Trip to Italy: Finding World’s Most Beautiful Ceramic Tiles

A rather cool morning in my town. I’m anxious and a bit nervous — I’m flying to Italy on a mission to find the world’s most beautiful ceramic tiles. It’s a hunt for the values of aesthetic refinement dictated by latest trends in fashion and design, combined with technological excellence specific to the “Made in Italy” legacy.

Porcelain Tile Designed by Elio Fiorucci

Ceramiche Refin, a big player in the ceramics industry, have invited a few creative heads to visit their factory, learn how tiles are being made and see the actual evolution of the ceramic industry, live from their playgrounds. They take a great deal of pride in they products, saying they “produce high quality porcelain tiles with avantgarde design contents”. And that’s something I’m highly intrigued by. I want to see if it’s all just a cliche or they really stand by their own word.

Ceramiche Refin HQ, Casalgrande

Porcelain Stoneware, Made in Italy

First thing Refin wants you to know is, when you buy their tiles you’re not only assured buying an amazing design, you’re buying an amazing product.

Because it uses only the best materials, their porcelain gres (a vitrified stoneware with great resistance) has a high lever of strength, which also gives the product a high abrasion resistance (stress, scratch etc). Not only this, Refin also makes sure they take out as much water as possible during the “cooking” process, so their tiles have a low water absorption level making them resistant to all sorts of thermal shocks (like frost for example).

Materials used for making procelain tiles

This is the factory

Ceramiche Refin – the mill

But the best part is, I got to see all these. And I mean, they took us on a factory tour showing how a tile is being created. Right from the point where it’s just a bunch of sand and water.

Partnering with Artists, Architects and Designers

What about these great designs? Who comes up with them, you may ask?

Some 10 years ago Refin set up a small creative design studio called DesignTaleStudio (DTS). Their job was finding artists with great vision and original ideas for their porcelain stoneware tiles. And they managed to do this successfully. They partnered with top artists, architects and designers like Michelle De Lucchi, Karim Rashid, fashion icon Viviene Westwood, Ellio Fiorucci, Alessandro and Francesco Mendini, or Mario Bellini.

Frame-up Collection by StudioFM

Viviene Westwood porcelain tile for Refin

Viviene Westwood porcelain tile design for Refin

Porcelain tiles Designed by Karim Rashid

Filo Collection by Mendini brothers!

Fossil Collection – A personal favourite

They even launched a design competition called “Create Your Tile”. Polish make-up artist Kasia Zareba was the one to get the top prize with the Fossil collection. We love it. It certainly gets the eye with its subtle and highly clear features. Don’t you think?

Fossil collection - porcelain tiles Refin

Fossil Collection by Kasia Zareba

Fossil porcelain tile collection

Fossil by Kasia Zareba

Aiming for an eco-friendly product is no easy task as all efforts will be reflected into the final price of your product. And the fact that a product which combines creativity, Italian culture and Italian manufacturing tradition is able to maintain a green philosophy is nothing short of mind-blowing. Refin’s commitment to the environment respects all ethical principles for industrial production.

Leading the Eco Sustainability in Ceramics

by recycling water during all phases of the production process
by recovering waste generated during the production process
by re-using the hot air coming from the final part of the kiln directly into the combustion air of their burners
and by using a photovoltaic system on the roof of their warehouse which generates enough electricity to power all their offices for a whole day.

Because …

It takes genius to make porcelain tiles.

It takes talent to make porcelain tiles.

It takes vision to make porcelain tiles.

It takes inspiration to make porcelain tiles.

It takes love to make porcelain tiles.

Extensive Collection of Tiles by Refin

It’s been a great experience to see how tiles are made and the amount of effort put in so that each single one is perfect. Therefore, fore those of you with some more time on hand, here’s an extensive collection of pictures that you can check further.