At Coverings 2025, authenticity emerged as a central theme, with manufacturers prioritizing tactile surfaces and sustainable practices alongside technological innovation.
While advanced digital printing continues to refine aesthetics, it was the material honesty and purposeful imperfection that stood out to our guest correspondent, Nicole Zack of Ted Moudis Associates.
Textures were meant to be touched, in the form of soft ridges, linearity, and raised geometries, bringing depth to otherwise minimal color palettes. This led to another trend, “tile drenching”, where a single tile material was used continuously on floors, walls, countertops, and millwork. The effect created a seamless environment that emphasized cohesion over contrast.
Color Report: New Neutrals and Earth-Inspired Accents
Neutrals now span a much wider spectrum. Beyond black and white, the dominant tones continue to be warm greys, taupe, sand, Anthro-tones and coffee brown. These colors were showcased in a range of finishes and textures. Blue and green hues took cues from the environment, from sky and water blues to herbaceous greens emerging as muted neutral accents. Earth-derived reds, especially terracotta and clay, rounded out the tonal base neutrals.
The show reinforced that the future of tile lies in refining and enhancing the looks of yesterday. Across the show floor, manufacturers embraced timeless materiality, subtle surface design, and applications that provide timeless longevity in projects. Trends moved away from novelty and into refinement. Tile reaffirms its role as both a functional finish and a design statement.
New and Notable List: A Showcase of Materials, Patterns, and Technology
Backlight Visual Printing Technology
Digital layering creates a light-from-within effect across large-format slabs.
Hybrid Stone Graphic Visuals
New composites merge multiple stone references into a new hybrid stone graphic producing unique surfaces that feel natural.
Breezeblocks and Extruded Wall Tiles
Dimensional tiles add architectural texture to space dividers, façades, and wall cladding.
Extruded Profiles – Natucer Techno
Micromosaics
Miniature-scale tiles brought intricate detail and movement to walls and floors, collections often borrowed from Japanese, Mediterranean design inspiration.
Porcelain Slab and Through Body Pattern
Advanced production techniques now allow pattern and veining to travel through the full depth of the surface.
Hyper Real Texture on Surface
Ultra-tactile 3d printed surfaces gave visual realism to wood, plaster, and terrazzo finishes.
Crossville Laminam Gemini Plaster Look
Post Show Reflection
While the experience of Coverings as a tile show is a showcase of surface, color and texture, this year it raised a deeper question: Why are we seeing so many traditional and classic stone looks reemerge?
Perhaps the answer lies not just in design trends, but in something deeper. The resurgence of hand-tooled looks, historical patterns felt more than just an aesthetic choice. In a world shaped by rapid change, global uncertainty, and technology overload, are we returning to materials that feel grounded, familiar, and real? While we might not be consciously choosing tile as a way to seek human connection, we are certainly gravitating toward what feels honest and authentic.
Images courtesy of Nicole Zack
Want to Attend Coverings 2026?
Anyone interested in attending Coverings 2026, slated for March 30-April 2, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, can sign up to be notified when event registration opens at www.coverings.com.
