Florim’s new ceramic surface collection is an ode to tactility

We are delighted with the prevalence of texture and tactility in material surfaces of late. In place of veneers, coatings and treatments that divorce the sensorial experience between hand and eye, we welcome the return of natural materials bearing their natural characteristics. Perhaps counterintuitively, we have technology to thank for the ability to scale artisanal properties into architectural materials.

Here, we celebrate Italian architects Matteo Thun and Benedetto Fasciana’s SensiTerre collection of ceramic flooring and cladding surfaces for Florim. Comprising six earthy shades, four textured finishes and a variety of shapes and sizes, the collection offers a multitude of possible configurations. In all arrangements, the primal pleasure of environments that feel ‘made’ more than manufactured is undeniable.

SensiTerre collection of ceramic flooring and cladding surfaces for Florim

SensiTerre is derived from Thun and Fasciana’s limited-edition collection of terracotta vases ‘Venere Bianca’, which they made with Bitossi in 2014. In the decade since they were launched, we’ve seen the embrace of craft’s properties extend from objects of singular beauty into environments of mood through materials that bear the marks of their maker.

The effect is to feel a far greater sensory engagement with our interiors; they bring to life our animal qualities. Florim attained B Corp certification in 2020 and, impressively, 100 per cent of its raw production waste and wastewater is recovered. The SensiTerre collection is part of the CarbonZero project, whereby all CO2 emissions are offset throughout the lifecycle of the surfaces. Beauty is more than skin deep.  

florim.com, matteothun.com

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