CMF

As our world becomes increasingly digitised and complex, architects, interior designers and artisans are retreating from this overload, adopting a stone-age simplicity by turning their attention to the ultimate analogue material, stone.

Whether it was sustainability, references to nature or even a little healthy hit of maximalism, a sheer diversity of surface choices was the defining feature of this year’s Surface Design Show.

Liquid qualities, buoyant materials and submerged aesthetics. The CMF directions for the 2024 design direction SUBMERGE.

Craft, digital tracking and local materials. The CMF directions for the 2024 design direction PROVENANCE.

Satire, distortion and unsettling theatricality. The CMF directions for the 2024 design direction HELTER-SKELTER.

Fragmented forms, aged patinas and shadowy contrasts. The CMF directions for the 2024 design direction MEMORY.

Playing a pivotal role in the development of future tech, minerals may replace oil as a resource. Reports on vulnerabilities in global supply chains already exacerbated by conflict and climate change, and the crucial role of the consumer in rejecting mineral mining exploitation.

Over 600 companies from 26 countries came together to make the 39th edition of Cersaie, The International Exhibition of Ceramic Tile and Bathroom Furnishings, a statement on sustainability.

The destructive force of fire has acted as a driver for many design decisions, from material innovation to protective systems. Yet fire can be used in creative processes too, forming strikingly beautiful objects and architecture.