In addition to the designs from Wa-Kei, the Japan Ceramic Tile Manufacturers' Association had a small booth at Coverings that held a wealth of unique tiles from various Japanese tile suppliers — I was especially interested in the AGPLUS tiles that are designed to help control humidity levels and odor! More

After all the stone and tile at Coverings, it was a bit of a relief to see CORK! Made from the harvested bark of a cork tree (cork trees can be harvested about every 9 years without damaging the tree), the versatile flooring is more popular than ever. Familiar with its good qualities, I was most impressed by the variety of colors that are available… More

Just as the traditional Spanish and Moroccan tiles were as intriguing as the latest and greatest, the Japanese tiles from Wa-Kei proved to be some of the best — porcelain, terracotta, ceramic tiles with an emphasis on textured surfaces. More

As much as I heard about technological advancements in tile during Coverings, there is still room for the beauty of tile and tiling techniques that were popular at the beginning of the 20th century. Mosaic USA imports stunning cement encaustic, Zellige and terrazzo tiles from Mosaic del sur factories in Spain and Morocco for the US market. More

A mixture of glass, metal, wood, stone — the possibilities are nearly endless with the options from Italian mosaic tile company Mosaico+. In addition to materials, colors, shapes and sizes of Mosaico+ tiles vary greatly and offer unique combinations (like the wood, glass and stone pattern shown at left)… More

The beautifully matte surfaces of Dutch Mosa tiles demanded my attention — quite a feat for gray, beige and brown tile at a tile convention! Though primarily used in commercial and industrial settings, the smooth surfaces and calming palettes are a perfect option for modern residential spaces, too. The smallest 'XXS' are particularly attractive in the gray and brown & beige color palettes. More

New Hampshire-based Trikeenan is one of the only tile manufacturers in the north east United States. Their growing lines of tile and brick are remarkably green — all have a component of recycled material in their make-up (some being 100% recycled) and all glazes are 100% VOC-free. More

In a convention center full of tile and stone, the stand-out products are usually beautiful, technically advanced or a combination of the two — like Natucer's new LifeArq collection. Moving beyond traditional uses of tile (think flooring, kitchens and bathrooms), LifeArq creates room dividers, ceramic screens and two styles of tile siding for wall installation. More

Though the design debuted in 2008 — and Sarah Coffey covered the newest additions during her visit to the Italian tile tradeshow, Cersaie — it was fascinating to see a small sampling of Patricia Urquiola's Dechirer collection for Mutina in person. Still ahead of its time in style, the intricately textured, matte porcelain tiles will remain a favorite for a long time — just as the designer intended. More

The highlight of Mexican tile powerhouse Lamosa was the new Straus Tech line from Firenze. The 16" x 24" ceramic tile's name derives from the unique textural glazing technique — named for the inspiration found in mid-century "fat lava" glazes from Germany. More