Tile, the Italian Way

At Cersaie 2025, Italian-made tile proved it’s not just about surfaces—it’s about sustainability, feeling, and the stories spaces can tell.

Between the endless arcades, golden-hour terracotta buildings, and plates of pasta that deserve their own passport stamps, Bologna felt like a love letter to slowing down and savoring everything. Days started with cappuccinos, ended with lambrusco, and somehow included getting delightfully lost in design more than once {on purpose}. If inspiration had a flavor, Bologna would be rich, layered, and unapologetically indulgent.

Whisked off to Casalgrande Padana tile factory, we received a firsthand look at how the sauce was made—from raw materials to finished, design-forward surfaces. Then off to Acetaia Leonardi for a vinegar infusion and a long lunch, because in Italy, even the schedule knows when to slow down.

Enter Cersaie 2025, a global pulse check on where design is heading. Ideas that make you stop mid-aisle and say, “OK … wow.” Trade show? Please. This was tile in full glam, strutting under spotlights. Bold surfaces, thoughtful materials, and a renewed focus on sustainability and storytelling filled the halls {er, runways?}. It wasn’t just about tile and finishes; it was about how spaces make us feel and how design shapes the way we live.

It was a reminder that great design should surprise you, make you feel something, and maybe even spark a few new obsessions. I left Bologna inspired, tired, and already dreaming about how these ideas could translate back home—because the best trips don’t just show you what’s new, they change how you see everything afterward.

This experience was courtesy of the wonderful people at Ceramics of Italy. May we suggest creating your next project with these Italian materials? We know we want to. Be sure to take a virtual visit at ceramica.info/en. And since two pages weren’t enough, see more coverage at synkd.io.