IDS this year had a great focus on tile, bathtubs and showers. There were beautiful 3-dimensional tiles, classic arabesque tiles, and many retakes on the traditional hand-painted tile. There was very little stone veneer applied as a wall finish – I think we’ll see more tile work in the next few years.

There was a huge range of bathtubs and showers on display; the trend continues to be freestanding pieces, modern in design and shape. There were also many pre-formed showers on display, with slim modern lines and glass enclosures.

The fireplaces on display at Napoleon showed the new models with a protection screen in front of the glass; this as a new requirement for all fireplaces sold as of January 2015. I’m glad I was able to see this in person!

There were some wonderful new colours at caesarstone that I look forward to seeing in our own showroom. Cambria also had some large slabs that are truly breathtaking, especially in a large piece. Quartz is consistently the popular option in solid surface countertops, even venturing into wall finishes.

Emily Larochelle. Design Consultant