This year in Chicago, more than 37,000 people attended Coverings, America’s largest ceramic tile and stone trade show, with architects’ and designers’ numbers nearly doubling. At the show, manufacturers and distributors unveiled new green products as well as patterns inspired by textiles. - David Sokol
 

Matte-metal mash-up
DesignTaleStudio made the floral pattern of its Platinum tiles jump out from the subtle background by adding the namesake metal to the glaze. Rein Ceramiche, Casalgrande, Italy. www.refin.it

[Reader Service: October 2007 #200]
 

Likable Leather
To produce its recycled leather tiles, the Earth stewards of EcoDomo collect scraps from furniture, shoes, and other tanneries, mix them with natural rubber and Acacia bark, and reform them into 1¼8''- and 1¼16''-thick sheets that emit no detectable VOCs. EcoDomo, Rockville, Md. www.ecodomo.com

[Reader Service: October 2007 #201]
 

Natural feeling
In an American take on the fabric trend, Stonepeak embraces natural materials with its interpretation of Grey Wool. Stonepeak Ceramics, Chicago. www.stonepeakceramics.com

[Reader Service: October 2007 #202]
     

Inner glow
The Lumenaire Tile, a glass tile combined with energy-efficient fiber optics, creates backlit borders and accents. The tiles are mounted in conduit trays and can support 100,000 hours of continuous illumination. Tylerco, Newport Beach, Calif. www.lumenairetiles.com

[Reader Service: October 2007 #203]

Sleek streaks
This series of tiles in 2' x 2' and 1' x 2' standard sizes, features classic herringbone and pique patterns in popular metallic finishes, including platinum. GranitiFiandre, Castellarano, Italy. www.granitifiandre.com

[Reader Service: October 2007 #204]

Buena Vista cement club
The antique cement-tile floors that brighten Cuba’s interiors are being lost to neglect. Jorge Aguayo Saladin recorded the designs for the Cuban Heritage Collection from crumbling buildings in Havana and Camagüey, and now reproduces the handmade tiles with partial recycled content from a facility in the Dominican Republic. Industrias Aguayo, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. www.aguayo.com.do

[Reader Service: October 2007 #205]