When wood-effect porcelain stoneware made its debut in the world of design about ten years ago, there was great surprise among insiders and amateurs alike. Few could have imagined the future development of the material, and above all its rapid rise to best selling product.

The reason for its success is the ability of companies to faithfully reproduce various types of wood, recreating nuances, shades and imperfections. The natural elegance and warmth of wood combine with the well-known qualities of porcelain stoneware: healthiness, ease of laying, cleaning and maintenance, strength and environmental sustainability.

One of the key players in this evolution is undoubtedly Marazzi, the best-known brand in the ceramic tile sector and ambassador of the best Made in Italy products in the furnishing and design sector. The company, whose history is based on continuous research and development, has presented Oltre, a collection of staves that pushes porcelain stoneware towards unexplored horizons. The product is in fact able to interpret a precious material such as oak in an innovative way.

Perfect for both residential and contract contexts, the collection is designed for indoor and outdoor use thanks to the two surface variants – natural and grip – which respond to different needs and have different anti-slip coefficients. The Oltre collection is available in three large sizes – 22.5X180, 20X120 and 30x120 cm – and in four colours: White, Natural, Sand and Caramel.

The innovative nature of Oltre lies in the new Marazzi "Premium" technologies. These new technological patents meet the contemporary needs of the market and give ceramic surfaces unprecedented quality and performance.

For example, Sublime Sync technology allows precise and deep textures to be created, to faithfully reproduce all types of material and to obtain vibrant surfaces. The use of the latest generation of optical sensors makes it possible to read the textures and render them complex, with different graphic effects and degrees of gloss and opacity of the glazes.

Thanks to the Zero Glossy finish, super-matt surfaces can be obtained, in line with the latest trends in interior design. This is due to the performance of the glazes, which have a very low range of reflections corresponding to those of light on natural and mineral surfaces.

StepWise technology simultaneously guarantees high slip resistance, a soft-touch surface and extreme ease of cleaning due to the absence of surface roughness. These properties are unalterable over time, because they result from all processing steps: from the search for raw materials and glazes, to the type of milling, pressing and firing.

Puro Marazzi Antibacterial is an innovative antibacterial technology for ceramic surfaces, which enables up to 99.9% of bacteria and other harmful microorganisms to be eliminated. The antibacterial action is guaranteed by an advanced silver ion treatment, which is incorporated into the ceramic material during production. Puro Marazzi Antibacterial counteracts the proliferation of bacteria and prevents the formation of stains and unpleasant odours.

These are just some of the new and exclusive Premium Technologies that Marazzi develops for its products. The new technological patents, combined with highly sophisticated plants, allow the company to respond rapidly to the trends of the various markets, guaranteeing productivity, quality and flexibility.