Sometimes it’s better to work with what you’ve already got. If you’ve ever decided to strip tile or remove flooring to the subfloor, then you know what lurks beneath. It can be ugly. It can make you think about your house in ways you never even wanted to. I liken it to uncovering the upholstery on some beautiful dining chairs I found at a Salvation Army many years ago: each layer gave way to another gross testament to a past decade, from 80s glossy vinyl to 70s avocado green to 60s flocked velvet.

Skin. Designed by Ceramiche Refin.

Ceramiche Refin wants to help you avoid this with their new line of slim tiles, appropriately entitled Skin. With only a 4.8 mm thickness, Skin has one distinct advantage—it can be used directly on top of another pre-existing material, on both floors and walls. Remodelers rejoice! Despite its thinness, Skin “has the same technical and resistance features of standard thickness porcelain stoneware tiles.” How did they do it? Who knows (probably some secret Italian formula), but why deconstruct genius? Eliminating the need to demolish, Skin presents an attractive option that includes substantial time and cost benefits. And it really is attractive.

Skin comes in Ceramiche Refin’s new collections, including Tracce, Artech, and Velvet Ground. Tracce is sleek, shiny, and modern—smooth, even pieces of grey and beige and other neutrals. For a little variation, choose the artsy Artech, which features striations akin to brushstrokes. Velvet Ground looks like fresco, showcasing a rich, matte treatment in all the expected neutrals, as well as rich chocolate and spicy terracotta. The negative people out there will surely say that Skin encourages sloth—that it’s a product designed for lazybones. The people who’ve been through grueling demolition and remodeling projects know better!