Four decades of interior design and trends in ceramic tiles were celebrated at the 40th anniversary of Cevisama.  

The authors, Lutzía Ortiz Miralles, head of the ITC-AICE Home Trends Observatory and Product Design Unit, and Ana Benavente Piotte, analyst at the ITC-AICE Home Trends Observatory and Product Design Unit, looked back over the last 40 years. The presentation by OTH was during the Tile of Spain-ASCER International Press Conference at Cevisama 2024. 

1980 – 1990 

The 80s featured 25×25 square tiles with subtle shade differences that set one tile apart from another.

The 1980s society was complex and dynamic, characterised by economic changes, technological developments, social movements and a culture that has left a lasting mark on contemporary history.  

In the 1980s, there was a more technical approach to tiles. Glaze effects, colours and hand-painted mural tiles were perfected. Improvements were made to manufacturing technology. This gave rise to a more industrialised production system, focussed on ensuring a wide variety of effects and colours. 

Colour and glaze effects and subtle shade differences created rustic effects for floors. The first marble-look patterns brought a deluxe feel. 

1990 – 2000 

The 1990s rustic looks were mainly inspired by stone designs, used in a variety of formats and layouts.

The decade of the 1990s was a time of discovery, with a new digital era, cultural movements and social awareness in a constant state of evolution. 

In the 90s, there was a trend towards opulent, luxury design styles, that extended to kitchens and, above all, to bathrooms, with the introduction of the first marble-effect tiles. Tile manufacturing technology evolved, particularly in the decoration of special tiles and relief textures. Production lines featured successive machines for creating different effects and enriched designs. 

Mosaics were the “in thing”, with faux mosaics simulating tesserae. The marble-look designs grew in popularity, as did rustic stone designs. 

2000 – 2010 

With the popularity of minimalist design styles, glossy finishes gave way to satin in the 2000s.

With the start of the new millennium, society found itself immersed in technological changes, with the emergence of social networks such as Facebook and the dominance of Google. 

Homes shrank in size and their layout began to be planned from a new perspective to take more advantage of the available space. A new style, known as minimalism, became all the rage in homes. This was a decade with raised awareness of the need for sustainability and environmental care, together with the recognition of diversity and inclusion. While inkjet machinery and printing inks were being perfected, tile manufacturers focussed on producing increasingly large formats or more stylised ones. 

Colour palettes were truer to life, emulating stone, marble and cement. Minimalist design inspired satin finishes in porcelain tiles. Neo-baroque flamboyance brought gloss and gold. 

2010 – 2020 

In the 2010s tile formats and designs grew in size and, with inkjet technology, geometrical patterns became easier to reproduce.

During this decade, the tendency to fuse different decorative styles became very much in vogue. Industrial looks, with vintage features evocative of bygone times, became a popular option. 

Inkjet printing technology was perfected and tile designs mainly focussed on cement, metal and wood effects, together with patterns evocative of encaustic cement tiles. Thanks to technological advances, large-format tiles could be decorated with different faces. 

Murals with realistic images, bigger sizes and inkjet technology made geometric patterns easier to reproduce. Marble-look and stone-look achieved new realism. 

2020 – 2024 

2020 featured the evolution of wood-look tiles, with relief textures and combinations of formats and materials.

Designs reached such realistic heights that they could be confused with the natural materials they emulated. 

Creativity brought an evolution of wood-look effects with relief textures, and combinations of format and material. Tiles offered sensory appeal with texture and micro-relief textures. Glamourous, deluxe gemstones and glossy shine appealed to the deluxe market. 

See our article on what lies ahead with the 2024 trends report. 

40 years of tile trends were presented at the 40th edition of Cevisama, in celebration of the 40th edition of the show.  

Full thanks and acknowledgement go to www.tileofspain.com for the information and images in this article.