As the new year gets underway, “tile as art” is becoming a defining force for 2026 interiors. Ceramic and porcelain surfaces are no longer just functional, they are taking center stage as primary artistic elements, increasingly replacing traditional paintings and wallcoverings. Driven by innovations from Ceramics of Italy manufacturers and the demand for personalized, long-lasting spaces, this approach reflects a broader shift toward immersive, highly personal interiors that blur the line between art and architecture.
To understand how the decorative tile trend is shaping interiors, Ceramics of Italy asked top experts for their perspective.
Cristina Faedi, Tile Trend Expert and Consultant of Confindutria Ceramica and Art Director and Founder of Infinite Possibilità, points to the influence of art movements and nature-inspired forms.
“Today’s decorative ceramics feature geometric, modernist, and organic designs with layered finishes and contrasts of matte and gloss that reference both conceptual art and the natural world,” she said.
Giorgia Cedro, Founder of Olbos Studio and a 2025 Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition winner, adds that ceramics are resonating now because they bring humanity back into space.
“After a long period dominated by smooth, cold surfaces, ceramics reintroduce imperfection, relief, and tactility—qualities that make a space feel alive and connected to human presence,” she explained. “Today, the demand is no longer only for decoration, but for authenticity, for something that feels both traditional and modern.”
These insights position ceramics as a defining material for 2026, offering durability, high-performance, and an impactful artistic surface.
About Ceramics of Italy
Ceramics of Italy is the brand that represents the Italian ceramic industry. In 1972 the Ceramiche italiane brand was born, designed to promote Italian ceramic tiles in Italy and abroad with an operation ahead of its time in the panorama of the Italian Made in Italy industry. The brand transitioned to Ceramic Tiles of Italy and finally to Ceramics of Italy in 2011, to represent the following industrial sectors of Italian ceramics: tiles, ceramic sanitaryware and tableware. By indicating the geographical origin of the product, the brand embodies the values and qualities recognized by the Made in Italy ceramic industry all over the world: quality, transparency, leadership in design, product and process innovation, environmental and social sustainability.
