At Coverings 2026, we honored 25 outstanding projects that demonstrated spectacular craftsmanship and creativity in the use of tile and stone. This week we’re spotlighting the 2026 CID Awards: Installation Special Recognitions.
Special Recognition: Commercial Ceramic Tile Installation
Project: Sub Zero Atlanta Showroom
Designer: Gordy Tile Co.
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Here we have the Sub Zero Atlanta Showroom as the winner for Special Recognition: Commercial Ceramic Tile Installation. This 5,400 sq ft showroom installation demanded precision from the ground up — literally. An elevated second-floor slab required comprehensive leveling through self-leveling compound and concrete grinding, using a full LATICRETE assembly including Fracture Ban SC crack-isolation membrane. With no viable access points, all porcelain slabs were rigged through a window opening via telehandler — with a maximum of 14 pieces per lift. Once inside, large-format GPTP slabs were installed to ANSI A108.19 standards using Multi Max Light thinset and Rubi’s Euro Notch collapsible ridge trowels. These trowels are engineered for GPTP slabs and large-format tiles to promote ridge collapse and mortar transfer. Decorative walls featuring thin brick, glazed tile, and stone mosaics completed the space. The project was technically demanding and meticulously executed, built to impress.
Special Recognition: Commercial Ceramic Tile Installation
Project: 1587 Prime Steakhouse
Designer: Metro Tile Contractors
Location: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Here we have the Special Recognition Winner for Commercial Ceramic Tile Installation: 1587 Prime Steakhouse in Kansas City. This commercial tile installation project represents craftsmanship at its highest level. The lobby centerpiece — a custom waterjet cut marble football field — demanded laser-guided alignment, meticulous dry layouts, and zero margin for error. Dining areas feature hand-set porcelain marble circles and arrow inlays, each fabricated with water-jet precision and set to maintain flawless pattern flow across expansive floors. A marble staircase with integrated lighting adds further drama. Executed on a fast-track schedule, the team used MAPEI Mapecem Quickpatch for substrate prep and Ultraflex LFT Mortar for superior bond strength. The result: a space where tile transcends function and becomes fine art.
Special Recognition: Exterior Porcelain Panel Installation
Project: LUXURIOUS EXTERIOR RETREAT
Designer: MODERNO PORCELAIN WORKS
Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Luxurious Exterior Retreat is our winner for Special Recognition Porcelain Panel Installation, by Moderno Porcelain Works. Overlooking a private golf course and tennis court, this luxury exterior transformation was achieved through a single, versatile material: large-format porcelain slabs. Applied as wall cladding, lily pad flooring, spa wrapping, exterior steps, pool coping, and outdoor kitchen surfaces, the slabs deliver the aesthetic of luxurious stone with superior UV resistance, heat tolerance, and effortless maintenance. Precision was built into every phase — CAD-programmed cutting, laser templating, and edge polishing ensured 90% of fabrication was completed off-site, minimizing waste and enabling swift installation. Renderings and cut sheets gave the client full clarity before a single piece was cut. The result was clean lines, fewer grout joints, exceptional results.
Special Recognition: Residential Stone Installation
Project: The Greenwich – Marble Feature Walls
Designer: Stonework Tile + Stone
Location: New York, New York, USA
The Greenwich – Marble Feature Walls is our next winner for Special Recognition: Residential Stone Installation. The Stonework Tile + Stone team used a series of lifts at the perimeter of the pool to carefully mobilize the prefabricated composite lightweight stone panels to 30′ heights in tight and limited space. Various stainless steel mechanical fastening components and epoxy adhesives were used to secure the marble panels to the walls. The installation process took approximately 3 weeks to complete. It was a critical path where other trades, including the tile teams working on the pool deck and inside the pool, were working around each other. This project was part of an overall stone installation at the 68th floor of an amenity space, which is home to a pool, steam rooms, sauna, and other additional amenities. This project went through multiple phases, and definitely had its challenges. Whether it was a delay in the construction schedule or a change in the design, the team pushed forward. The Stonework teams’ skill, fortitude, workmanship, attention to detail — and most of all patience — was put to the test. The overall project was a successful outcome, changing and enhancing the NYC downtown skyline.
Do you have a recently completed project that features innovative design and installation of tile & stone? Consider entering it into the 2027 CID Awards – the portal opens this fall!