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The Artisan

Colorful Tiles: Ceramica Bardelli

Color, Design, Quality, and Innovation: this is what defines Ceramica Bardelli's beautiful creations. Meet one of the world leaders for ceramics tiles production and discover the charming story and philosophy behind this historic brand.

​Ceramica Bardelli is considered one of the global leaders in ceramic tiles. Tell us your story.

Ceramica Bardelli was founded in 1962 by Arnaldo Bardelli, who wished to start a production of handcrafted ceramic tiles for walls and floors distinguished for its excellence. Thanks to his entrepreneurial acumen, which wisely combined manufacturing organization, business vision, and outstanding quality, Arnaldo Bardelli led Ceramica Bardelli’s growing presence on the market. The company quickly became one of the main players due to a series of acquisitions of competitors or complementary brands.

In the early 1980s, Ceramica Bardelli embarked on a creative research path to explore new formal and aesthetic forms of ceramic art, interpreting trends mainly associated with interior design and design in general. Products such as “I Fili”, the series “Tekne” by Daniele Bedini, and “Key Point” by Berger and Stahl, represented true design milestones, achieving recognition on an international level (Key Point was a finalist for the Compasso d’Oro Award in 1991). Since the very beginning, our products became the expression of the finest Italian craftsmanship, intended for architects, interior designers, or simply lovers of all things beautiful, becoming synonymous with artistic forms applied to ceramics: both culturally (Giò Ponti, Piero Fornasetti, Marcello Chiarenza, among others) and technically (quality of raw materials, depth of color and enamels, to name a few).

Arnaldo Bardelli was succeeded first by his sons Alberto, Carlo, and Luca, and later by his grandsons Gianmaria and Gianandrea. Collaborations with internationally renowned designers soon followed, namely Ruben Toledo, Marcel Wanders, Studiopepe, Dimorestudio, and many others, over the years allowing the company to maintain its expressive excellence and to consolidate its leadership in Made in Italy ceramic art.

​What are your brand’s vision and philosophy?

Color, Design, Quality, and Innovation. These are the values that have always characterized our products. Ceramica Bardelli has always been synonymous with the finest craft industry and expression of Italian excellence. These are the values and skills that have allowed the brand to obtain important international recognition, as well as the appreciation of millions of customers all over the world.

Your ceramics are entirely crafted by hand in your workshop. What are the main production stages and processes?

Undoubtedly, it is not possible to truly create ceramic art without the presence of a human touch in the production process. It is not an option if you wish to stay true to the artist’s vision in every detail and nuance. In order to achieve this goal, Ceramica Bardelli adopts the most suitable technique on a case-by-case basis, from the freehand drawing, the stencil, and “spolvero”, to the mixed techniques in every instance where the execution of the smallest details is required. Sometimes up to twelve or more steps are necessary to decorate a single tile.

It is only through this series of techniques that the designer's creation can be accurately transferred to the ceramic medium. In other words, Ceramica Bardelli offers an artistic product of the highest quality by combining modern industrial processes with sophisticated and almost zealous decorative techniques in the crafting tradition. Today there is much talk about designs, handcraft, and “Made in Italy”. Bardelli always guarantees all three.

What makes your tiles unique?

It is what we call “Bardelli’s hands and minds”, in other words, all those individuals who, since the very beginning, have worked for our company and helped create not merely tiles but true objects of decor, with quality, aesthetic expression, and value that are unique among other products of this kind.

Ceramica Bardelli collaborates with famous designers, both national and international. Can you tell us about some of your future projects?

We can anticipate but not disclose. Like any good movie, you never reveal the ending. In the next few years, Ceramica Bardelli will start, alongside the handcrafted production in Milan’s Atelier studio, a large-scale production realized according to the latest industrial production techniques designed by famous international designers. Ceramica Bardelli’s distinctive workmanship will masterfully combine with modern industrial techniques to create a union of hand-craftsmanship and industrial production that stands out on the market for its innovation and aesthetic expression.


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