The latest tile trends from Cevisama 2023

You could argue that, against the backdrop of heavily inflated energy prices and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine – one of the world's most significant providers of raw materials to the tile and ceramics industry – the return of Cevisama after three years was the most significant moment in its history.

Taking place in Valencia, Spain's architectural hub, there were halls and halls full of the latest designs and innovations from the biggest brands in the tile and ceramics sector.

The stats from Cevisama 2023 highlight the importance of this fair to the global tile and ceramics industry with show organisers reporting a 3% increase in the number of engaged international visitors (25%).

The 39th edition of the event received a total of 74,115 visitors of which 18,532 were from abroad. While this figure was down by 19.5% on the last, pre-pandemic, edition of the fair, it wasn't a bad turnout considering that there are still Covid restrictions in place in some countries, as well as economic uncertainty and a demand crisis of which industries in general are still feeling the effects.

Speaking about the impact of the return of Spain's largest tile and ceramics fair Cevisama director Carmen Álvarez said: "We heard from many exhibitors about the positive atmosphere at this year's show. "=And in this edition, the repre­sentation of foreign buyers has risen from 22 to 25% of the total."

If the halls of this year's Cevisama showed us anything it's that, despite being severely impacted by the rising energy costs, the ceramic and tile industry has been busy behind the scenes working on a raft of new designs, finishes and styles. Here's our pick of the key trends we spotted at the show which we think will have most impact on design in the kitchen and bathroom industry…

While Terrazzo finishes aren't new, this year the ancient design has a modern edge. While the overall look still mimics the original process – chips of marble slabs imbedded into the core material of the tile – this year's trend takes on a more playful, colourful finish. Arcana's Croccante porcelain tile series (pictured) is available in five colours: Tutti frutti, Sésamo, Avellana, Nuez, Arándano and Menta. New 300mm x 300mm Croccante Mosaic tiles are also available.

One of the standout styles was the stone-effect tile. This trend was brought to life through a number of different designs – many of which also highlighted the growing trend for large-format tiles as well as various finishes, including polished, natural and even ridges and reliefs, adding a bit more drama. Halcon's Group's Grand Canyon collection (pictured) is inspired by natural slate.

Perhaps influenced by the growing trend for industrial design, metallic finishes were prevalent this year. Aparici's take on it comes in the form of Corten with a finish that gives that really rustic metal feel. Available in four colours, Oxidium, Sapphire, Iron and Graphite, these porcelain tiles come in a variety of formats including oversized, 1,000mm x 1,000mm slabs. Universe in Art Oxide, from Keraben's Universe range (pictured), is another great example of this new take on metallics.

Mimicking the growing trend for greens and blues in kitchen and bathroom design, you couldn't turn a corner at this year's Cevisama without being greeted by a take on these colour finishes. Decocer's Dreams tile in a pastel shade (pictured) – its geometric shape said to be inspired by a feather – is just one example of the range of hues spotted.

Marble finishes have dominated the world of kitchen and bathroom surfaces for years and the trend only looks to be getting stronger with halls and halls full of designs – like Keraben's new Calacutta Gold marble effect tiles – paying homage to this luxury stone. Another highlight was Ceracasa's Jade which is inspired by a natural marble inlaid with precious stones called Ice Jade Green.

Baldocer's Monmartre and Symphony tiles perfectly represent the prominence of bold, daring designs at this year's show. In addition to floral prints, we saw a lot of tropical designs, all of which mirror the move for individualisation and personalisation in kitchen and bathroom design we’ve seen coming through, thanks to the influx of more adventurous wallpapers