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Introducing Linkfloor

If you are seeking a floor covering that is durable, high-quality and has a unique surface finish that emulates natural woods and woven textiles, look no further than Linkfloor.

Specifically designed with durability in mind this product is suitable for most residential applications and a number of commercial applications. It can be used to clad stairs and is suitable for use with radiant underfloor heating systems. The Contract series is available in roll form which is both lighter and more cost effective for wall applications.

The unique flooring system is easy to maintain, elastic and heat and sound insulating. It is also durable and easy to install with the implementation of the Union Lock System, which makes it simple to assemble and disassemble at any time.

Linkfloor is antibacterial as it is impossible for dust mites and bacteria to live within the product. Those who suffer from allergies or asthma will find this product appealing.

Whilst carpet needs to be vacuumed to be kept clean, Linkfloor can be cleaned with water and a mop. The Linkfloor series is resistant to liquid spills and stains including red wine that can so easily ruin carpet. Linkfloor has a total resistance to odours unlike carpet that can host bacteria, germs and dirt that are not so easily removed with vacuuming alone.

At the end of its life, Linkfloor can be reused or recycled as a source of energy due to its composition of 100% certified virgin vinyl making it a sustainable choice for your home or premises.

Linkfloor is a unique product with a host of benefits. For more information on this remarkable product email info@earp.com.au or contact a showroom near you.

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Green With Envy

Fast becoming the colour of 2017, green can offer a myriad of looks for the home depending on your design sensibilities. Green is currently trending in the design world as it can create a statement of luxury or incite a feeling of calm and relaxation in any space depending on the shade you choose.

Darker hues embody a feeling of quality and opulence. The use of bottle green subway tiles or lux green marble will evoke a nostalgic decadent feel to any abode. Accentuate this design style by teaming rich greens with natural timber finishes or brass and copper accents for a 21st century take on timeless understated luxury. The Tavola Kenya or Evolution Victorian Subway tile can help you create this look.

A more masculine style can be achieved by pairing dark greens with tonal greys. This trend is popular among minimalist designers and can be implemented by teaming lux green marble with warm textures such as natural woods and furs to enhance the space. The Verde Honduras tile in a semi-polished finish can help you achieve this ultra modern style.

Looking for something more demure? Sage and pastel greens are the colours to consider. They create a calm, relaxing space as they affect the mood to evoke a soothing influence. Embrace the Scandi style by pairing sage and pastel hues with natural timbers and crisp white or envelope a contemporary on-trend feel with the incorporation of fashionable matte black accents.

Whichever style you desire, there is a tile that will not only help you achieve your look but elevate it to new heights.

Tavola Kenya Slip Resistant Tile

Samoa Antracita

Verde Honduras

Evolution Victorian Subway

Visit our Green With Envy Pinterest board for more inspiration.

Contact Earp Bros today for a consultation info@earp.com.au.

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The Espana Tour 2016 - Day Three

Day three of the tour saw our team of architects visit a number of Porcelanosa Group showrooms, beginning with one of the worlds strongest building systems companies, Butech.

Focusing on architectural and engineering solutions, Butech offers a collaborative approach working closely with other Porcelanosa Group companies to develop industry leading products and solutions.

Our team was lucky enough enough to see a demonstration of the new Modular Facade System. Installed from the inside of the building, no scaffolding is required enabling much faster installation times and significant cost savings for both new and refurbishment works.

Another stand-out was the release of PAR-KER Pro Skirting. Developed as a decorative skirting profile for the Oxford, Rotterdam, Chelsea and Ascot ranges from the PAR-KER timber tile collection, Pro Skirting consists of a hollow core anodised aluminium structure measuring at 1800mm x 100mm, allowing for the installation of hidden electrical wiring.

With some of the most advanced R&D in the world, SystemPool once again showcased their innovate solid surface material. Designed to be technically superior to other materials in this space, KRION Solid Surface allows for much greater design possibilities than its competitors. 

It is a material that is warm to the touch and similar to natural stone. It is made of two-thirds natural minerals (ATH – aluminium trihydride) and a low percentage of high-resistance resins. This composition gives KRION a number of exclusive features: it does not have any pores, it is antibacterial without any type of additive, it is hard-wearing, highly resistant and easy to repair, only requires minimum maintenance and is easy to clean.

After such a fantastic tour with so much inspiration and knowledge gained, we would like to thank again our great group of architects and interior designers, whose time and effort made Espana Tour 2016 a vibrant and rich experience for all.

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The Espana Tour - Day Two | Part 2

The L’antic Colonial showroom is home to some of the most beautiful and luxurious stones, timber, marbles and metals available. A treasure trove of natural products, our team of professionals were lost in the Signature Spaces, a collection of settings designed by world renowned architects and interior designers.

Of special note was the Gravity Series, a collection of gold and silver aluminium mosaics in unique shapes and irregular textures.

We were soon surrounded by highly technical porcelain tile in the Urbatek showroom. Specialising in full-body and extra large format porcelains, Urbatek offers a true solution for the most demanding projects.

A noticeable trend was the use of single materials in multiple formats, creating unique surfaces with subtle linear detail.

Next on tour was Venis, a Porcelanosa Group company dedicated to continual innovation and product development for the residential and architectural sectors. 

Metallic finishes and texture dominated this years release, with a number of new products designed to add depth and structure to surfaces.

The Newport Series saw the addition of a number of new finishes, expanding an already diverse range of products to enable multiple textures to be used in a single colour space. 

Exhibiting remarkable new timber tile designs, the line was certainly blurred between natural and porcelain materials. Advances in digital printing technology have enabled these products to accurately resemble the natural material, and offer superior benefits such as no ongoing maintenance or sealing and slip resistant finishes.

Stay tuned for the recap of Day 3 of our Espana Tour 2016.

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The Espana Tour - Day Two | Part 1

Day Two of the Espana Tour saw our team of architects and interior designers invited to the Porcelanosa Group headquarters in Villarreal to partake in the 23rd Muestra International Exhibition. Opening their doors to invited guests, it was an opportunity to get a sneak peek at prototypes and new release products for the year to come, and offer valuable feedback on design direction relating to the Australian market.

This year there was a noticeable trend towards larger format material, in particular the use of mixed formats. The Chelsea Series was a standout in the PAR-KER timber ranges, displayed in mixed formats of 193x1800mm and 294x1800mm planks. 

‘Boston Stone’ also garnered much praise, a beautiful representation of natural stone in a tonal grey well suited to our Australian environment. 

After looking through such a large number of beautiful new ranges, it was time to tour the Porcelanosa factory and explore the science, technology, people and ethics that make Porcelanosa the global leader of high quality ceramic tiles.

The Porcelanosa factory is a testament to the group’s ethics, an environmentally sustainable facility producing the worlds most highly regarded ceramics in both design and technical performance. 

Stay tuned for Day Two | Part 2 ...

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The Espana Tour 2016 - Day One

The Spanish winter was kind during the Espana Tour 2016, bathing us in golden sunlight and warm air as we approached a traditional handmade ceramic tile factory just outside of Valencia.  A rare opportunity for anyone, our group of architects and interior designers were about to dive into the world of ceramics from a truly artisan angle.

Entering the factory, the atmosphere instantly changes. It is truly a joy to walk through a traditional creative space. Racks full of extruded ceramic shapes dry in the morning sun as antique machinery pushes clay through custom designed extrusion dies alongside.

The next generation of artisan producers manipulate clay expertly into moulds by hand, forcing the mixture into the corners before smoothing away the excess and stacking away the newly born tiles to air dry. A full rack complete, the dedicated artisan returns to a previous rack to beat down any curling edges to ensure they remain flat and true.

Exploring this style of production one step at a time, traditional methods begin to be appreciated for their simplicity and timelessness. As we get closer to the end of the line, we are greeted with a selection of the newest prototypes, stunning colours and materials that push the technical boundaries of handmade tile production.

The handmade production tour now complete, we enter the lab. Colour, shape and texture adorn every surface, a showcase of unique ceramic pieces created for custom projects, never to be produced again. Brightly coloured decorative besser bricks, elongated terracotta columns, pearlescent ceramic nodes and ceramic shapes finished with imprints of woven textiles. A wonderful day filled with inspiration, unique experiences and a new understanding of the possibilities ceramics provide.

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The Porcelanosa Group

With over 40 years experience, the Porcelanosa Group is one of the leading global suppliers in the ceramic tile industry. Recognised for uncompromising quality, technical excellence and design innovation, Porcelanosa is responsible for many of the trends and technologies in ceramics today.

As specialists in the design and manufacture of ceramic tiles, Porcelanosa continues to innovate and adapt to provide products that excel in their space, offering solutions for both home owners and professionals. Essential to Porcelanosa's success is a focus on high design, technical assurance and a steadfast ecological commitment.

As exclusive distributors for the Porcelanosa Group, Earp Bros was invited to attend the recent launch of the flagship showroom in Fifth Avenue, New York. The opening event saw Hollywood stars attend such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Richard Gere, alongside renowned fashion designer Carolina Herrera. Designed by the prestigious architect Norman Foster, the iconic Commodore Criterion building has been transformed into a global benchmark for architecture and interior design. The new Porcelanosa showroom encompasses 2000 sq.m of exhibition space over 6 levels, whilst retaining the historic exterior facade of the building.

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Handmade in Morocco

Traditional Zellij consists of individually shaped and hand cut tesserae or ‘furmah’ - chips of glazed terra cotta tile-work which are set into a plaster base. Modern Zellij includes incredibly vibrant and rich colours in increasingly complex, individually varied patterns set in epoxy.

Deeply set in the fabric of Moroccan architecture, the art of Zellij has been used for hundreds of years to decorate homes as a statement of luxury and sophistication. This unique art form developed out of necessity for Moorish artists who desired to create spatial decorations without depicting living things.

The collection of Zellij tile from Bespoke Tile & Stone by Earp Bros includes fish scale, herringbone, honeycomb and geometric patterns, complemented by traditional square Zellij and Bijmat paving.

Explore the range now!

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A tailored website for Bespoke Tile & Stone

2nd June, 2015

Designed to inspire creativity, www.bespoketileandstone.com.au explores the possibilities Bespoke Tile & Stone can bring to your space. Ease of navigation and coherent product ranging allows you to develop tile and stone narratives that complement your unique ideas.

Featuring the most exclusive ceramic and stone materials imaginable, the revitalised website interprets these unique products with fluidity, promoting new relationships between material, shape and texture.

Cubic patio, subway style bathroom or handmade kitchen splash? Be inspired with ‘Get The Look’, a gallery of recent projects that illustrate the potential of having custom tile and stone at your fingertips.

Explore the Bianco Carrara marble family, a unique story of etched patterns, mosaics, tiles and capping pieces. Shape your entire space with herringbones, hexagons, penny rounds and chevrons that morph dimension and geometry with the luxury of Bianco Carrara marble.

Design your bespoke journey now with Bespoke Tile & Stone - available exclusively from Earp Bros - Innovative Tile Solutions

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Size Matters.

29th April, 2015

With current trends suggesting seamless-looking surfaces are here to stay, Porcelanosa have revealed a new catalogue featuring their latest products to be released in larger formats. These materials come in 800x800mm formats or the larger 596x1200 format, ensuring continuity of design through your surface.

The SIZE MATTERS Catalogue explores the many technical and aesthetic benefits of installing large format ceramic wall and floor tiles to optimise spatial perception.

Whilst you can visibly reduce the size and quantity of grout joins and significantly minimise installation times, large format ceramics can also be used in conjunction with bonded and ventilated facade systems, and in high traffic environments.

The Tribeca and Deco Tribeca Series are of special note, capturing the charm and essence of traditional hydraulic designs and the subtle tonal variations present in cement. Download the 2015 SIZE MATTERS Catalogue now.

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Our Melbourne Showroom celebrates in style.

31st March, 2015

To celebrate our 132nd birthday and the launch of the latest products from Porcelanosa and Venis, Earp Bros recently hosted 140 architects and interior design professionals in our refurbished North Melbourne showroom for an evening of wine, paella, Spanish guitar and prize draws. 

Attracting guests from as far as Spain, Adelaide and Sydney, the evening was a resounding success.

Simon the magician had our guests spellbound while Jose from the prestigious Robert Burns Hotel prepared two huge paella dishes and freshly sliced Spanish jamon. 

Congratulations to Sara & Nick from Mayfair Tiling and Peter from Arkitectonica, both winning $5000 worth of tiles from Porcelanosa and Venis.

A big thank you to Nadav from ‘The Terra Band’ for delighting our guests with the beautiful sounds of traditional Spanish guitar.

Watch this space for more information on the launch event for our 2016 New Releases to be held later this year. 

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Decorative Slip Resistant Tiles

26th March, 2015

Earp Bros is proud to announce the introduction of decorative slip resistant materials to the architectural and design industry.

Developed in Spain by globally renowned manufacturers Porcelanosa, the new Deco Tribeca Slip Resistant range has all the features of STON-KER technical porcelain tiles with the added benefits of a sustainable slip resistant surface. 

With the characteristic design of traditional hydraulic tiles and aged cement, the Deco Tribeca Slip Resistant range is available exclusively from Earp Bros, in a large format 596x596mm size with two colours, Acero and Silver (8 patterns per colour).

Be inspired by the possibilities of decorative slip resistant tiles, see the Deco Tribeca Slip Resistant range on our new website today.

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Our New Website - Designed to Inspire

19th March, 2015

Earp Bros are proud to launch our brand new responsive website, catering for desktop, tablet and mobile users.

With inspiration a fundamental aspect of what we do, the new website has been designed with minimalism and functionality at its core. Products are arranged by style (dimensional, decorative, stone, cement... ) so you can spend more time browsing the latest designs, and less time clicking through pages.

Not sure exactly what you are after? The residential and commercial galleries are a perfect starting point. What’s trending right now? Read about the newest releases, design trends and events in our blog, or connect with us on any of our social media channels.

Earp Bros are solution providers, our ‘Professionals’ area being designed specifically for the needs of professionals in the architecture and design industry. The newest catalogues are available free at your fingertips, and learn about the complete range of professional services we offer.

At the forefront of ceramic design and innovation, Earp Bros has a long and diverse history - now 132 years old. Read the complete Earp Bros history in ‘Our Story’, or connect with your local showroom or sales representative to learn more about our services and material offering.

Spend more time designing and less time searching - visit earp.com.au now.

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The Espana 2015 Tour

17th March, 2015

As the leading supplier of innovative ceramic solutions to the Architectural and Interior Design industry in Australia, Earp Bros recently organised the Espana 2015 Tour to enhance the knowledge of eight Sydney and Melbourne based design professionals, and to preview the newest design trends of traditional Spanish artisan factories and the Porcelanosa Grupo 22nd International Exhibition.

The Decorativa factory tour gave our guests the chance to experience the traditional handmade manufacturing process, a unique and rare opportunity to discover first hand how ceramic tiles are made in their purest form.

The last year has seen a significant trend toward traditional handmade ceramics, in particular handmade subway tiles, which begin as swirls of raw clay that are mixed and pressed into moulds. Scraped back and beaten with paddles to maintain their shape during the drying process, they are later glazed and packed by hand - the character these tiles possess is simply amazing.

Of special interest were the custom projects displayed in Decorativa’s designer showroom, projects only capable of being produced by Decorativa and their skilled artisans. Columns of semi-circular extruded terracotta and hollow hexagonal facade bricks drew the bulk of attention, a great demonstration of Decorativa’s ability to manufacture unique, custom materials for projects.

The Porcelanosa Showroom showcased the newest ceramic design trends, this year featuring cement reliefs, traditional hydraulic patterns and organic timber look porcelain floor tiles. Subtle grey and beige tones continued to dominate and of particular interest was the range of textures and finishes within the same colour palettes.

The robust and timeless appearance of cement was rediscovered in the ‘Dover’ series, an ode to traditional cement relief and hydraulic patterns. The depth of this material becomes clear when colour and tone can be fused between textures, as is apparent with the ‘Acero’ colour range.

With a focus on the beauty of natural materials such as stone and timber, L’antic Colonial proposed unique new settings designed by some of Spain’s top architects as part of their ‘Designer’s Spaces 2015′ collection. Receiving high praise was the setting titled ‘The Natural Bath’ by Fransesc Rife. The unique bathroom space combined the stunning natural stone ‘Habana Brown (Sand-Honed)’ with ‘Manhattan Narrow Liberty’ natural timber to form a geometric and ordered space. The feature of the setting was a magnificent curved stone latticework that provided privacy and seclusion to the large shower area, also created using ‘Habana Brown’ natural stone.

At the forefront of innovative porcelain surfaces, Urbatek transformed their showroom for the exhibition, with a huge amount of research and development leading to the release of a number of new products, of special note, the new XLight Rust Series.

Capturing the sophistication of metal within ceramic, the XLight Rust Series was released in two colours: beige and brown. With a stucco appearance reminiscent of corrosion produced rusting in certain metallic surfaces, the Rust Series captures an industrial aesthetic adding a modern and sophisticated twist. When displayed in its full size (3m x 1m sheet), the possibilities this material brings to large areas was fully realised.

The Venis Showroom displayed a huge number of settings which continued the trend of combinations of ceramic models, and proposed some exciting new designs for stone look tiles. The ‘Bianco Carrara’ design was received exceptionally well, capturing the essence of Carrara marble in large format floor and wall tile versions. 

With oxidized metals becoming a real trend within the ceramics industry Venis showcased the new ‘Seattle’ range which features streaks and spots of oxidation within deep stone browns. The effect of this union of materials is industrial and raw, the quality of design an impressive feat of both design and manufacturing abilities. 

Traditionally, replicating the beauty of natural stones in ceramics was a difficult task. Venis has just released a product that demonstrates the level of design and finish that can be achieved with the very latest manufacturing technology. ‘Coliseum’ replicates quarried travertine, with simulated pits and grooves in the surface of the tile that appear natural even upon the closest inspection. The ‘Coliseum’ setting was a hub of activity as architects and designers accustomed to stone tiles that don’t completely capture the natural detail were transfixed, rubbing the surface to feel for grooves, eyes levelled only centimetres away, unable to determine if the product was indeed ceramic tile or a natural material.

COMBINATIONS- In response to designers desiring a number of tile textures and finishes with the same colour range, Venis has developed 6 new wall tile series: Newport, Avenue, Century, Old, Island and Park. These ranges are also available in 6 colours that have been carefully designed to accentuate each other, resulting in 36 possible combinations of blended, accentuated and textured wall tiles.

As the newest company within the Porcelanosa Group, KRION is at the leading edge of solid surface materials. Made of two-thirds natural minerals (Aluminium-Trihydride) and a low percentage of high-resistance resins, KRION has a number of exclusive features that other products in the industry do not present. The KRION lab made understanding the many features a simple, interactive experience with testing areas to simulate stain removal, backlighting, flexibility, UV resistance and the thermoforming process.

With displays such as a pop up dentistry, seamless walls of retail shelving, thermoformed latticeworks and intricate abstract sculptures, KRION was appreciated for its almost infinite technical and aesthetic possibilities. 

The final showroom visit during the Espana 2015 Tour immersed our guests in the latest proposals of building systems by Butech, aimed at making architects and design professionals work easier. Including demonstrations of raised access flooring systems, floor levelling spacers, geothermal energy solutions, underfloor heating systems and technical profiles (trims), the newest release from Butech, modular ventilated facade systems, demonstrated the company’s commitment to creating continually innovative systems that enhance ceramic possibilities.

The new modular ventilated facade system by Butech consists of three internal insulation layers (each 40mm thick), covered by two Securock exterior panels. The external skin consists of XLight extra-slim porcelain sheets by Urbatek, which not only provide multiple colour design options, but offer magnificent resistance to extreme weather and UV radiation.  

The Espana 2015 Tour was a resounding success, demonstrating the latest trends and material combinations available from both traditional tile factories and the world’s most renowned ceramics design and manufacture companies. 

If you would like more information on any of the latest trends and product releases, please contact your local Earp Bros sales representative or showroom.