Large-format ceramics give an interior the continuity once reserved for natural stone — without its capriciousness and with a far wider range of applications. To use its potential fully, though, it pays to understand formats, thicknesses and finishes.
Format: why 120×280 cm changes everything
A 120×280 cm slab covers an area that once required more than a dozen smaller tiles. Fewer joints mean a calmer image, easier cleaning and the impression of a monolith. Large format works on walls, floors, furniture cladding, countertops and fronts — and, thanks to cutting to size, it lets you carry the same material through an entire interior.
Thickness follows the application
Thinner slabs (around 6 mm) are light and ideal for walls and cladding; thicker ones (from 12 mm upward) carry loads and suit floors, countertops and steps. Choosing thickness is a matter of structure rather than aesthetics — which is why it is decided early in the project, together with the contractor.
Surface finishing technologies
- Lux 3D — high gloss with a delicate 3D relief; brightens the interior and emphasises the marble pattern.
- Antique 3D — a finish with a patina of time that absorbs light and adds depth.
- Naturale 3D — a matte, tectonic texture conveying the authenticity of stone and wood.
- Lappato — a semi-gloss achieved by grinding; stony depth in softer light.
Format builds the composition, finish builds the mood. Only together do they make an interior.
MARTESSA Atelier
Selection principles in practice
- Choose one material family as the base and keep to it throughout the interior.
- Reserve high-gloss effects for walls and accents, matte ones for floors and working zones.
- Plan the slab layout and the run of the vein before installation — a design decision, not a site one.
- Order material from a single production batch to preserve tonal consistency.
- See a 1:1 sample in the target light before you decide.
Premium large-format ceramics combine the durability, hygiene and beauty of stone in a material that can be carried through the whole home. That is why it increasingly replaces natural stone in the most demanding projects. In the atelier we help match format, thickness and finish to a specific project — and show them at full scale before they reach the site.
