At a press conference late Wednesday afternoon, Enzo Mularoni, vice chairman for promotional activities at the Italian Trade Commission, says that the contraction in Italian tiles in the U.S. relates to price points and not to market loss. The Commission believes in the U.S. market and is confident the growth will start again.

As the housing industry and real estate market cool, European tile manufacturers have seen a slight decrease in consumption of their products. Still, the Italian tile producers are upbeat about the future and continue to develop styles that will, hopefully, entice U.S. buyers. This spring, they will be focusing on mixed formats such as 12-by-12-inch tiles paired with smaller pieces. "Tiny mesh-mounted mosaics are mixing with over-scaled rectified porcelains to create versatile looks for indoor and outdoor settings," the Italian Commission's spring preview says.

Manufacturers say tiles that mimic the look of wood are still hot and will likely remain so. Expect dealers to display planks measuring 24 and even 48 inches that look like teak, oak, or maple.

One of the leaders in contemporary design, metallic-looking tiles are pervasive at this year's show. The pieces, measuring as much as 48 inches by 24 inches in some cases, take on the appearance of stainless steel, copper, or Corten steel. And advance glazing technology has been mixed with real metal to give pieces an authentic appearance.

Lastly, large-format tiles continue to be extremely popular overseas and are only now starting to make inroads in the U.S. market. Sizes such as 36 by 24 inches and 48 by 24 inches are now common, even though not as popular in this country. Manufacturer Floor Gres says American buyers are now getting into those sizes, though slowly. Part of the reason, the company says, is that substrates have to be extremely flat to accept large tiles and installation has to be done well.

Rondine. The wood look is in. These products-from the company's Eco Forest line-come in two colors, teak and ciliegio, and two sizes: 13 by 13 and 4 by 13. www.rondinegroup.com.


Floor Gres Ceramiche. The Eco Tech line of floor and wall tiles are made from up to 70 percent post-industrial waste such as sludge from the factory's wastewater and leftover scraps from bad pressings. Available in matte and striated finishes, the units come in a wide variety of sizes including 24 by 48 inches. www.floorgres.it.


Caesar Ceramiche. Italian manufacturers are capable of whimsical products such as the Arreda line of porcelain tiles for walls and floors in residential and light commercial. Offered in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, the line includes the zip, which has interlocking edges. A corner piece and a finished edge piece also are available. www.caesar.it.


Tagina. One of the hottest looks in tiles is the metallic look such as the metal-inspired Fucina product shown here. The through-body ceramic tile comes in six colors and in a variety of formats including mosaics and field tiles measuring 12 by 12 inches and 24 by 24 inches. www.tagina.it.


Cotto D'Este. Kerlite porcelain tiles measure an astonishing 3 millimeters thick and are ideal for retrofit and the remodeling market or where architects or builders desire a lightweight wall cladding. The product also comes as Kerlite Plus with a fiberglass backing for floor applications. It is available in four color families and in sizes from small to large. www.cottodeste.it. [no image available]


Lea Ceramiche. For every smooth uniform tile there is one with a pattern. The Grid series, part of the company's Studies collection, is created by a sanding process using a porcelain tile base. The ceramic wall tile is ideal for accents and decorative applications www.ceramichelea.com.