Once in a while, we discover a house in which several models and textures have been brought together with great taste and sensibility, highlighting the best qualities of each model in the right space.

This project is a Family Home in Barcelona, where Inalco´s porcelain products have been used, getting splendid results.

Foster Series in Cream Colour,  a Slimmker slim thickness tile, has been used in large format in all planes of the façade. Its neutral Cream tone and smooth finishing increase the modern aesthetic of this house, located in a classic neighborhood in Barcelona.

The slim thickness of Slimmker Porcelain Series, just 5.7 mm, is perfect for façades, as it provides only half the weight than a porcelain product of standard thickness and therefore, the total load weight of the exterior walls is much less.

Foster Series, in Slimmker finish, also allows a perfect modulation to any space, and works just fine in such a stylish and multi-faceted façade.

Also, Cream colour gives a great lighting to this building, with a modern feel.

Inside the house, white and warm tones have been selected for the general decoration, continuing with the same color palette as in the façade but changing models and textures from one room to the other.

Lighting has been a main concern designing this house, and getting direct sunlight was a priority. In this regard, the end result is awesome .

The use of large porcelain tiles emphasizes the house´s already great amplitude, making spaces look even larger.

Magma Series, in Moka Colour, polished finishings and large 100×100 cm format is used as main floor in the house. Thanks to their fine-grained texture, Magma series gives a modern look combined with the warmth and personality of natural products, being one of the most popular stone-inspired porcelain collection of Inalco.

Magma Series is versatile and decorative and can also be used in the stairs of the house. Thanks to its large format each step can be laid with just one porcelain piece, getting the same aesthetic result as natural stone.

Its Moka colour and polished finishings combines with carpentry and with other porcelain collections used in other rooms.

80.4 Series in White Colour and 79×79 cm format blends simplicity with avant-garde flair, to create modern settings with a varying sense of depth. Another one of Inalco´s stone-like collection, fits perfectly with Magma Series used in floor. 80.4 Series is capable, itself, of bringing settings to life, eliminating unsightly joints with its multiple reliefs, and getting better lighting in this ambient.

For the Kitchen floor, Damasco Series in Pardo Colour has been selected, as it was considered that its darker tone would be more adequate for kitchen use, better concealing  possible stains due to the high use of this space. Damasco Series stone-inspired design also looks good and fits with the overall design of the house

Kira Series  in White Colour is perfect for kitchen decoration. Thanks toits glossy finish and subtle embossed pattern, a fascinating metallic glimmering effect can be achieved when light falls on the tiles, infusing settings with luminosity and stylish elegance.

Kira Series  in White and Camel Colours are combined for decoration in the main bathroom with the same warm colour used in the rest of the house. Camel Colour also looks good with natural wood used on floor and bathroom furniture.

80.8 Series in White Colour  is used on the second bathroom´s walls. Inspired by modern wood with a brushed effect, gives a natural and bright look at one of the smallest spaces of the house.

PROJECT DETAILS:

Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Photographer: Ainhoa Anaut

Porcelain Tiles:

Façade: Foster Series Cream Colour

General Floor: Magma Series Moka Colour and Polished finishings 

Kitchen Floor: Damasco Series in Pardo Colour

Kitchen Wall: Kira Series in Blanco Colour

Bathroom 1: Kira Series in Blanco and Camel Colours

Bathroom 2: 80.8 Series in Blanco Colour

This week we travel to Barcelona to enjoy this house, a clear example of how applying the latest architectonical trends results in a warm and comfortable house in which everyone would like to live in.

Magma series in Moka Colour and 100×100 cm format has been used as flooring throughout the house. Its stone-like texture, inspired in molten rock, unites timeless style and the trendiest aesthetic. Magma appears in this project in two different textures, polished and anti-slip. Magma Series is one of the most important porcelain collections of Inalco, in Slimmker  range of slim porcelain tiles.

The anti-slip texture of Magma Series has the same appearance and visual quality than the polished finishing, adding the security of being able to place it with total confidence in outdoor areas such as next to the pool.

A modern waterfall shower highlights in the façade, breaking the monotony of the wall, but keeping the overall linearity.

For the interior floor, the polished finishing is perfect for highlighting the warmth of the house, bringing more light into a space already opened to the outside.

Straight lines and the removal of the accessory, even the partitions that are not absolutely necessary, are some of main concerns that have been successfully solved in this project.

Moka colour of Magma Series flawlessly coordinates with the carpentry used, both in soft and light tones.

The large format 100×100 cm highlights the spaces, and gives breadth to the whole, being used in both ground and wall cladding, a trend widely used in the latest projects of international decoration.

Cream colour of Magma Series is placed on the wall, perfectly coordinated within the overall space.

Also, an important lighting project has been carried out, using the most modern and harmonious elements currently available.

Concealing the incidental and non essential elements is also important on the entrance lobby,  where woodworking hides the rooms of the house elegantly, while forcing sight to flow into the main space, the dining room. All elements are combined to further increase the house comfort and spaciousness. Its white and cream tones fit well with Magma´s Moka and Cream colours.

The staircase was taylor-made for this project, with special technical steps in all four sides of the step. They rest at the metallic structure of the staircase.

This staircase leads to a multi-purpose attic located on the first floor, and it´s just supported on the bearing wall on the left, the only wall placed in the center of the house.

Magma Series, full-body porcelain, allows placement with pillar edge on corners, avoiding the inconvenience of having to miter the edges, maintaining a uniform aesthetic at the same time.

Black colour selected for the dining table and the sofa turn them into stylish spots in a house full of soft and light tones.

A crystal sliding door embedded in the wall facilitates the separation of the kitchen from the living-room when interested, otherwise open wide.

The kitchen´s central island highlights, large and spacious. Also all elements are perfectly organized within the furniture, concealed unless they are necessary.

The bedrooms share the same general  flooring, and become comfortable and cozy private spaces.

In one bathroom, Handcraft Series in  White colour and 100×100 cm format has been installed in the walls looking for a distinct and fresh atmosphere, but using the same large squared format as in the rest of the house.

Handcraft Series, inspired by the warm texture of clay and the marks of the potter´s hands on terracotta, also complements the natural feel that  Magma Series transmits to the house.

In the second bathroom, Magma Series Beige and Moka has been placed  mantaining the same chromatic palette than in the rest of the house,  but in a smaller size, 50×100 cm., more adequate to this limited space.

PROJECT DETAILS:

Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Photographer: Ainhoa Anaut

Porcelain Tiles:

Magma Series Moka and Beige Colours

Handcraft Series White Colour 

Every year there is a week in the calendar specially marked by creative professionals around the world. That week is April 8th to 14th, when the latest design and trends meet in Milan.

This 2013, the 52nd edition of the  Salone Internazionale del Mobile and the 27th edition of Cosmit The Salone Internazionale del Complemento d’Arredo took place from April 9th to 14th in the large halls of the exhibition center in Rho, just outside Milan.

During the same dates, there were held many interesting exhibitions such as the biannual Euroluce (lighting elements) and SaloneUfficio (new spaces in the workplace) and the 16th edition of Salone Satellite, a space dedicated to young designers worldwide.

Too many trends, new products and design together to not be present… so we took our suitcases and moved to Milan to hunt the latest trends presented at the world design capital toward to rest of the world.

La Dolce Vita….

iSaloni has become the leading showcase for trends relating to decoration and interior design. An exhibition that brings together designers from around the world to show unpublished pieces of furniture and interior accessories.

The well positioned brand ”Made in Italy” enables to communicate in a very well-defined style the innovation and design culture as  key elements to the global presentation.

Different spaces created outside the fairground let us discover emerging talents and established firms from another point of view. Tortona Design Week, Fuori Salone and Salone Satellite allow us to observe many creative spaces of brands and artists who come with an emotional and intelligent strategy and a totally differentiating message to the Fair, that keeps on being an important meeting point and corporate business.

Under the slogan “Crafts and Design: Together for the industry” the Salone Satellite also offers us the chance to meet emerging designers under 35 years coming from the international design schools and proposing a new view, sometimes risky and sometimes differentiating, for many prototypes for decoration.

Outstanding trends…

Nordic style, warm interiors characterized by the use of wood, noble elements and other natural materials, simplicity and economy of resources creating rustic scenarios combining modern design accessories and traditional materials. All the elements used in interior design pay great attention to details and on the basis of pastel colors.

Artistic style with a retro air. A rescue of the retro trend with the use of materials and decorative elements of the past has been imposed in this fair. As an indicator of what is happening today, interior design proposes a resource economy by using materials and designs that have worked in the past.

Lighting. We have seen a type of decorative lighting where the elements used don’t go unnoticed playing an important role in decoration. Not to mention the importance of technology and the use of LED as a differentiator factor, creating experimental compositions in the lighting field.

Conclusions…

The key to success at the fair is to apply ingenuity and innovation when decorating…

Positivism, mix of cultures and much emotional style…

Interior design and harmony in the elements used + simple decoration + good lighting…

Merge aesthetics, functionality and wellness at home is the main struggle in today’s architectural projects.

This week we highlight a single house in Puzol (Valencia – Spain), designed by Valencian Architects Francisco Rozas Fuster and Julio Soria González where a Ventilated Façade System has been used as exterior coating with Foster Series.

The house has two floors and a ground distribution in L, modern, clear and bright, with a car parking located in basement.

A glass façade stands on the set, breaking classical linearity.

In addition, the pool terrace space has all the privacy and spaciousness required.

Ventilated façades allow the installation of large format porcelain tiles with full guarantee, getting the aesthetics, modulation, strength and unchangeable designs that porcelain products provide.

Added to this, there are many other advantages that a ventilated façade provides to any building. To name just a few: acoustic and thermal insulation, energy savings, elimination of thermal bridges, greater protection from the elements, minor dilations of the building and more interior space.

The Ventilated Façade was designed and installed by WANDEGAR 2001 Engineering in Alcora (Castellón – Spain), using its Cat-5 Hidden Fastening System, a secure attachment without sacrificing aesthetics, much greater than  traditional exposed staple systems.

This project was tailor-made designed, with special attention to small details and perfectly covering all multiples planes of the façade.

Cream and Grey colours of Foster collection were used in the façade in its smooth finishing, with its characteristic neutral cement texture and soft and velvety touch.
The play of colours separates different areas and breaks the monotony that placing one single color may produce.

Placing large rectangular porcelain format such as 60×120 cm increases the visual amplitude of the façade.

The rear façade is coated with traditional glued ceramic placement system for Foster Grey of Inalco allowing visual continuity of the project.

PROJECT DETAILS:

Location: Puzol (Valencia, Spain)

Architects: Francisco Rozas Fuster and Julio Soria González (Valencia)

Ventilated Façade Engineering: Wandegar 2001 SL

Ceramic materials:

Porcelain Tiles: Foster Crema and Gris

The simplification of form and the absence of applied decoration are the the two main characteristics of modern architecture.

So understands it the architect Luís Sanmiguel, who carried out this vanguard project in Burriana (Castellón, Spain), a great example of functional and practical design combined with the serenity of colours and natural materials.

Brightness is one of the most outstanding features of this house, playing with pure lines, basic colors like sand, black and white and the beauty of the materials.

Magma series -one of the best examples of Inalco´s Stonelike collections- is used on the floors all over the house, playing an essential role in the creation of these unique, highly distinctive atmosphere.

Natural concrete is yet another material selected to create this modern aesthetics, and has been used in specific spaces like the living room wall, stairs or in some areas of the facade.

Magma series unites all the characteristics of the rock that inspired it, with the added advantage of new natural-looking basic colours and textures with make it a highly versatile ceramic collection.

The large format used here, 100×100 cm, provides greater continuity and spaciousness sensation.

This porcelain tiles can be used in living spaces of all kinds to add a long-lasting touch of refined elegance.

Natural materials and soft tones in decoration suit perfect with this stone-effect tiles.

The kitchen is perfectly integrated with the rest of the house as it is an opened area just separated from the living room with a glass wall. Besides, the use of the same porcelain tiles on the floors increases this sensation of continuity in the space.

The bathroom, located in the upper floor, breaks the serene visual line playing with strong contrasts in black and white to give it a modern look to the space.

The main material used here is Kira series, a 50x100cm slimline Slimmker porcelain tile series in a glossy finish. Thanks to the subtle embossed pattern that runs across the whole surface of the tiles, a fascinating metallic glimmering effect can be achieved when light falls on them, infusing settings with luminosity and stylish elegance.

Outside, Magma porcelain tiles are also used to give continuity to the spaces. In these exterior areas, a natural finish has been chosen in order to avoid falls and better resist to adverse weather conditions as it acts as a non-slip surface.

We can see how highly versatile this series is, allowing its use both in interiors and exteriors and perfectly adapting to the requirements of each space.

PROJECT DETAILS:

Location: Burriana (Castellón, Spain)

Architect: Luís Sanmiguel  (Burriana, Spain)

Ceramic materials:

Floor Tiles: Magma Moka 100×100

Bathroom: Kira Blanco y Negro 50×100 SK

We were lucky to attend the presentation of the first edition of Product Design Madrid 2013, the first product design show held in Spain with the participation of both national and international emerging designers and design schools.

The new COAM (College of Architects of Madrid) was the meeting point of the event, with a simple and effective set design were the different pieces were presented.

During the inauguration event, it took place Elle Decor “Young Talent 2013″ award for Noviembre Estudio, making it the new Spanish ambassador for the Elle Decor International Awards (EDIDA) in the next f Milan Design Week 2013 edition.

Ten designers exhibiting at Product Design Madrid were selected to present their projects at the Milan Design Week!

Product Design Madrid’s Direction and a specialized committee selected the ten best products. Those elected were Arthur Analts, Andreu Carulla, Antonio Serrano Bulnes, Schneider Colao, Mimétrica, Yuri Sviridov, María José Gutiérrez, Noviembre Estudio, Raúl Lazaro and Controlmad.

Their designs will be exhibited next April in the space which PDM will have at Fuori Salone in Milan in the Temporary Museum for New Design of Superstudio.

Sources:

Product Design Madrid 2013

One more year, the International Contemporary Art Fair ARCOmadrid surprised us with its contents and staging. Foreign participation, the highest in the last years, has been a step forward in international relations and global opening to new markets.

Collectors, curators and art professionals all over the world projected a set of works, paintings, videos and installations under the singular sensitivity and identity of the new selection of emerging artists that today keep on making their way in a sector as complex and risky as the contemporary art.

One of the biggest attractions of the fair came from the guest country: Turkey.

With a selection of ten Turkish galleries we could see the program “Focus in Turkey” showing how the simplicity of visual images describe the world’s growth and Turkish art’s wealth. Displayed items ranged from painting to photography without forgetting sculpture, in a common and realistic language focusing topics as sensitive as religion, politics and sexuality.

They tried to surprise and break away from the stereotypes that the public has of the country and especially wanted to cause a reaction when looking at alternative parts been exposed spreading the overall message of change and transformation that Turks have lived throughout recent years.

In this edition ARCO has contributed to the development of new technology with many programs of actions and relationships to the media:

On the one hand, the launch of ARCO Bloggers, an online space where most influential in contemporary art bloggers presented their ideas about how the market is transforming its scenario and the analogyc to digital field display. It was a discussion forum based on social participation in which the diversity of ideas and plurality of participants kept alive the trend analysis of expression in the arts.

In digital developments, it was presented an online market space, ARCO Collect online, a virtual sales platform promoting the sale of art online.

With over 1.000 selected works from many participant galleries and an approximate maximum value of 5.000 euros, the guest had the opportunity to acquire works even with a free advice service for initiating ARCOmadrid’s visitors in choosing and purchasing works .

Within the framework of visual identity and signage, the commissioners have been concerned to provide adequate information to visitors through BiDi codes located in all the galleries. Through this system the public can learn more about the work of the “featured artists” and their paths and reveal emerging talents.

Finally we can’t forget about the social commitment acquired by ARCOmadrid every year with social and cultural initiatives. This project is ARCOkids and has been promoted to help children with chronic illness or poor prognosis. Within an artistic setting designed for the occasion, the youngest visitors had the opportunity to collectively create a work of art created from recycled materials.

Today we bring you an example of how to get modern and vanguard spaces without sacrifying warmth and comfort. Modern interiors are believed to be limited to the use of white, black or shades of grey. But it is absolutely false! This post demonstrates that warm colours such as cream, beige, camel or mocha… can result in a very trendy style.

The project consists of a family house located in Benimamet (Valencia, Spain) and has been carried out by Moore Interiorismo. Looking at the images, we can deduce that the main objective is to highlight the natural brightness of the house and use it to generate a great feeling of warmth and comfort. In order to achieve it, the combination and coordination of all decorative and constructive elements is a key factor.

In the living room, the use of an earth colour range combined with natural textures such as wood or leather manages to create an atmosphere that invites you to relax and lay down. Perfect for an after-work moment!

Following this stablished line, we can see porcelain tiles on the floors all over the house. Foster series, one of Inalco’s bestsellers, is the chosen collection, in Camel colour .

As it is a slimline tile of just 5,7 mm thickness and it is available in a wide range of warm colours and smooth finishes, it becomes a great option to cover the floors of any room of the house.

Bathrooms are some of the rooms where ceramics play a key role in this project. In the pictures below we see a great combination of soft tones and different materials which turns the room into a very cool and harmonious space.

We want to highlight the use of Velina tiles in White color, and the meshed tiles in White, Camel and Piedra used on the shower’s walls and floor, giving it a very attractive touch and working as an anti-slip finish. Great idea, isn’t it?

As we discover the next rooms, we can see new original and decorative details thanks to ceramics and its versatility.

The bathroom below is also fully coated with porcelain tiles using Foster series for floors and 80.4 series to create modern settings with a sense of depth on the walls.

The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the home so choosing the right material is essential. Porcelain tile is the best option for this as it combines beauty and style with high quality and easy cleaning. Foster Camel is also on the floors.

We see Foster series in the main rooms such as the bedroom or bathroom, demonstrating once again ceramics is a versatile material that suits any space.

In the bathroom, we also notice a play of depths thanks to the combination of  Foster Camel and Blanco.

Finally we see how the pool corner has the same line of warm colours and it is plenty of details.

The perfect place to spend the late hours of the day…

More inspiring spaces at http://www.inalco.es

PROJECT DETAILS:

Location: Benimamet (Valencia, Spain)

Interior architecture: Moore Interiorismo (Vall d´Uixo, Spain)

Ceramic materials:

Floors: Foster Camel 50×100

Bathroom 1: Velina Blanco 50x100SK + Velina mesh-mounted Blanco/Camel/Piedra 33×33 SK

Bathroom 2:  80.4 Negro 79.1×79.1PO + Foster Camel 79.1×79.1 SK

Bathroom 3: Foster Camel y Blanco 50×100 SK

Kitchen: Iceberg Blanco Brillo 33×60 SK

Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair is the world’s largest meeting place for Scandinavian furniture and lighting design, for both home and public environments. From 5th to 9th February, it took place its 62th edition and, interested in new fashions and tendencies, we closely followed all new products and trends presented there.

Hello! – Anatomy of Communication

Running for a three-year period and initiated by the Fair, Hello! is a combined exposure aimed to show a dialogue about current and future workspaces, a discussion on trends, a user manual and interpretation of decorative aesthetics.

The focus this edition has been Communication and dialogue and architect Gert Wingårdh and Finnish illustrator Kustaa Saksi have joined creative forces to design the installation.

They have each started out from their own perspective while adhering to a shared vision, creating an installation of 11,000 patterned paper sheets. Wingårdh and Saksi staggered the pieces of paper up from the corners of the rectangular area to create a dome accessed by an arch on each side with such an amazing result as this…

But, who are those two artists that have carried out this brilliant installation? Let’s know a little more about them…

Gert Wingårdh

“Success in all our projects comes from good communication, at some point we exchanged proposals and different points of view. I think it will be an interesting topic to develop Hello installation, especially the development of the idea into a shared vision” says Gert Wingårdh about his participation the project.

Gert Wingårdh is one of the most renowned architects, author of several prestigious projects and characterized by the use of natural and defining elements, uniquely simple and well defined as a whole.

Artistically his work has become some of the most emblematic places in Sweden.

Kustaa Saksi

“It will be very interesting to work with an architect,  for a moment I seriously considered this project as a new and different option in my career. Both work in the media, only with different forms of expression and on different scales” says Kustaa Saksi.

Kustaa Saksi is an artist with roots in Scandinavian design. As an illustrator,  he has an obvious love for nature and futuristic technology. He stimulates colorful imagination. In his work, his unique images let you combine organic touches and beautiful forms in surreal landscapes.

Saksi has exhibited his work in Paris and Barcelona and has worked for publications such as Wallpaper, The New York Times and Bon Swedish fashion and brands like Nike, Nissan and Issey Miyake.

Sources:

Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair

Gert Wingårdh

Kustaa Saksi