Ossidi. Cementine tiles with a timeless appeal
The designer of Ossidi cementine tiles reveals where the inspiration for this new collection came from, as well as the development of the Ossidi Communication Project, a perfect essay on post-contemporary design.
Where does the Ossidi collection come from?
Ossidi was created with a precise intent: to observe the traditional Cementine tile, identify its hallmark elements and emulate them as faithfully as possible. To do so, we engaged local craftsmen in order to experiment with raw materials and colours and reconstruct wooden moulds by hand to shape new pieces to be used later as models for industrial production.
This allowed us to bring exceptional depth to the product, revealing all the creativity, enthusiasm and artistic and craftsmanship research that goes into it.
Ossidi derives from the hand of Man, for intimate contact with humankind.
Ossidi has inspired an innovative communication project: the decoration of an entire home in an historical apartment building in Milan.
Why was this original approach chosen?
Ossidi is inspired by the grand homes of the early 20th century, in the big cities such as Turin and Milan.
With their stylish Baroque finishing touches, these historical dwellings remain the most beautiful, charming settings in Italy. Setting the Ossidi collections within the timeless allure of one of these buildings immediately appeared a winning option, because such a style was “crying out” for a product like ours.
At the same time, this innovative project was able to demonstrate the versatility of Ossidi: the floors and walls of all the rooms in the apartment in Milan were tiled with Ossidi, whose sizes (20x20 and the rhomboid 18.7x32.4), colours and decorations are suitable for creating perfectly balanced, supremely elegant settings that are never banal, yet never over the top.
On the one hand, the painstaking style research shaped inviting, trend-inspired retro atmospheres, while on the other, the technical performance typical of porcelain stoneware made it possible to use the Ossidi cementine tiles in literally every room, including humid environments subject to stress such as the kitchen and the bathroom.
Who is Ossidi aimed at?
Ossidi is suitable for everyone, thanks to its simple allure and flexibility when it comes to decoration. It’s definitely the perfect choice for anyone seeking to tile a new bathroom in the city or renovate an old country dwelling, but it’s an equally smart option for an inviting, trend-inspired little restaurant or bar with a retro or post-industrial style.
Ossidi is ideal for a creative spirit and for adding a personal touch. The confidently decorative vocation of the collection focuses on the creativity of the designer or the customer, thanks to the variety of decorations, surface effects and laying patterns, which can be used to create a uniform floor or to shape sophisticated colour geometries.
What can we learn from the Ossidi project?
The Ossidi catalogue does more than just show the composition of the series; it seeks to stimulate the curiosity of both designers and end customers: manufacturing history, especially in Italy, is replete with incredible tales of people with extraordinary passion and creativity.
These days, a designer is a magnet for stories and inspirations, where the ancient meets the modern; a poet of material whose products are moved by a desire to share and to transmit a series of emotions.
