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DesignTaleStudio: ceramic 100% Made in Italy

Tuesday 20 January 2009

Refin Ceramiche 100% Made in Italy You may have noticed that for some time now on our catalogues, packaging and on all promotional material DTS use, the stamp “100% Made in Italy” appears. This is not simply yet another “style gimmick” from any common-or-garden Italian company: more rather, it is a lifestyle statement. We will explain why.

Refin Ceramiche, the parent company of DesignTaleStudio, was one of the first companies to sign up to the Ethical Code of Confindustria Ceramica, which commits a company to declare clearly and unequivocally the geographical origin of its products. In an industry that is becoming increasingly characterised by the phrase “Designed in Italy” (but, be careful “Made” in another part of the world, such as China, for example), the fact that a company of the calibre of Refin should keep production within the confines of Italy clearly represents a plus, and a guarantee of quality as well as social responsibility towards the end user.

But Refin and DesignTaleStudio go beyond the simplified geographical limitation. Quoting from the certificates which always guarantee the authenticity of the “100% Made in Italy” symbol, there is an ethical standard which is reflected throughout production:

guaranteed and certified quality of the products and working practices;
innovation in both products and processes designed to meet the increasing demands of the end user;
social responsibility towards staff and all stakeholders Refin have contact with;
respecting the environment by managing the company in a way geared towards the constant goal of sustainable development”.

Click here for more information Research and Ecology.

Published on 20 January 2009 by Alberto under Ceramics | 0 Comments |

Made in Italy ceramics: design, craftsmanship and personalisation

Thursday 15 January 2009

In the picture: DesignTaleStudio ceramic slabs tailor-made for the French market as they get out of the kiln.

The push towards product personalisation is one of the most evident features of contemporary markets. It is simply enough to think about the countless list of optional accessories which can be chosen for a car, or even about the exponential increase in the number of collections, colours and finishes offered by the interior design industry (furniture, fixtures, floors and wall coverings…). Now, even the publishing sector has been influenced by the print-on-demand phenomenon, as we can see on the website Lulu.com, a website that enables you to publish your own book without the need of a publisher. That’s without mentioning electronic media, characterised by the user generated content paradigm, such as Wikipedia or Current.tv.

We too, at DesignTaleStudio, probably unique in our sector, have for some two years now, even started to produce small quantities of ceramic slabs on demand; we also consider the feasibility and production options of designs proposed by our customers. Technology is taking great strides in our industry too: recently, for example, the German architects Maier & Marom have patented a digital printing system which prints directly onto concrete surfaces, thus creating the opportunity to develop a streamlined system in which the “printing process” on a building material will be more or less the same as that on t-shirts or cakes.

Today, consumers have reached a new era of awareness: fewer “mass-consumers” and increasing amounts of “individual-consumers”, who look for the same quality found in the most evolved industrial processes, but who, at the same time, want to break free from the thought of exclusive design made just for and by an élite of professional designers and trend-makers. These consumers know what they want, follow their own personal taste and gain satisfaction from an interactive approach so that they can have a unique and completely one-off product.

Let’s think about the self-project-planning experiments carried out by Enzo Mari in the 70s. A vision which, although conceived as a breaking point and as cultural provocation, contributed to defining the concept of Made in Italy design in its most “artisan” feature which is why it is still very much modern today.
The frontier between artisan and amateur product is very subtle. It is determined by the culture and the know-how of the company, which must interpret more and more differentiated and progressive needs and tastes. A difficult task: but the future of the Made in Italy, traditionally based on this notion, must go down this path.

Published on 15 January 2009 by Alberto under Real-life Projects | Comments Off |

Your designs: Maria Teresa Rosa

Tuesday 2 December 2008

The ceramic master and sculptor, Maria Teresa Rosa from Castellamonte (Turin), has created a brilliant interior design solution for us, in which ceramic is used as a 3D wall sculpture to enrich and personalise a fireplace. Not a simple design, but a facsimile of a real and unique piece, sharing the same concepts as the DesignTaleStudio’s “ceramic pictures”.

While surfing the Internet and visiting Maria Teresa’s website (http://www.rosaceramiche.com) we have found out that she, after following in the footsteps of her father (the family is from Castelli, Teramo, an area renowned for majolica craftsmanship) and became a “Masters of Arts” and almost twenty years ago started her own craftsman workshop and even won some major awards. A typical example of the rich Italian tradition, which DTS has always aspired to re-create.

Published on 2 December 2008 by Alberto under Your artworks! | Comments Off |

DTS stand at Cersaie 2008: the video

Friday 7 November 2008

A short video filmed at DesignTaleStudio stand, which was awarded as “Best of Show” during the Cersaie 2008 trade-fair. An extremely ambitious and innovative project, created by Karim Rashid’s flair and R+Evolution ceramics.

Published on 7 November 2008 by Alberto under Real-life Projects | 0 Comments |

Photos of DTS stand at Interieur

Friday 31 October 2008

Here are some photos of our stand at the Interieur trade-fair in Kortrijx; the stand was designed by the Belgian company Rotor Group and focused on the R+Evolution collection by Karim Rashid. You can find other photos in the DesignTaleStudio dedicated area on Flickr.

Published on 31 October 2008 by Alberto under Events and Exhibitions | 0 Comments |

Ceramiche Refin At Interieur 2008

Friday 10 October 2008

Following the success of 2006, Ceramiche Refin can confirm their presence at Interieur 2008, the bi-annual international trade fair dedicated to creativity and interior design.

The stand has been completely designed by the Rotor Group, the well-known Belgium company with a wealth of design experience, creating graphics, showrooms and products for the most important companies in the world.

The stand has been specifically created to display the new collection R+evolution, designed by the famous Anglo-Egyptian designer Karim Rashid for DesignTalestudio, the creative laboratory of Ceramiche Refin. The collection is made up of exclusive ceramics with original designs and lively colours, perfectly reflecting the unmistakable style of Karim Rashid; ceramics to create unique interior patterns and colours to dress every ambience with design.

Ceramiche Refin also presents Visual, a precious and minimalist collection, on a new 90×90cm size, ideal for dressing interiors of residential as well as commercial premises.

Another important collection, which confirms Ceramiche Refin’s constant commitment to ecology and respect to the environment, is the Eco-Leader collection, which consists of at least 40% recycled material. The Eco-leader tiles also meet the standards set by the American LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, and contribute to the creation of eco-sustainable buildings.

Come and visit Ceramiche Refin and DesignTaleStudio at stand 526.

Interieur08

Kortrijx, 17-26 October 2008

Published on 10 October 2008 by Alberto under Events and Exhibitions | Comments Off |

Refin and DesignTaleStudio stand wins the Cersaie 2008 Award!

Wednesday 1 October 2008

Primo premio per il miglior stand Cersaie 2008 a DesignTaleStudio

We took this picture with our mobile phone, in a rush, as we couldn’t contain ourselves for the excitement and wanted to share the news with you straight away: Refin and DesignTaleStudio have won the “Best Stand” award at Cersaie 2008. We are excited: after having won the “Best of Show” award last year at Coverings, this is further confirmation that the creative direction we have taken, this time in partnership with the designer Karim Rashid, is innovative and courageous yet able to win over the public as well as the experts in the sector. Let’s keep it up!

Published on 1 October 2008 by Alberto under Events and Exhibitions | 0 Comments |

Cersaie 2008: the first photos

Tuesday 30 September 2008

9 o’clock: shutters are up, Cersaie 2008 begins.

The Refin and DesignTaleStudio stand designed by Karim Rashid has had great success and has been nominated for the award of best stand. In fact, with its open spaces and majestic terracing, covered with wonderfully colourful R+Evolution ceramics, really is a breath of fresh air in hall 36.

Published on 30 September 2008 by Alberto under Events and Exhibitions, Real-life Projects | 0 Comments |

The evening with Krizia in Turin

Thursday 3 July 2008

Krizia Lounge 1

Last Tuesday saw the meeting with Krizia at the Cavallerizza Maneggio Chiablese in Turin, at which, on the occasions of the XXIII World Congress of Architecture and of Torino Design Capital, we were present with our space until July 21.

The event, organised in association with Casartarc, saw the participation of the fashion designer, who is the creator of a suggestive porcelain stoneware slab for Design Tale Studio, and who had also been our guest at the recent Trascreativity event at the Triennale in Milan. Krizia took part in an interesting exchange of ideas, chaired by Mao, with many journalists from the industry, talking about fashion, architecture and new trends. All of this took part within the Krizia Lounge, a setting created for the event by Laura Villani and centred around her creation for DesignTaleStudio.

Krizia Lounge 2

The presence of many Japanese architects, motivated by the “New Horizons of Japanese Architecture” show, organised by ARCASIA, gave a multicultural twist to the evening.

Published on 3 July 2008 by Alberto under Events and Exhibitions | 0 Comments |

“Krizia Lounge” by Refin and DesignTaleStudio at the XXIII Architecture World Congress in Turin

Tuesday 24 June 2008

From June 29 to July 12, we will be present at the XXIII Architecture World Congress in Turin with our space in the Cavallerizza pavilion. It will be an exclusive Lounge Bar created by Laura Villani built up around the ceramic composition designed by Kriza for DTS on the occasion of Trascreativity, our event during the Fuorisalone 2008 exhibition. Kriza will be our guest on July 1.

Here is a preview-showing of “Krizia Lounge”, for further information on the event, please visit Refin’s website.
Krizia Lounge - rendering

Published on 24 June 2008 by Alberto under Events and Exhibitions | 0 Comments |

DesignTaleStudio: ceramic 100% Made in Italy

Made in Italy ceramics: design, craftsmanship and personalisation

Your designs: Maria Teresa Rosa

DTS stand at Cersaie 2008: the video

Photos of DTS stand at Interieur

Ceramiche Refin At Interieur 2008

Refin and DesignTaleStudio stand wins the Cersaie 2008 Award!

Cersaie 2008: the first photos

The evening with Krizia in Turin

“Krizia Lounge” by Refin and DesignTaleStudio at the XXIII Architecture World Congress in Turin

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