Laura Hardaker-Graham, marketing manager at Verona, discusses the increased demand for colourful small format tiles and the key shades retailers should invest in.
This year has seen demand for plain coloured wall tiles surge, particularly in small formats, which have enjoyed huge success off the back of the metro tile trend. With inspiration stemming from Instagram, Pinterest and other online sources, coloured tiles are now available in various shapes and sizes, all with their own striking qualities.
Small format designs have transformed the way colour is used within interiors over the past few years. Up until recently, coloured tiles were few and far between and certainly weren’t a go-to choice for fashion forward schemes. While large formats continue to lend themselves to monochrome and neutral colourways, small format tiles offer a kaleidoscope of colour, varying from rich blue, through to energising green and pastel pink.
Thanks to their size, homeowners tend to be more comfortable choosing a bold colourway in a smaller format, as it can be used sparingly to create a kitchen splashback or a bath surround. On the other hand, the more daring can use it to design a captivating feature wall.
Retailers should concentrate on building a product offering which takes current trends into account. There’s a growing desire in commercial and residential design to be closer to nature. If lockdown has taught us one thing, it’s that we take comfort in creating relaxing spaces which put us in touch with the great outdoors. This includes nautical shades of blue and crisp cyan through to lush greens which give a subtle nod to leafy botanicals and muted shades of olive and sage which have taken centre stage more recently.
Pastels continue to influence modern design, as more people delve into soft, feminine interiors. The key shade is pink, but yellow has also proven to be very popular, particularly when trying to achieve a charismatic living space but without overpowering the room.
Traditional white and black tiles should always be within any core collection, however you should regularly make new additions as new colours come into fashion. Colour is here to stay, so make sure it’s part of your offering with fashion-led colourways added regularly.
www.veronagroup.co.uk
