Posted in Minoli
28th November 2023
Whether a design direction seeks to create unity throughout a large, open-plan environment or to join-up smaller spaces to deliver continuity and flow, cutting-edge concrete-effect porcelain tile collections provide the perfect synchronised surface solutions.
In Minoli’s published report on the Connected Living Design Concept, we explored how the latest series in our porcelain product portfolio enable designers and developers to create seamless surface transitions throughout built environments and between interior and exterior living spaces.
Such is the momentum behind this shift towards more continuous and carefully coordinated floor and wall coverings, that we’re seeing our Italian production partners extending their micro-fine finished lines of concrete, cement, resin and clay-effect tiles and in turn, a marked upswing in uptake from Minoli’s interior design, architecture and property development clients.
Whilst industrial and minimalist décor styles have been in favour for some time, the emerging trend is more about the increasing versatility of applications for porcelain tiles and pavers with man-made material finishes, as an overarching architectural system of surfaces, for residential, retail, hospitality and commercial projects.
With their stripped-back style and lightly, layered patterning, within these ranges there are perfect interior and exterior matches in selected colours, but they also allow for tints and tones to be mixed to complement or contrast, on walls and floors, inside and outdoors. The spectrum of colours available ranges from light to dark and cool to warm, but all with the same softly shaded, tone-on-tone characteristics.
Whilst quite muted in appearance, darker shades of concrete-effect surfaces can be used to create remarkably strong, stand-out structures within built environments, which deliver interesting perspectives and distinctive breakpoints. Paler varieties can have an almost cloud-like composition, acting as a neutral canvas against which to showcase bright and bold fixtures and furnishings.
As these expanding collections offer up new opportunities for designers, we’re seeing porcelain products used in different contexts and more inventive ways. For instance, exterior specification porcelain pavers with R11 slip-resistance ratings now come in 120/120 dimensions, so allowing continuity of large format flooring from interior to exterior settings. A wider availability of extra-large format slabs enables one-piece installations for full-height shower enclosures and cloakroom walls. With frost-proof and heat-resistant qualities, porcelain tiles can also be used as contemporary exterior cladding and for outdoor kitchens and entertainment spaces.
Emphatically exemplifying a design system of surface solutions is the wider Boost Series, now comprising six coordinated ranges featuring cement, clay and stone-effect finishes, with Boost Balance as the latest concrete-look inclusion.
Distinguished by its superfine and compacted composition, Boost Balance is available in a palette of ten complementary colourways, from off-whites and creams, through buff and taupe tones, to pearly, smoky and graphite greys. This diversity of design is matched by the breadth of sizes available, with up to ten different rectified formats depending on colour, from typical to more expansive floor and wall tiles, extra-large 120/278 slabs, plus three different dimensions in 20 mm thickness for exterior use.
The further versatility of Boost Balance is underpinned by the variety of finishes available including Matt and Velvet for most indoor living areas, Grip and Textured for wet areas and some external settings, and a Structured surface specifically for use outdoors.
While many ranges in the Minoli catalogue include a wide variety of different formats for multiple applications, with their highly contemporary and homogeneous designs, those with concrete and clay-effect finishes offer unparalleled opportunities to synchronise surfaces and realise highly technical architectural and interior designs.
We will be publishing full details and specifications of these new ranges for launch in 2024 in due course, along with timelines for sample availability and ordering. In the meantime, if you would like to register your early interest or request to be informed when samples become available, please contact our showroom or account teams:
Minoli Oxford – 01865 778225 / showroom@minoli.co.uk
Minoli London – 020 7474 2934 / thesurfacewithin@minoli.co.uk
Corporate Clients – Please contact your account manager directly / developers@minoli.co.uk
Outdoor Specific Product Enquiries – 01865 778225 / outdoor@minoli.co.uk