Last week Artful Kitchens hit the road again for a mini-trip to my hometown, Miami.  I was excited to re-connect with some of the great people I met earlier this year on my visit to the Cevisama tradeshow (if you missed that, you can read about it here) with Tile of Spain.  I was not disappointed! Ceramic Solutions-Innovations Pushing Boundaries of Design was held at the Miami Center for Architecture & Design, presented by Tile of Spain.  Several of the big Spanish tile companies were also on hand showing their wares and I'm happy to report that their innovative products are readily available to us here in South Florida and other parts of the US.The big "takeaway" of the evening, besides seeing my peeps,  was hearing Dr. Martin Bechthold, Professor, Harvard GSD,  talk tile from a historical and architectural point of view.  Clay has been used in the arts since ancient times and  ceramic tile has a long history as a covering, or finish material. Now new technologies are utilizing ceramic tile architecturally and structurally!Next up was Tile of Spain Consultant Ryan Fasan who gave us an overview of the latest tile trends along with solid knowledge that is so useful in helping me to educate clients on the best products.  The sleek thin look of large format porcelain for counter tops is a current favorite of mine.  Can you blame me?  Consider it as an option if you're looking for a contemporary Euro vibe in your kitchen.Breakthroughs in digital ink jet printing on tile allow for infinite possibilities.  Tile can also be used to cool or heat your home due to their thermo dynamic properties.It's just like Tile of Spain to round out the experience with a literal taste of Spain!  We enjoyed tapas, a traditional paella and Spanish wine. Tile of Spain is the international brand representing 125 ceramic tile manufacturers belonging to the Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturer's Association (ASCER).