Tile Tales

We were just four friends at the bar, who wanted to change the world …” I wonder if Gino Paoli, once he was alone at his table, ever turned his attention to the floor of the bar where he was. Of course his revolutionary ideas would have been more interesting but even the appearance of that familiar place that often hosted him had to play its own role. The floor of a room, in fact, in addition to providing a significant function in terms of allowing the carrying out of activities, is also one of the first aspects that is noticed when crossing the threshold.

Resistant, non-slip, hygienic and beautiful to look at: these are just some of the many features that the ideal surfaces of a bar or restaurant need to have. Porcelain stoneware is one of the materials that best meets the needs of a place aimed at welcoming customers to a safe, clean but above all beautiful environment. The kitchen area must clearly give priority to the functional nature of its decor. Here it is essential to choose materials that are easily washable and non-slip at the same time without having to pay too much attention to aesthetics. As for the walls, in the case of an open-view kitchen, the decorative aspect will have a leading role. Cementine tiles are coming back into vogue: handcrafted tiles made with a mixture of water, cement, marble dust, hard minerals and natural dyes.

Cementine tiles, inspired by the Portuguese “Azulejos”, are very popular in a number of places since they are beautiful, colourful, easy to clean and practically perfect for highlighting a place that is usually more “technical” like that of the kitchen. As for the dining area, an almost infinite variety opens up, from the larger format decorated tiles for vintage style rooms, to marbled prints for more elegant environments and from fake cement slabs for an industrial atmosphere, to those in wood to “warm up” the environment. The tile industry is able to satisfy all the technical specifications relating to public places: the architect is just spoiled for choice in terms of distinctly aesthetic requirements.

Story . Cristina Bigliatti