Ceramics of Italy, the trade body for the international promotion of Italian ceramic tile manufacturers, has provided its trend report for Spring and Summer 2025. Below, the organisation explores some of the most prominent threads of Italian tile design this year, including a revival of Art Deco designs and the use of ceramics in surface cladding applications.
Throughout 2025, Italian ceramic and porcelain tile design has continued to evolve with a bold, yet thoughtful focus on emotion, materiality and craft. New collections featuring a kaleidoscope of colours, nature-inspired palettes, artisanal details, timeless glamour and innovative surface applications have been showcased at this year’s exhibitions – capturing a global shift toward calm, authenticity and connection.
With a renewed appreciation for heritage and the handmade, tile is no longer just a surface choice; it’s a statement. Advancements in technology are unlocking new sizes, formats, and textures, brought to life in a cleaner, more conscious way that underscores the industry’s commitment to sustainable, high-performance design.
Sculptural forms and finishes that play with light take centre stage, while Art Deco styles make a bold comeback through expressive geometries. From full-surface cladding applications to human-centric design, this season’s top five trends spotlight the craftsmanship, collaborative connection and undeniable style from Italian tile manufacturers that continue to push the industry forward.
Kaleidoscope of colour
The warmer months are bringing a fresh burst of energy to tile design, and Ceramics of Italy member brands are embracing it with expressive palettes and captivating patterns. This season, there’s no dominant shade; instead, there’s a kaleidoscope of earthy neutrals that offer a sense of stability and balance, along with soft pastels, bold, whimsical hues and nature-inspired tones. From the sun-soaked warmth of terracotta red as seen in Casalgrande Padana’s Concept to electric and Mediterranean blues like those of Appiani’s Coriandoli and Ceramica Bardelli’s Sinfonia, colours are being used to evoke emotion and transform spaces.
New colour-centric collections like Forever Color by CIR Ceramiche, Colovers by Supergres and Palette by Flaviker play with muted yellows, dusty pinks, and greys, expressed through decorative patterns and textures. Greens are also flourishing, with Tagina’s Onyx Diamond and AVASTONE’s Green Sky exploring sage and emerald shades that mirror nature’s vitality.
Meanwhile, the “colour drenching” trend continues to gain traction, enveloping rooms in saturated or more muted tones like in La Faenza’s Cocoon from floor to ceiling for a striking, cohesive look. Whether it’s the rhythmic vibrancy of Marca Corona’s Miniature Rima or calming hues that offer a delicate touch, the latest collections invite a sense of escapism and a deeper connection to nature.
Anthroform
A new wave in tile design is reimagining human culture and connection through a thoughtful blend of craftsmanship, material heritage, and storytelling. Italian brands are at the forefront, collaborating with renowned designers like Paola Navone, Simone Bonanni, Claudia Carpenito, AMDL Circle, Letizia Ballotti and Elisa Ossino to infuse contemporary surfaces with a poetic, human-centric sensibility. Others are deepening ties to the land by partnering with celebrated natural material suppliers, such as in Log by Atlas Concorde and Italian wood provider Itlas, and in Oltrenero by Mirage and Mount Etna lava stone supplier Nerosicillia – channeling decades of expertise into hyper-realistic ceramic renditions of natural materials.
Italian manufacturers are also looking outward, to architecture, heritage, and the spaces where cultures meet. References range from the vibrant dwellings of Indonesia’s Kampung village in Tonalite’s Kampung to the refined stone of Italian palazzos in Serenissimia’s Palazzo. Inspiration from materials like ancient Occitan limestone in Cercom’s Stone Vision speaks to the architectural languages born at the crossroads of civilisations. Symbolic patterns, inspired by the shared visual language of civilisations like the Messapia in Settecento’s Koinè, bring ancient motifs in contemporary focus.
Collections like Naxos’s Cythere and Ragno’s Look revisit the Mediterranean ceramic tradition with hand-forged square and brick aesthetics and 19th-century tile patterns, while Del Conca’s Bioterre evokes rammed earth construction – an age-old buiding method intrinsic to regional identity. Manufacturers, like Terratinta, embrace extruded forms that honour artisanal terracotta latticework, and Leonardo’s Motif and Decoratori Bassanesi’s Kimono channel the textures and patterns of antique textiles. Together, these designs form a rich anthology – one that reinterprets cultural memory and material legacy through a distinctly modern lens.
Art Deco
Art Deco is making a bold comeback in tile, where timeless glamour meets sharp geometry. Today’s designs reimagine classic motifs like chevrons in Ceramiche Regin’s Reliefs, arches in Tagina’s Marmi Imperiali, circles in Gardenia Orchidea’s I Pigmenti, and squares in Unicomstarker’s Marmorea and Verde 1999’s Checkerboard, showcasing dramatic arrangements.
True to traditional Deco style, many of these collections thrive on high contrast – dark moody tones set against lighter hues in eye-catching matte and glossy surfaces for maximum impat, such as La Fenice’s Majestic and Elios Ceramica’s Glow. Monochromatic palettes, such as in Pastorelli’s Primitive, rich jewel tones, like in Versace Ceramics’ Tarsia, and earthy hues, such as in Casalgrande Padana’s Terrae, capture the essence of a golden era while embracing contemporary, cutting-edge design. The result is a striking revival that channels Art Deco’s opulence through a modern lens that is bold, elegant, and unmistakeably current.
Lightscape
Tile is no longer just a surface – it’s a canvas for light. Today’s most compelling designs are embracing light, not just in how it’s illuminated, but in how it reflects, regracts, and plays with it. Italian manufacturers are leading this trend, pushing boundaries with tile finishes, formats and technologies that transform the way spaces flow and shimmer.
Large-format porcelain slabs in onyx, marble, and stone-effects now mimic the depth and glow of backlighting, thanks to advanced digital and layering techniques, as seen in Emilceramica’s Tele di Marmo Lumia and Ceramica Fondovalle’s MyTop. The result is a luminous – almost translucent – surface that feels both modern and luxurious.
Adding to this dialogue between form and illuminsation, lattice-style tiles like those in Miage’s Terrae and Marca Corona’s Arialuce are emerging as sculptural elements in their own right – installed as room dividers or exterior walls, they cast ever-changing shadows and light patterns that animate a space. Meanwhile, the combination of matte and glossy finishes in Faetano’s Manufatti and ABK’s Poetry Stone Reloaded, strategically placed to catch and refract light, creates movement across walls and floors.
Brands like Imola Ceramica and Keradom are also exploring light interaction through innovative production and finishing techniques that reproduce marble’s shimmering crystallisation or add a glittering layer to surfaces, while CIR Ceramiche’s Showall collection beautifully recreates the charm of antiqued mirror effects for a distinctive vintage allure. These details, paired with the playful colours and patterns that are also on the rise, not only add personality but make interiors feel brighter, more joyful and full of life.
Surface Cladding
Tile is no longer confined to floors and walls. With its versatility, durability, and ability to mimic natural materials like marble and wood, tile is being applied everywhere, transforming into a multifunctional design element that extends into spaces in new, unexpected ways. Italian manufacturers are redefining tile as a statement surface – from countertops and cooktops, as seen in Coem’s Immensa collection, to porcelain tables and tile-wrapped islands, from large slab brands like Materia. Communal areas – from dining rooms and living spaces to offices and hospitality lounges – are emerging as showpieces for tile design, incorporating everything from dramatic fireplace surrounds to striking gathering tables and workstations.
In the bathroom, prefabricated vanities and washbasins are taking centre stage, as seen in La Geoteca by Gardenia Orchidea. Collections such as Emilgroup’s Ergon Materastone and FAP Ceramiche’s Still take surface cladding even further, wrapping walls, bars, and appliances for a total-room look. Outside, tile is making a bold impact with innovative applications, like Ceramiche Caesar’s Civic series, which clads kitchen and bar areas in sleek porcelain finishes, while small brick tiles like those in La Fabbrica’s Kist series alongside large-format porcelain panels from Cotto d’Este’s Arketipo line are increasingly being specified for outdoor wall cladding and building facades.
As tile evolves beyond traditional applications, – from furniture to architectural features – it’s redefining surfaces with versatility and style, becoming a central element in design.
