To go with Tile Addict’s take on the 2020 trends is a little selection of additional elements that we may be seeing more of in the coming year. They were not heavily prevalent in the lists of other trend spotters, but they are still very much worth a mention.

One trend that we are especially hoping will take off more in 2020 is coloured grout. There was some evidence of this around this year, especially at Clerkenwell Design Week, and of course, throughout Living Ceramics‘ Cava and Cava Mosaic, but there doesn’t seem to be nearly enough of it going around. Its ability to entirely transform interiors and play with tile designs makes it an incredible asset for creating unique spaces, or even just changing up what is already there.

Continuing on from the artisanal/handmade tile preference of this year is the rise in interest in Zellige tiles. These traditional Moroccan style tiles add immediate character. Handcrafted by skilled artisans, each item is unique in texture and finish, and they are available in almost any colour imaginable.

Speckled surfaces have also been mentioned as one to look out for, including the standard terrazzo, but also more sparsely detailed stracciatella style designs. These types are very rarely out of style, although their popularity does seem to come in waves. It’s possible that 2020 will see a range of new uses for this speckled stone style, with it moving away from surfaces and into objects and funiture.

The final extra trend was around in spades throughout Cersaie. Impossible material combinations made possible by ceramics could be seen on quite a few stands. Whether it was combining wood with marble or cement, forming terrazzo within terrazzo, or overlaying materials ontop of one another, there was a lot of exciting experimentation. With tile production becoming cleverer by day, we’re sure to see a whole lot more of it.

A new post by Hanna Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, December 2019.