On the 12th of September I was invited to a stunning location in London where Topps Tiles were revealing their Tile of the Year 2020. With the success of last years Tile of the Year, Lampas™ Peacock Tile, we were left wandering if Topps Tiles was going to reveal a tile with the same dark hues or go for something completely different. We were met at the Bourne & Hollingsworth Garden Room with a cocktail and then asked to take our seats for the tile to be revealed.
The tile was revealed to be – Syren™ in Midnight Blue. This Art Deco tile takes its inspiration from the sea, with its glossy inky tones and fish scale like shape and as dark kitchens and Scandi Noir are becoming more popular in our homes, this is the perfect tile to lead us into the moodier season of winter.
We were joined by the fabulous journalist, Kate Watson-Smyth of the UK’s no. 1 blog Madaboutthehouse.com who gave her thoughts about the Tile of the Year –
“Dark neutrals in all shades took over with the trend for darker kitchen cabinetry leading the way and new research has shown Black and Navy are up 93 per cent in the last six months. Of course, navy is actually a classic chase that goes with everything, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it’s the Topps Tiles’ Tile of the Year although the dramatic fish scale shape brings a modern twist”.
The retro shape of the Syren™ tile makes it very versatile, it can be laid horizontally either in a fan shape pattern or ‘tear-drop’ to give it a Moroccan finish. It can also be laid in an interlinking wavy pattern giving it a contemporary feel that is reminiscent of the sea. The tile requires a wider grout join (5mm) due to the shape and has to be tiled by eye rather than with tile spacers.
Topps tiles then went through the 2020 Interior Trends with us and how they envisaged using the tiles in these trends.
HOTEL LUXE
This look is all about using premium looking materials to give your home a luxury but cosy feel. And, like with hotels, is best in spaces that are compact. For the bathroom, they used marble tiles along with the Syren in Midnight Blue, dark wood with a geometric design for sink units and luxury style gold fittings.
ECLECTIC ENERGY
Mixing different trends together has given this dining room space a beautiful finish, combining mid-century and industrial style furniture, terrazzo flooring and finishing off this space with a contemporary feel by adding Crittall style patio doors.
THE UNKITCHEN-KITCHEN
The what? We have moved away from the classic country kitchen in the last few years and adopted a more Scandi approach to our kitchens, all monochrome and clean lines. With the unkitchen-kitchen trend we are being encouraged to mix and match our units with vintage and freestanding cupboards. Introducing different textures, such as rattan and distressed metals will pull the style together creating a modern but rustic feel.
CHROMATICITY
Another new word to add to my ever increasing “is that a real word?” list of Interior Design, it means the quality of colour, independent of brightness. The Syren™ in Midnight Blue is a very bold shade and works well on its own, but by bringing in different colours to compliment it, such as the pink grouting, it makes it less dramatic and more playful.
The Syren™ also comes in 4 more different shades, Natural Linen, Nordic Blue, Fresh Sage and Peacock Green (my personal favourite) and you can either use them as a block colour or mix and match.
I love how versatile these tiles are, the midnight blue colour will work alongside many colour schemes and continues our love affair with dark interiors. We have moved away from the ubiquitous metro tiles and gone with something that has a nod to the Art Deco era. It is more playful in style and would look perfect in the bathroom against marble or concrete and is the ideal tile for a back-splash to any kitchen.
