Brick, with its timeless simplicity and ease of installation, has left an indelible mark on the world of interior coverings. Its adaptability and its inherent decorative character have ensured its enduring popularity across generations, bridging the gap between past and present, making it a cool iconic element of interior design.
This sentiment is echoed by prominent ceramic brands, which have showcased a plethora of innovative and creative brick-inspired designs at Cersaie 2023. These designs span a wide spectrum of materials, colours, and dimensions to cater to diverse preferences and anticipate future trends. TAF has curated a selection of the most outstanding of these collections to spotlight the boundless vitality and dynamism of this small format as it continues to evolve.
Few building materials are as fundamental to the construction of architectural and decorative structures as the humble brick. The French designers and brothers Ronan and Ewan Bouroullec took on the task of reimagining this essential element for Mutina, resulting in the creation of Bloc. This collection features cuboid-shaped bricks measuring 13cm by 13cm by 10cm, distinguished by four holes. Bloc is available in natural terracotta, as well as in Pearl, Blue, Red, and Grey, offering a choice between matte and glossy finishes. The unique aspect of Bloc lies in its versatile design, as the holes within the bricks can be filled with the wooden Tube in red and blue, allowing for the creation of intricate patterns and a myriad of color combinations.
Brac, an exclusively designed terracotta ceramic piece by Nathalie Du Pasquier, serves as a versatile three-dimensional component for constructing various structures and walls, giving rise to captivating interplays of light and shadow. The bricks that define this collection are authentic design elements crafted from extruded terracotta.
The Brac collection offers a selection of five colours: clay, featuring a natural matte surface, and bianco, salvia, marrone, and nero, boasting a glossy enamel finish. Each individual Brac piece measures 13 x 22 x 10cm in size.
The hexagon, a shape synonymous with honeycombs, is a remarkable creation of nature that possesses both geometric and technical qualities. German designer Konstantin Grcic drew inspiration from this extraordinary characteristic when developing the Hives 3D element for Mutina. This terracotta brick, composed of two interconnected hexagons, embodies the essence of its materiality, exhibiting organic color, texture, and inherent properties. The unique shape of the brick offers numerous opportunities for imaginative manipulation.
Measuring 13cm by 22.5cm by 7.5cm, the brick can be arranged vertically or horizontally in stacked or staggered configurations, enabling the creation of dividing walls, curved pillars, and integration into various structures and furniture. Hives is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, as long as it is placed under shelter.
Named after the crushed ceramic fragments used to reinforce raw clay, Chamotte is a project focused on the expression of pure color. This collection showcases a variety of surfaces imbued with an artistic flair and a tactile texture that elevates the inherent beauty of ceramics, making it ideal for use in interior spaces.Chamotte comes in a size of 7.2x21.3 cm and is available in three variants: Linea, featuring continuous raised patterns that extend across the entire surface; Quadra, where the patterns are intermittently interrupted to create a unique texture; and Mono, plain-colored elements designed to complement the previous two. This collection is offered in glossy finishes with color options including Bianco, Blu, Terra, Ocra, Nero, and Verde. The double-firing technique is used to enhance the richness of the glazed elements, resulting in exceptional brightness.
Chamotte is designed by Patricia Urquiola, a Spanish architect and designer with a strong Italian connection who became part of the Mutina team in 2008. She has contributed to the creation of numerous collections, which include Déchirer, Bas-Relief, Azulei, Tierras, Déchirer XL, Celosia, ElLobo, Mater, Chamotte, and Jali.
"The Chamotte collection emerged from the aspiration to craft an element characterized by a profound tactile quality, one that accentuates the raw and innate beauty of ceramics. Our approach involved sculpting volumes to generate a surface enriched with layers and contrasts, both visually and in terms of texture."
Mou is a ceramic wall covering that draws inspiration from the distinctive patterns of 1970s Italy. It's the outcome of meticulous research into the colors and material structure. This 3-dimensional collection is characterized by warm glazes ranging from vibrant to dazzling opaques, creating a dynamic and lively interplay of shadows and reflections.There are numerous potential variations, but the ultimate result is truly distinctive. Mou offers an unmistakable flavor.
This wall covering underscores the gestures and decorative abilities that have consistently defined humanity's interaction with materials and surfaces. The result is impactful, sturdy, and rough, yet it also incorporates refined details. These handcrafted clay tiles adorned with rustic, primitive engravings are the creation of Alissa+Nienke and are designed for Decoratori Bassanesi. The available color options include:Dark, Pink, Sand, Silver and White.
"Combining extensive material experimentation with a simple mission to put human experience at the centre of their work, they design materials, objects and installations that trigger curiosity and interaction."
