When Horizon Italian Tile started working with Cotto d’Este 10 years ago, Horizon owner, Olivia Boone knew something wonderful was stirring.

Long considered an expert in the industry, Olivia Boone has steered Horizon Italian Tile to become an epicenter for high-end commercial and specialty projects that require the unrivaled unique, eclectic, and one-of-a-kind porcelain and ceramics that they consistently deliver, thanks to products like those from Cotto d’Este.

Established in 1993 by Paolo Mussini, who still serves as Managing Director of Cotto d’Este,  Mussini oversees this global enterprise that has come to epitomize beauty and technical excellence in award-winning porcelain and ceramics.

Mat Pruitt, Business Development Manager, Florida Tile, Cotto D’Este, talks about his relationship working with Horizon Italian Tile.

“Olivia Boone and the Horizon team are incredibly knowledgeable and creative, plus they have years of experience in the industry. Horizon’s showrooms are stunning with a layout and design that provides an ideal space to experience large gauged panels in their full glory. Horizon has an unusually diverse selection of lines and each one is unique — not something that you can find anywhere else,” Mat added.

What makes Cotto d’Este and Cotto products different?

Cotto d’Este designs with Italian beauty in mind, respecting the aesthetics and traditions of ceramics throughout Italian history. At the same time it keeps a vigilant eye to the future with the research and advanced technology in the design and production processes.

Starting with the raw materials, only the purest and finest in the world are used in Cotto tile. This results in products that are denser, stronger and allow for high attention to detail in the aesthetics. With varying finishes, from high polishes to the rugged yet delicate structure of a Bocciardata finish, formats range from up to 48” x 102” and thicknesses from 3.5mm to 20mm. The design possibilities are truly endless.

Technology is at the forefront of Cotto d’Este products. The Kerlite line, for instance, offers fiber-reinforced gauged porcelain panels making them 3x stronger and more flexible than panels without fiber reinforcement. This results in the installers having an easier time with cutting, drilling and handling the product. The 14mm is a very dense product that is guaranteed flat and is perfect for heavy traffic areas like airports, malls, or hospitals.

Kerlite from Cotto d’Este, is the universal surface for architecture: thin, durable with exclusive fiberglass reinforcement, versatile and easy to use. With the extension of its large formats it gives an extraordinary result in terms of beauty and charm in spaces and architectural designs.

Mat Pruitt shares more insights about the tile industry:

“I started out as a ceramics installer and worked my way up within the ceramic tile industry. I can tell you that in the early days of tile installation, it was not a major upset to break a tile during an install. It happened. But when Gauged porcelain panels first came on the scene in early 2000, the fear of breakage got things off to a slow start. Damaging a Gauged porcelain panel was very expensive and many installers didn’t want to take the risk.”

“At that time the Gauged porcelain slab installation was not regulated by the TCNA, so there were no real standards to follow. Then in 2017, the Tile Council of North America created Tile Industry Standards. Many manufacturers also stepped up to offer training programs for Gauged porcelain panel installation. That’s when everything changed for the better. It brought back a sense of craftsmanship into tile installation and boosted the porcelain tile industry as well,” he added.

Architects and designers throughout the country now use Cotto products extensively. They rely on Horizon Italian Tile to provide ready access for projects ranging from the most grandiose commercial applications to every size of residential installation. That’s one of the benefits that put Horizon in the lead — immediate access to products with virtually no waiting time for their customers.

There are potentially countless applications for the Cotto line so the broad customer base is significant. Clients who love Cotto products have one thing in common. They appreciate the unique beauty, high quality, and unmatched aesthetics of the Cotto porcelain and what it brings to their projects.

Markets that are currently very strong for Cotto porcelain are Austin, Dallas, Miami, San Francisco, and New York. There is an upswing in demand for Cotto porcelain in residential patio and pool applications using 14mm and 20mm lines.

Some construction projects are also using Cotto products for cladding, a process of applying a thin coat on the outside of buildings. Cotto products use Microban® antimicrobial protection which inhibits the growth of microorganisms that cause stains and odors, attracting the attention of healthcare and medical architects and designers.

Horizon Italian Tile is the ultimate resource for superior porcelain and ceramic tile. Take advantage of our open invitation to architects, designers, and individuals who value pristine quality and timeless aesthetics made possible with tile products such as Cotto and others.

Visit us online or in-person at one of our showrooms. Bring your ideas to us for your ‘dream project’, whatever it may be, and we will help you bring it to life.