This fall, Casa Dolce Casa, a division of Florim Group, opened a state-of-the-art concept store at their headquarters in Italy.

As part of Casa Dolce Casa’s exhibit at Cersaie, the company, a division of the Florim Group, opened its doors to their state-of-the-art concept store. They invited designers, architects and media from around the world to attend this grand opening. Located in Fiorano Modenese, Italy, the space offers designers an opportunity to experience Casa Dolce Casa’s extensive range of collections and mix and match these modular pieces with other coordinating materials. One of the company’s latest introductions is a project entitled “Casamood.” It offers the A&D community a complete system of building products – matching their stoneware with adhesives, grout, glass and paint.

Attendees celebrate at Florim’s chic bash. The party included three architectural films by Olivo Barieri.

The launch was capped off with a chic party, held adjacent to the store at the headquarters of the Florim Group. Playing on a large screen were three exclusive films by Olivo Barieri. Entitled, Site Specific, the pieces showed an aerial view of three cities, Rome, Shanghai and Las Vegas and their architecture. The cool space and lively atmosphere, mixed with a trilogy of films made for a night to remember.

For more information, visitwww.florim.it.

In 2005, Claudio Silvestrin worked with Brix to design “I Frammenti,” a collection of 5mm-by-5mm mosaic tiles.

Andrée Putnam Collaborates with Brix

This year, Italian tile manufacturer Brix has formed a strategic partnership with one of the best-known contemporary interior designers, Andrée Putnam. Her name will be added to the company’s ever-growing list of collaborations with leading designers and architects. Other notables include Claudio Silvestrin, Ludovica and Roberto Palomba and Gianfranco Benedini.

Putnam has a repertoire of projects around the world including: Morgan’s Hotel in New York, the Centre d’Art Plastique Contemporain in Bordeaux, interior furnishing of Concorde for Air France, the Pershing Hall in Paris, as well as shops of renowned designers and brands such as Karl Lagerfeld, Azzedine Alaia, Yves Saint Laurent, Cartier and Ebel.

Enter the World of Cottoveneto with a Click of the Mouse

Cottoveneto, a leading producer of Italian tile, recently announced the re-launch of their Internet portal,www.cottoveneto.it. The redesigned site supports sales activities and offers users a wide range of services.

The structure of the pages is extremely simple and intuitive. Visitors can search for either a specific type of material (glazed tile, stone, terracotta, glass or steel) or a particular collection, making it easier to identify the most suitable option for any application – whether commercial, residential or institutional.

Additionally the site contains the latest information on events, products, research activities and news. It also has areas dedicated to press, retailers and marketing.

Embracing Change in the Industry

This October, several leading trade organizations came together for a special industry symposium entitled “Embracing Change in the Industry.” Organized by The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA), International Masonry Institute (IMI), International Union of Bricklayers and Craftworkers, Tile Contractors Association of America, Ceramic Tile Distributors Association and Tile Council of North America, this program made its first stop on October 18, 2006 at the Marriot Downtown in Indianapolis and then moved onto the Chicago Merchandise Mart the following day. Ceramic Tiles of Italy was a major sponsor of the two-day event. All in all, more than 500 architects, designers and industry professionals came together to learn about the exciting new developments in the tile industry.

As part of the program, Michael P. Johnson, industry consultant and Principal Architect of Michael P. Johnson Design Studio led a seminar entitled, Cost Effective, Green and Trendsetting: Inspiring New Designs from The Ceramic Tiles of Italy. Johnson, a previous winner of the Ceramic Tiles of Italy Design Competition, presented this accredited, lunchtime keynote to a captivated audience. He focused on large format Italian porcelain tiles, ventilated wall facades and elevated floor systems. Johnson used physical samples and case studies of completed projects as well as projects currently under construction. He also addressed the aesthetic and economic benefits of each system.

Ceramic Tiles of Italy is gearing up for an exciting 2007 seminar campaign. For more information, visitwww.italiantiles.com.