike.

Scott Tolnai, vice president of retailer Avalon Flooring, said Cersaie, happening this month in Bologna, Italy, is the best avenue for seeing what the manufacturers from around the world are offering and selling in other worldwide markets. “The U.S. market is always a year or two behind the European and other eastern markets so it gives us a chance to look into the future and stay ahead of some of the competitors,” he said.

Emily Holle, director of trend & design for MSI, told FCW that different countries have different things to offer the U.S. market – and the company has learned which countries are best at different types of products. “We lean on some countries for high-design and texture while others help us hit a price point,” Holle shared. “Each country offers a unique product line that we work with to deliver the best overall MSI assortment to our customers.”

Here are some of the countries making a splash in the U.S. tile market.

Turkey

Many tile manufacturers offer tiles that are made in Turkey, including MSI. Seen here is MSI’s Metrica tile, which is made in Turkey, from the company’s Kenzzi Collection.

The Spectra tile collection Ege Seramik by Ege Seramik is made in Turkey.

Italy

While large format tiles are just starting to take off in the U.S., this format has been popular in Italy for years. Shown here is MSI’s Caldera collection of large format porcelain tiles, made in Italy.

What better way to celebrate Italian culture than with reflective tile visuals? This tile from Italian manufacturer Rondine, appropriately named Tuscany, was inspired by the traditional artistry of Italy in the 1400s.

Spain

Many of MSI’s large format tiles come from across the globe. Its Adella Viso Calacatta collection is sourced from Spain.

Spanish manufacturer Oset highlights the elegance of geometrics in its Andorra collection. This stone look collection features a chic fishscale pattern in its indoor/outdoor tile collection.

While tile texture is showing up more and more in the U.S., the bold trend is inspired by attractive textures from around the world. Spanish manufacturer Dune highlights valiant texture and minimalist style in its Stripes collection, seen here.

China

“Our Tile Crest line brings an exceptional array of beautifully designed, high quality porcelain tiles from our Bedrosians manufacturing facility in Asia,” said Raul Mateus, Bedrosians director of Tile Crest sales. “Tile Crest is hand selected and designed using information that is gathered from around the world. The latest colors and design trends in the fashion and interior designer industry all come to life this custom-produced porcelain tile line.” Seen here is Bedrosians’ Metro Plus porcelain tile.

MSI’s Dymo, a large format, textured wall tile, is made in China.

India

MSI’s Sande collection, seen here, is made in India. “MSI proudly sources over 40,000 containers per year from 36 countries and six continents,” MSI’s Emily Holle told FCW. “Being savvy in the world marketplace helps us move very quickly. We know that trends change so we are very nimble among the 36 countries and we move according to the latest demand.”