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A Design Milk report from Cersaie 2026 identified six design directions in ceramic tile, including richer colors, green and earthy palettes, dimensional surfaces, realistic natural-material effects and large formats. The five-day Bologna trade show drew more than 90,000 visitors and featured 600 exhibitors from 24 countries; the trends reflect products shown there, not a measured forecast of what all designers or buyers will adopt.
Richer color, green palettes and textured surfaces were among six ceramic-tile directions identified by Design Milk in a report from Cersaie 2026, the annual trade show held in Bologna, Italy. The event brought together manufacturers and design professionals to present tile, architectural surfaces and bathroom furnishings, making its collections a snapshot of products being promoted to the industry—not proof of wider consumer adoption.
The report described warm, moody colors as a prominent presence at the fair and in Bologna storefronts, including burgundy, brown, terracotta, red and yellow. Several companies also showed brighter shades alongside warm whites and natural tones. Atlas Concorde’s Boost Hux, for example, pairs natural colors with green, red, blue and ember accents, while its Vivia range features vivid glazed colors inspired by Italian ceramics. Faetano’s Era collection takes its visual cue from terracotta and comes in six natural and neutral colors.
Green and earthy shades formed another part of the palette. The report cited colors from forest green to pale sage, alongside terracotta and other natural hues. Gardenia&Ariana’s Eterea includes onyx-inspired floor and wall tiles, as well as Righe, a fluted three-dimensional wall tile. Sartoria, a Terratinta Group brand, presented its Plinth design in Moss and Stone Green, with a raised surface intended to add depth to walls.
Other directions focused on how tile looks and feels. Products used three-dimensional relief, reflective glaze and digital printing to create visual effects that can suggest depth or a material’s irregularity. The report also highlighted ceramic and porcelain surfaces resembling stone, marble and other natural materials, along with large-format tiles. It noted that these formats and effects can offer design options where natural stone may be unsuitable or too expensive, though product suitability depends on the project.
Color and Surface Shape Tile Choices
The collections matter to designers and buyers because they show how ceramic makers are expanding tile’s role beyond a neutral covering. Saturated colors and textured finishes can become prominent parts of a room’s palette, while larger pieces and digitally produced surface effects offer alternatives to traditional grout patterns or natural materials. These are possibilities presented by manufacturers; the show report does not establish how commonly they will be specified or installed.
Material effects also have a practical dimension. Porcelain designed to resemble stone may be considered when a project needs a different price point or performance profile. But a visual resemblance alone does not establish equal performance: designers still need to check technical specifications, installation requirements and suitability for the intended setting.
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Inside the Bologna Trade Fair
Cersaie’s 43rd edition ran for five days at the end of September in Bologna. The annual trade fair focuses on ceramic tile, architectural surfaces and bathroom furnishings, bringing manufacturers together with architects, designers and other visitors. Design Milk reported more than 90,000 visitors and 600 exhibitors from 24 countries.
The six directions in the report are an editorial reading of products on display, not a formal ranking or an industry-wide sales analysis. The report covers color, green and earthy palettes, dimensional and perceptual effects, natural-material looks and large formats; it also describes the role of digital printing and surface technology in producing these designs. The event’s size provides industry context, but attendance figures alone do not show which products will gain market share.
““Warm, moody colors dominated the aisles of Cersaie 2026 and the windows of almost every storefront in Bologna.””
— Danielle McWilliams, principal at Novità, the communications agency for Ceramics of Italy
Showroom Trends, Market Uptake Unknown
The report documents products and impressions from a trade fair, but does not provide sales data, market-share figures or a ranked survey to show which directions are most popular with buyers. It is also not clear whether the colors and finishes will become long-term specifications or remain more visible in collections introduced for the show. Product performance, pricing and availability may vary by manufacturer and collection.
The source material identifies six trends but supplies detail on only four numbered sections before the provided text cuts off during its description of a natural-stone-effect product. It mentions large-format tiles and digital printing elsewhere, but does not provide comparable product examples or full explanations for every trend. The six-part framing can be reported, while the missing detail should not be filled in by assumption.
Designers Assess New Collections
After the fair, designers, architects and buyers can compare the collections and technical specifications against project needs. The next evidence of the trends’ reach will come from product availability, specification decisions and subsequent sales information; the Cersaie report itself does not state what manufacturers will release next or forecast adoption. Readers evaluating a tile should check its intended application, dimensions, finish, maintenance guidance and installation requirements with the supplier.
Key Questions
What were the tile trends reported at Cersaie 2026?
Design Milk highlighted richer color, green and earthy palettes, dimensional surface effects, natural-material looks and large-format tiles, alongside the use of digital printing and surface technology. The source does not provide full detail for every item in its six-trend framing.
Where and when was Cersaie 2026 held?
The five-day trade show took place in Bologna, Italy, at the end of September 2026. It was the event’s 43rd edition.
How many people and exhibitors attended?
Design Milk reported more than 90,000 visitors and 600 exhibitors from 24 countries. Those are attendance and exhibitor figures, not measurements of consumer demand for any particular trend.
Do the fair’s trends show what homeowners will buy?
No. The report records products and impressions from an industry trade show. It does not include consumer surveys or sales data proving that these designs will become widespread purchases.
Source: rss
