Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 9660 2017 | TRENDS or eliminating replacement, and diverting tons of mate- rial from landfills. TRENDS: How are new products and designs expanding the application for tile other than traditional kitchen/ bath/foyer applications? LM: Tile is being used in so many ways now. Large slabs are being used in commercial spaces for walls, and fire- places – and for floors where people once used wood, now we are using tile that mimics wood. So tile is being used throughout the home or commercial space. People are also creating work surfaces out of tiles. Tile can be used on the ceiling, floors, and walls, both interior and exterior, with great success. PG: The large-sheet format of Laminam, Crossville’s porcelain sheet tile, has virtually changed the way tile is used in wet areas like bathrooms. Using three sheets of Laminam in a shower reduces grouting and leaks or failure. Also being used as countertop material, Laminam creates an incredibly durable, smooth continuous sur- face, and requires no chemical sealing. As an interior designer focused on healthy indoor air quality, eliminat- ing the use of chemicals, especially on eating surfaces, is so important. TRENDS: What visual effects does their expanse allow that you think we’ll be seeing more of as we go into the future? How much have you used/seen gauged porce- lain tile (thin tile) used in design schemes? LM: I love the seamless look of thin porcelain tile and am actually planning to design a fireplace wall in my own master suite using this product. Being able to do away with so many grout lines makes the project more seam- less visually. I love to use the gauged porcelain for shower walls and also for floors. It can be cut to make various pat- terns for added interest. I also love that it can be installed over old tile, which makes it so much easier to install with less mess and less expense for the homeowner. PG: As we continue to see large-sheet format tile invade the market, I believe this thin tile will become the standard for new home building, and also remodeling. Using this thin sheet tile over existing tile, and not hav- ing to demo old flooring, is an absolute game changer. Designers can create the look of large stone slabs on flooring and walls, and even make a floor look like poured cement, or oxidized iron. Truly magnificent. TRENDS: Please speak to the state of sustainable design as relates to tile. Has demand increased? How have EPDs/HPDs made tile a more viable product selec- tion? How often do you seek Green Squared Certified® tile products in your work? LM: We are all stewards of the environment for future generations, so it is highly important to use green prod- ucts whenever possible. I love programs like Crossville has implemented in recycling product with their Tile Take-Back program as well as Ecocycle Tile Process and Hydrotect. They are a responsible tile company that takes being green and sustainable seriously. I think Green Squared Certified tile is more prevalent in states like California that have been forerunners in green efforts and other states like North Carolina are begin- Lisa Mende Design used Crossville’s porcelain Virtue tile in this Napa, Calif., bathroom project, creating a marble look with ease of maintenance. A&D Q&A (continued)