Inspiration for Renovation.

A glance out of the window will confirm your suspicions: reno season is in full swing. Trees are decking themselves out in lime green. Creepers are festooning walls with trails of blazing pink, royal purple, sunshine yellow and bridal white. Blossom is exploding like tree popcorn. Weavers are frantically getting their houses in order in time for baby season. It’s literally fizzing with fresh starts out there. If it’s turning your thoughts to a little renovation, let’s help you spring into action. Now is the time and Italtile is the place.

Patio Perfect. As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, we start spending more and more time outside. Come Christmas, we’ll be living outdoors and only going inside to sleep! Chapters Interiors CEO and décor maven Melanie Ewing has some excellent advice. To her way of thinking, comfort is key ... “think of all the comforts of your indoor living areas and how you can bring them outdoors. Think large sitting areas with tables and couches, some beautiful outdoor rugs, pergolas to protect you from sun (or rain), and how about a fireplace for cosy evenings.”

Building on Melanie’s inspo, we reckon you could also do with some smart lighting (speak to our sister company U-light) and outside tech to stay connected to your entertainment. Slip-resistant tiles are a must-have and Italtile has arguably the widest range of absolutely top-notch tiles that have been engineered for safety. New in are our exclusive ranges of Spanish INOUT tiles. If you love wood looks, Civic INOUT is the range for you. Smooth and soft underfoot – which is remarkable in slip-resistant tiles, usually notable for their slightly rough finish. Civic is available in grey-toned Cenere or bleached White. If you’re thinking of rocking the stone look, take a gander at Rockstone INOUT, in warm Beige and cool, silvery Pearl. Offering the same advanced safety technology, with a unique sugary sparkle that plays beautifully in the sun. The INOUT ranges are made in Spain by our eco-obsessed partners Stylnul, and they’re exclusive to Italtile. They’re hardy and easy to clean. At 1000 x 1000, they are large format tiles.

Now that we’ve given you two ideas for your patio’s base palette, how about adding some colour and movement with our patchwork tiles. Patterns and graphics are the party animals of the décor world and Italtile has a kaleidoscope of options for you to bring on the fiesta. But IF we had to choose just one range, it would be Howard Blue. Made in Spain (and no one understands pattern quite like the Spanish) with all that legendary flair built into the design DNA of these fresh, crisp beauties. They are also a sustainable choice. The tile features a soft blue botanical abstract set in a woven blue, white and black geometric frame. Remember when ordering that you’ll get 1.22 sqm of tile per box.

If you’re going for something a little more au naturel, could we tempt you with the 100% eco-chic, 5-star bush lodge style of our Natural Stone Cladding. A look that’s as old as time, but, like every brilliant aesthetic, just keeps on coming back onto the trend list. This is Biophilic Design, btw, which has smashed all records in the macro-trend category, so you’ll be bang on trend. The touches of natural stone you bring into your reno mood board will have you swooning with the flood of mental wellness that nature-inspired design brings.

Get Decking. Wood in all its wonderfulness is the go-to texture for pool decking. Those rustic chic looks never go out of fashion. But real hardwood needs masses of maintenance, careful treatment, regular sanding and sealing, and replacing when planks succumb to the weather. It’s also not a sustainable choice any more. A more LiveGreen and long-lasting solution is our luxury slip-resistant wood look tiles. Go for that honeyed timber feel with Exence, or, if the weather-worn seaside aesthetic is your thing, there’s our locally made Ampezzo EcoTec. But there are hundreds more wood looks instore and online. Take a walk through our woods for inspo.

The Coolest Pools. This is such a huge topic, it deserves its own blogpost. So, for the moment, let’s just slip a few points of interest in here. We’re stockists of an ever-growing sustainable Mosaic Tile portfolio, with an exciting selection of Pool Mosaics: from cheerful blues for bright and breezy looks, to the moodier and more unusual hues, like our deeply delicious Cherry Red mosaic sheets to add a sensual twist to darker-bottomed pools. Pay attention to the finishes when refreshing your pool looks; you’ll really crisp things up with our deluxe bespoke Pool Copings, which we will colour and cut to your specifications.

Natural Swimming Ponds are having a moment, so if your dreams include a daily splash in a mountain rockpool, go wild and reimagine your traditional pool – complete with rushes, water lilies and mini-waterfalls. But don’t do this transformation alone; speak to the good people of the South African Landscapers Institute over at sali.co.za for professional advice.

A Greener Garden. Even if you live in a region with decent rainfall, waterwise thinking is the way to go. Lush grass lawns look gorgeous, but they are thirsty. Here’s an eco-chic idea – turn a section of lawn into a paved space. If you still hanker after restful green areas, lay your pavers in a checkerboard pattern, with succulents or herbs planted in between. May we present IN2OUT – our 2cm-thick porcelain outdoor tiles with incredible slip-resistant technology which activates in the wet. They also offer a high resistance to cracking – what’s called ‘breaking load’ – these beauties are tough as nails. And you can lift ‘em and relay ‘em if you want to change things up.

The Outdoor Shower. Not just a practical way to put an end to the dripping of water through your house from the pool or hot tub to the bathroom, the outdoor shower is a way of life. A beautiful and private way to reconnect with nature. Start with the essentials – the showerheads and taps. Our eco-chic showerhead collection is second to none, as is our vast selection of waterwise taps. You’re sure to find a style to suit your look. Then, work your way into wall surfaces, flooring, floating shelves and bathroom accessories. Shop our huge selection of local and imported wall tiles and slip resistant floor tiles. Select your finishes from our gorgeous German Zack ranges, the ever-popular and Proudly South African Dominus ranges and our very own, made-for-Italtile Semplice ranges.

Bring us your outdoor ideas, from romantic Rustic Boho Chic to sophisticated Urban coolth. Our interior design-certified sales assistants will help you piece together the products you’ll need – all with the durability and longevity you require – to create an outdoor aesthetic with lasting good looks.

We declare reno season officially open.

Outdoor awesomeness downloading.

Now get out there and live beautifully.

Ciao.

P.S. Our advice? DDIY. Don’t DIY. Minimise stress and regret by consulting professionals and specialists at every step of the process.

P.P.S. Although we’re concentrating on outdoor renovation ideas in this blogpost, our interior design-certified sales assistants are geared and ready to help you with any and all remodels, new builds and facelifts. Interiors and exteriors.