Jayne Adamson, Marketing Manager at Verona, discusses how retailers can best tap into the booming garden-scaping trend with outdoor porcelain tiles by curating a refined selection of formats, colours, and patterns which will be a sure-fire hit.
With new formats and designs released every season, it is no wonder outdoor porcelain tiles have fast become a go-to paving choice for homeowners looking to transform their gardens into a stylish space which better reflects their interiors.
Expo With spring just around the corner, now is the perfect time for retailers to invest in a capsule collection of outdoor tile designs which will suit the needs of the modern homeowner, but with such a diverse variety on offer, knowing where to start isn’t always easy.
Supersized formats
Outdoor paving options cover everything from small format bricks, mix and match sandstone paving through to large format slabs and the finish can vary considerably depending on the material used.
Outdoor porcelain tiles are one of the best solutions available for covering larger spaces, with sizes varying from supersized 600 by 1,200mm formats to 300 by 1,200mm planks.
As they are more uniform in thickness than natural paving, they can be combined together to create a personalised look, or used to visually separate different garden zones.
Simple colours and timeless patterns
With neutral colours popular inside the home, outdoor porcelain tiles answer to the need for a way to incorporate new shades into the garden.
When building a portfolio, we recommend retailers include a range of muted tones such as beige, light grey and charcoal to cover all bases, and bolder options such as distressed light woodgrains or black to tie into seasonal influences.
When it comes to tiles of any kind, there are certain designs which have remained popular over the years and will be continuing to hold their own in decades to come. Typical are Victorian-inspired patterns with strong repeating lines and fleur-de-lys motifs.
Also standing the test of time are geometric designs with symmetrical, abstract patterns such as cubes, circles and triangles.
While eclectic pattern isn’t to everyone’s taste, picking subtle or ‘weathered’ designs will help to widen the appeal to more people. There is a wide choice of effects available if a graphic pattern isn’t top of the list. Most familiar are marble, concrete, wood and slate-effects, all of which look the part in any garden thanks to their natural appearance.
Tips for selling the tiled garden look
With the trend for garden scaping and outdoor entertaining building year on year, there really is no better time to expand your offering and influence the next wave of garden projects.
From early on in the year, make sure you’re promoting your outdoor tile offering as broadly as possible. This means through all your channels of communication, on your social pages, point of sale and on your website. Spotlight it as a seasonal campaign and share the benefits of outdoor porcelain tiles, from easy upkeep, to slip and weather resistant properties and completely unrivalled design options.
Seek high res lifestyle imagery from your suppliers as a route to help homeowners visualise how their garden will look and spark new ideas. Sell accessories alongside the tiles to make it easy for customers. From pedestal systems to brush in grouts, there is more to creating a tiled patio or path than simply choosing a design, so make sure extras are available and simple to find.
www.veronagroup.co.uk