While working on our next retail project I came across very interesting new material. Although Porcelain Slabs (large format tiles up to 62”x126”) are not new on the Canadian market, they are fascinating technology that keeps evolving and surprising. Not only in the terms of technical characteristics but also in the terms of new looks.
Whether it is expanding digital printing capabilities in producing highly realistic-looking tiles that mimic rare natural marbles or new pressing technologies enabling the creation of 3D surfaces with increased depth and alignment with graphics. Or technology keeps evolving and developing new product constructions. From a 3mm wall product on a fibre mesh by Italian company Laminam suitable for wall remodelling ( even for tile-over-tile installations) to a 30mm countertop product with hyperrealistic through veining features perfect for kitchen countertops by Spanish-based company Idylim surfaces.
This time around, while touring one of the Toronto premium tile retailers Centura Tile I was couth by surprise with this new colour development by Italian company Mirage. Lustre ceramic finish is not new in the ceramic industry and has been used as a decorative finish on tiles for a long long time, applying this finish in such consistency and uniformly on a large surface such as slabs should be a big challenge for the factory. Obviously, as real gold particles were used to create this special glaze for the slab it shouldn’t be that surprising that the price of the slab could reach an astonishing $14,000.
This slab collection named Miroir is available in 8 designs, each available in 48’’x110’’ size and thickness of 6 mm. The mirrored Miroir slabs by Mirage allow for achieving interesting reflections, new perspectives, and touches of light and colour, particularly interesting for retail or hospitality projects.
Not only the production of this material is complex and requires a fully automatized state art facility (there are not many in the world), transportation and installation could be challenging as well. Installation requires special equipment for cutting and handling the tiles. Installation Once installed single tile covers up to 55 sq. ft of the surface making the installation time much faster compared to standard tile formats. The result is a beautiful, monolithic surface that could truly elevate the space. In the case of this special mirror-looking tile, it also visually expands the space and helps create a unique in-store experience for shoppers.
For our client, we may proceed with installing the Mirror slab in a retail store or choose to work with some other similar tiles that have similar reflective properties. Some of the other options would be another collection by Mirage called Reflet or Fillipo Soul collection by the Spanish tile brand Vives.
At this point, we are still sourcing the tiles and if the customer decides to proceed with mirror tiles we would need to wait for them to be shipped from Italy. Lead time for this special order product is 8-12 weeks. If that would be the case installation of those would start in late June. We can’t wait to share our installation pictures!
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