Ca’ Pietra has unveiled its new Tile Trend Report 2026, a comprehensive insight pack created to support the KBB trade with clear direction on the colours, formats and design styles set to define the year ahead. The report distils months of research, market monitoring and creative forecasting into a practical, beautifully visual guide that retailers can use to inspire customers, refresh displays, and anticipate what homeowners will be searching for throughout 2026.

Written by Ca’ Pietra’s head of creative, Grazzie Wilson, the report maps out the biggest influences shaping tile design next year. From the playful rise of curious colour combinations – buttery yellows, sky blues, dusky pinks and rich reds – to the textured, artisan spirit of rustic nomadic surfaces, each trend is unpacked with clarity, context and styling direction.

The document also explores the increasing appetite for expressive formats, where a single striking tile becomes the hero of a room, whether through sculptural mosaics, statement marbles or bold large-scale patterns. Nature-led palettes feature strongly too, with greens, grounded neutrals and organic textures reconnecting interiors with the calming, restorative qualities of the outdoors.

Designed specifically with the KBB industry in mind, the report does more than outline what is coming. It shows retailers how to translate these trends into displays and real-world schemes, with photography, layout ideas and visual references taken directly from Ca’ Pietra’s collections. Each section acts as a practical resource: how to style the trend, how to create the look in a showroom setting, and how to guide customers towards confident design choices.

The result is a tile trend book for 2026, created to support retailers as they plan merchandising, update room sets or build next year’s marketing content. With tiles playing a growing role in storytelling across both kitchen and bathroom environments, this report equips the trade with the foresight needed to stay ahead of customer demand.

Grazzie Wilson, head of creative at Ca’ Pietra, says: “Retailers tell us time and again that the biggest challenge is knowing where to focus their energy when the design landscape is shifting so quickly. Customers are coming into showrooms better informed and more inspired than ever before, but that also means they are looking for ideas that feel fresh, confident and rooted in what is happening right now. Our 2026 trend report is designed to give the industry that clarity.

“We have taken the colours, patterns and  rising across fashion, interiors and culture, and translated them into something the KBB sector can use immediately. It shows not just what is trending, but how to bring those trends to life through displays, storytelling and real-world design. Retailers can see the palettes, formats and looks that will resonate most next year, supported by examples of how they can be styled and sold.”

The Tile Trend Report 2026 is available now to all Ca’ Pietra retail partners, as well as the wider KBB industry.

It can be downloaded here – https://capietra.com/trade-references

Frontline Bathrooms and Smiths Briten have made a further investment in the efficiency and responsiveness of their operations with the introduction of a new Cisco Webex telephone system, creating a more seamless experience for customers across both businesses.

The upgrade forms part of an ongoing programme to strengthen service performance, with improved call handling, faster response times, and better visibility of customer touchpoints. Both companies now operate from the same integrated system, ensuring that calls can move between Frontline and Smiths Briten as smoothly as any internal transfer.

The new platform offers a range of features designed to enhance the way customer enquiries are managed. Teams are now able to transfer calls between internal and external contacts with ease, return missed calls without delay, and identify incoming callers before answering. The system also allows both businesses to access insights into call trends throughout the day, helping to predict busier periods and allocate support more effectively.

In addition, the ability to monitor call answer times is enabling teams to track performance in real time and refine processes where needed, reinforcing the commitment to continual improvement.

Darren Allison, managing director at Frontline Bathrooms and Smiths Briten says: “We are continuing to invest in the areas that make a measurable difference to our customers. The move to Cisco Webex gives our teams greater flexibility, clarity, and visibility when managing calls, which in turn allows us to provide quicker, more efficient support. Having both businesses aligned on the same system has transformed internal communication and ensures that our customers reach the right person without unnecessary delays.”

The investment follows a series of wider improvements designed to streamline operations across both companies, reflecting their shared goal of delivering a consistently high standard of service to retailers, merchants, and partners nationwide.

The British Institute of Fitted Interiors Specialists (BIFIS) has reacted to the Chancellor’s announcement of the Autumn Budget yesterday. As the leading body representing professionals in the fitted interiors sector, BIFIS remains vigilant regarding government policy and its direct impact on our registered businesses, the vast majority of whom are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Whilst the Autumn Budget introduces certain headline changes, such as an increase to the national living wage, it does not address the full scope of challenges currently facing SMEs. Many businesses registered with BIFIS are already contending with escalating operational costs and must now factor in higher payroll expenses resulting from this change.

In addition, revisions to dividend thresholds present further financial hurdles for business owners, particularly those who rely on dividends as part of their remuneration. This adjustment will likely reduce take-home pay for many directors and entrepreneurs in our sector, compounding existing pressures and dissuading many from striding out on their own.

There is also significant concern regarding the newly announced tax on electric vehicle (EV) owners. As our industry embraces sustainability and encourages cleaner transportation solutions, this measure risks deterring the adoption of electric vehicles among small businesses, undermining environmental progress, and placing further financial strain on those who have invested in green technology.

A further area of frustration was the announcement regarding apprenticeships which, once again, feels like the Government is giving with one hand and taking back with the other. Further access to free apprentice training for SMEs and investment in the Youth Guarantee and the extension of the Co-Investment Relief is of course positive, albeit the fitted interiors sector already has access to training funding. The real concern for SMEs employing or considering employing an apprentice is the salary costs – which the Chancellor compounded yesterday with an 6% increase on the minimum wage for apprentices. The changes quite simply do not go far enough to have a meaningful impact on feasibility of SMEs taking on an apprentice, and nor will they unless there is a significant reform in the way that the apprenticeship levy monies can be accessed by micro, small and medium enterprises.

Despite considerable challenges, the Autumn Budget falls short of providing targeted support required for SMEs to survive and thrive. In fact, the cumulative measures announced yesterday may inadvertently hinder growth and innovation within the fitted interiors sector.

Damian Walters, CEO of BIFIS, commented: “The Autumn Budget, while introducing changes such as the rise in the national living wage and modifications to dividend thresholds, has missed critical opportunities to support the lifeblood of our economy, small and medium-sized businesses. The imposition of a new tax on electric vehicle owners is especially troubling for those in our sector who are committed to environmental responsibility. With mounting pressures from every direction, businesses require more than incremental adjustments; they need comprehensive, meaningful support to help them invest, grow, and weather ongoing economic uncertainty. We urge the government to reconsider its approach and deliver tangible assistance to SMEs, ensuring their vital contribution to the economy is not overlooked or undervalued.”

Positively, BIFIS welcomed the news that the rumoured changes to VAT thresholds were unfounded and that there was no change to the current VAT scheme, which not only ensures that additional administrative burdens are not faced by small business owners, but also that consumers will not be put off by rising prices through further stealth taxation.

BIFIS previously supported construction industry campaigns to scrap VAT on home improvement projects, to stimulate the market, so whilst relieved that thresholds remain unchanged, it is disappointing that the Chancellor has missed an opportunity to provide a real boost to the industry by addressing VAT on such projects.