Posted in Minoli
9th May 2022
With the Grand Designs Live show on last week at ExCel London, we recently shared our thoughts on the latest tile trends that are set to feature prominently in future interior and exterior designs.
Now, reflecting on what was on show at the event, we’re highlighting five new product developments or directions that would partner perfectly with Minoli’s porcelain tile ranges.
Today we look at the first three that are principally focused on new product developments within the home.
Underfloor Heating
As an invisible solution to warming your house, the concept of underfloor heating is tried and tested, but new technologies in manufacturing are set to make it more popular and applicable than ever.
Today’s underfloor heating solutions have varieties that can be easily installed in both new builds and renovations. Whereas water-based solutions used to require screeding, piping can now be inset into an insulation overlay to existing floor surfaces. In electric systems, loose wiring can now be set into protective ‘clip-together’ panels or comes interwoven and pre-spaced into rolled matting. The latest advancements include low-profile systems, integrated noise insulation, smart home ‘Alexa’ connectivity and rapid-fit / panel-based products.
Porcelain tiling is recommended as the best finish to lay over underfloor heating by many of the leading manufacturers. Porcelain warms up quickly, retains its temperature and conducts heat very efficiently. It’s also strong, impervious to liquid, comes in such a wide variety of colours and shapes, and has more slip-resistant surfaces for use in bathrooms and kitchens. In short, Minoli’s porcelain product portfolio makes perfect partners for creating beautiful underfloor-heated rooms.
Shower Technology
It’s amazing what can be done with water – the way it can seemingly be multiplied, manipulated, softened and saved – all through the clever use of the latest shower technology. As we seek more spa-like experiences in our own homes, the bathtub removal movement is gathering momentum.
Smart or high-tech showers offer more control options than traditional adjustments to temperature and pressure. Now the spray format from showerheads can be adjusted in terms of pulse, flow and fineness from a wireless control panel or phone and the way water is delivered can be changed to emulate rain, air-filled bubbles, or a mesmerizing massage. Enhancements to shower experiences can now also include LED lighting effects, waterproof audio, invisible drainage and digital water-save monitors.
Porcelain tiles have long been the preferred choice for cladding bathrooms and shower enclosures, but new manufacturing and transportation methods have brought even more effective innovations. Extra-large porcelain slabs allow seamless floor-to-ceiling surfaces, doing away with the grout lines that limescale used to love. More ranges come with a choice of smooth or grippy / structured finishes, so wall and floor can appear the same but with the required slip-resistance where it matters. We’re also importing a wider variety of brighter coloured and patterned tiles, exciting metallics and contemporary concrete effects, as well as larger format marble-look products that are now indistinguishable from the genuine material.
Extending our Habitats
The appetite for home improvement and for extending the useable areas of our habitats has certainly increased. As we’ve all spent more time at home, we’ve sought out new spaces to call our own, areas to relax, work, for recreation and exercise.
At this this year’s Grand Designs Live there were lots of exhibitors and experts bringing insights into this arena. At one end of the spectrum there are self-contained ‘office pod’ providers, self-build extension systems, garage conversion products and new energy saving smart home solutions. Other innovations are more about components in the home such as fitness equipment, orthopaedic furniture, modular multi-purpose storage or flexible room dividers.
With new coordinated indoor / outdoor ranges, high-grip and structured surfaces, and excellent sound and temperature insulation properties, it’s no wonder we’ve had so many enquiries to help fulfil interesting home enhancements. Products that were previously principally specified for commercial garages, gyms, leisure centres and office developments are now being purchased for private residential versions of the above.
Realising your own grand design
Later this week we’ll look at two more design directions for porcelain tiles that align with other property development innovations.
If you’d like to talk to our team about tiling for your own grand design project, please do get in touch to arrange a time for a call or design consultation at one of our showrooms.
Minoli Oxford: 01865 778225 / showroom@minoli.co.uk
Minoli London: 020 7474 2934 / thesurfacewithin@minoli.co.uk
Corporate clients: Please ask to speak to your account manager directly.