Since 1962 the Italian porcelain tiles manufacturer, Ceramiche Refin, has been embellishing living spaces around the world with the beauty and emotions of Italian design while respecting the environment we live in. With a unique and creative approach, the company believes that the synergy between technological innovation and artisan experimentation is the key to developing Italian-made products of the highest aesthetic and technical quality. Providing the world of architecture and interior design with a wide range of porcelain stoneware solutions, their latest collection, Affrescati, recently presented at Cersaie in Bologna, offers an original and eclectic interpretation of the Italian artistic heritage ingrained in the tradition of wall decorations.
For the creation of Affrescati, Ceramiche Refin has made an exciting journey into the beauty of Italian art and the rich history of frescoes. By immersing itself completely in the ancient techniques of mural painting and utilising the versatility of stoneware, the company has given life to an original surface with great character that can cover various types of surfaces, adapting perfectly to any context. The multifaceted qualities of stoneware have even made it possible, for the first time, to convey the charm of the fresco to the floor.
With references to the frescoes of Pompeii, the colours of the Amalfi Cathedral and the starry vault of the Scrovegni Chapel, the story of Affrescati starts long ago and is intimately connected to the impressions gathered during a deep immersion in the Italian tradition of wall decorations and a search for new ways of conceiving spaces. The result is a real fresco, created in the cutting-edge laboratory of Ceramiche Refin and transformed into an exclusive decorative ceramic surface, deeply textured and rich in colour contrasts. The reaction between the background lime and the pigments makes it possible to attenuate the chromatic tones and generate a range of different shades with a slightly worn-out effect. With the cultural heritage of Italian art and the historical value of craftsmanship, the Affrescati collection blends harmoniously into a fresco that gracefully fits into every context, bringing undisputed refinement and great aesthetic balance.
The collection is characterised by its exquisitely textured surfaces, enriched by spatula marks, imperceptible waves and a careful chromatic stratification that evoke in a single moment the link with distant worlds, with the value of the best artistic heritages of Italian history. The sponge technique, in particular, transforms each slab into a surface steeped in craftsmanship, with a unique and unpredictable character. The sensation of being in front of a fresco is further reinforced by the presence of cracks and chemical reactions dotting the surfaces, but also by the meticulous choice of colours — Calce, Ocra, Ombra, Lapis and Terra — all shades that clearly recall the colours of the wall art, together with their typical heritage and dusty appearance.
With the new collection by Ceramiche Refin, the fresco becomes the link between past and present, triggering new design surfaces and instilling authentic emotions in every context.
Imagery courtesy of Ceramiche Refin / V2com