Thursday, April 26, 2012

Tile Talk Newsletter - April 2012

Project Pick: Cuban Tiles make Eye-Catching Backsplash

Cuban Tiles Create an eye-catching backsplash
Photo Credit: Kelly von Stroh, Durango, CO, Avente Customer

This month's project pick comes from Kelly von Stroh, an Avente customer, in Durango, Colorado. Kelly was kind enough to send us a photo of her installation and an email that started like this:

"I forgot to send you a picture of our tile installation! It looks great! We LOVE it, and get TONS of complements on the tiles!"
- Kelly von Stroh, Durango, CO

Durango, Colordo is in Southwestern Colorado. It's a beautiful place and is nestled at the foot of the San Juan Mountains. In the summer the bright green aspen, blue spruce and dark green fir trees create a verdant landscape against the rocky brown and grey mountains. You can see where Kelly's inspiration for the kitchen's color palette came from.

The cement tile backsplash is stunning! The kitchen color design is excellent. The green in the tiles looks so nice with the dark wood cabinets and gray tones in the slate flooring. Kelly did a great job of letting the tiles be the focal point of the room – the counter and floor aren’t fighting for attention. As you can see from Kelly's photo, cement tiles provide jaw-dropping beauty and really are show stoppers.

Find out more about this project and Kelly's design process on our blog, Avente Tile Talk. There are some great tips and ideas for anybody that is considering Cement Tile for their project! Read:

>> Cuban Tiles Make Eye-Catching Kitchen Backsplash


The Cuban Heritage cement tile designs from Avente are from patterns re-discovered and saved from from old homes and crumbling estates in Havana. Cuban Tile designs are different from other cement tiles and characterized by the use of elaborate patterns, bold colors and prominent borders, very ofter double borders

Cuban Heritage Design 140 comes in four standard colorways:


Cuban Tile Pattern 140-1A

Design 140 1A
8" x 8"

Cuban Tile Pattern 140-2B
Design 140 2B
8" x 8"

Cuban Tile Pattern CH140-3B
Design 140 3B
8" x 8"

Cuban Tile Pattern Design 140-4A
Design 140 4A
8" x 8"

You can also customize the colors in these patterns using the Heritage Colors or create your own custom color.

>> See the collection of Cuban Tile Pattens


Spring Sale! Save 15% on Bird & Nest Tiles

Bird and Nest Tiles


Spring is here and nothing says spring like a sale on our Bird & Nest tiles. The days are getting longer and warmer. The birds are singing and we want to give you something to sing about as well. Celebrate spring and Save 15% on any Bird & Nest tile purchased through May 31, 2012. No coupon needed. Place your order online.

This amazing line of nature-inspired relief tile comes in rich, pooled glazes of blue and plum hues. The large decorative tiles are done in relief and come in 8"x8" and 8"x10" accent pieces. Each tile is equipped with a notch for easy hanging. They make great accents for the patio and kitchen sans grout! They make great mother's day gifts, too!

>> View All Bird & Nest Tiles

>> Read Blog Post: Nothing Says Spring like Bird & Nest Tiles


Tile Tip:

When planning a budget for small cement tile projects, estimate the cost of freight at about 30-50% of the total order cost.

This is common for small projects when using cement tiles for a fireplace, backsplash or small bathroom where residential delivery is required. The cost of freight increases even more when you aren't near a large city or major shipping lane. In the installation shown in the month's project pick, the freight costs were 45% of the total order cost.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Tile from Around the World - Coverings 2012

Last week I had the pleasure of attending and working at The Coverings Tile and Stone Trade show in Orlando. It was absolutely wonderful to see the amazing amount of tile and stone offerings from around the world. There were tile installations that highlighted baths, back splashes and almost every possible area and surface in a home or office. So given all that I had to see I thought I would share a bit of that with you.



Tile, glass and mirror and it makes a beautiful accent to this bathroom setting.





Look closely and you may see the level of work involved in making sure that each piece fits together perfectly.


There were many colors and designs from a vast array of companies from around the globe.


If you look closely you will see that the darker pieces are actually wood- the dark pieces are walnut in this case. Due to the process involved these tiles, using wood, can actually be used on the vertical surfaces of showers with no  harm to them.


There were also many various tiles with different textures and patterns.


Wonderful examples that could be used as accents for part of a wall or more.


No these are not pieces of wood but tile. Tile manufacturing has advanced with technology and tile can be used for accenting walls in areas that were not common before. Now you can have the look of wood but with the last presence of tile.




Or maybe you would like the look of a wooden floor but with the life and aspects that tile affords? There were many options and vendors to see with many choices available.





Tile for floor and wall.


Very small tile can be produced with various shading due to new advances in technology and when assembled- Viola- a picture with clarity is seen.


I would doubt that you would have something like this for your home but what about something like this for a lobby with a unique design that represented your business?

Throughout the show I saw tile that had commercial applications as well as residential uses and it was an aspect that you wouldn't normally see while visiting your local retail store.

The amount to see at this show was intense and I could have talked with others about their tile and stone for days. Viewing the various tiles from all over the globe is really something not to be missed and I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peak into what a tile trade show has to offer.





Disclaimer:
I was compensated by Coverings for assistance provided in their social media program during the show. This post is solely produced by the author and reflects my opinions and thoughts without relevance to the show or individual companies.  

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

A LIVE Coverings Update via KBTribeChat

Join Bill Buyok of Avente Tile and a group of panelists on Wednesday, April 17, 2012 for a special KBTribeChat. We'll be talking tile LIVE from Coverings – The Ultimate Tile + Stone Experience while Mark Johnson, FAIA hosts this weeks KBTribeChat. We will be reporting back with the latest from the show. Our discussion will take place from 2 – 3 PM EDT (11 AM - 12 PM PDT). Join us!

#KBTribeChat is a regular chat on Twitter that brings together a distinguished "tribe" of kitchen and bath professionals to discuss common issues, products and events. This upcoming Wednesday, #KBTribeChat will be LIVE from Coverings in Orlando, Florida.

Coverings 2012 KBTribe Chat Panel
A great group and distinguished panel. Image credit: #KBTribeChat

Making this chat even more exciting, the panel will collectively host the chat right on the Coverigns show floor while Mark Johnson moderates the group. If you'll be at the show, make sure you're there. We'll be chatting live from Coverings Central, Booth 3728. If you're not at Coverings, don't worry - you'll be able to follow along by using the hashtag #KBTribeChat on twitter. Stacy Garcia, the mastermind behind KBTribeChat, has all the information you need to know about how to participate in the chat. If you've never done a chat it's OK to be a lurker, but don't be afraid to get involved and participate. Todd Vendituoli, has a great post explaining Twitter Chats on his blog, SocialMedia4Builders.

Here's a list and brief bio of the other panelists and moderator that will be participating:

Guest Host

Mark Johnson FAIA @MarkJohnsonFAIA

FAIA|AIBD|CKD Marketer/Educator/Architect/Speaker – Design+building products industry. Green Builder Media – National Director, Social & Virtual Media
BLOG: MARKITECT.me

Panelists

Christine Whittemore @CBWhittemore
Chief Simplifier of Simple Marketing Now | helping you get found online via social media & content marketing | passionate about #retailexp #practicalmktr
BLOG: Simple Marketing Now

Nick Lovelady @cupboards
Home-grown Southern Kitchen & Bathroom Design/Consultation - Musings and activities from our day.
BLOG: Cupboards

Ginny Powell @GinnyPowell
It isn’t just 140 characters. It is the first 140 characters of a conversation.
BLOG: A cracked Door

Nora DePalma @noradepalma
Wife, stepmom, friend, and Jersey Girl living in the South. Principal of O’Reilly-DePalma. Able to see life as amusing roughly 80% of the time.
BLOG: O'Reilly DePalma

Irene Williams @crossvilleinc
Elevate spaces with Crossville’s porcelain tile, natural stone, glass, metal & mosaic collections—beautifully designed, environmentally friendly, American made.
WEB SITE: Crossville

I look forward to sharing what's hot in the world of tile with you live from the Coverings floor on Wednesday, April 17, 2012 for a special KBTribeChat. Join the tribe and let's talk tile!

Social Media Session

If you are still at Coverings on Thursday, April 19 don't miss Bill Buyok's fifteen minute presentation from 12:00 PM to 12:15 PM on How my social media presence affects my retail business. This session will focus on how social media helps online retail sales and is part of Coverings new social initiative in the Social Media Lounge. The lounge will be right on the show floor and will have refreshments and internet access for attendees and it's also home base for the Coverings Twitter and Facebook updates. Don't miss this event at Coverings Central, Booth 3728.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Spanish Tiles Make the Decor at Cuban Cafe

Tile can really create a 'sense of time' for a space. To illustrate this point, I'll show how our Spanish Tiles help create the ambiance of a Cuban Cafe.

Spanish Tiles Create Ambiance at Cuban Cafe
Spanish Tiles Create Ambiance at Cuban Cafe
Photo Credit: Patricia Estorino, Owner, Gustazo Cuban Café

The Alcala pattern was chosen by the restaurant owner, Patricia Estorino. She wanted to create the same charm and ambiance for the new restaurant, Gustazo, that you'd experience at a cafe in old Havana, Cuba.

Spanish Tiles Create Ambiance at Cuban Cafe
Spanish Tiles Create Ambiance at Cuban Cafe
Photo Credit: Patricia Estorino, Owner, Gustazo Cuban Café

The focal point of the room is a mural that uses 6"x6" tiles and framed with 3"x6" and 3"x3" border tiles in the same pattern. Additionally, the 6"x6" tiles are used as accents and placed randomly in the field tile pattern.

Spanish Tile Mural at Cuban Cafe
Spanish Tile Mural at Cuban Cafe
Photo Credit: Patricia Estorino, Owner, Gustazo Cuban Café

Patricia Estorino, the owner of Gustazo, is a quiet and thoughtful person. From her first inquiry, I knew she had spent time looking for the right tile. Patricia let me know what design she wanted and how many tiles of each size she needed. The tile would help create an environment for the restaurant that reflects her native culture.

Dining Area at Gustazo Cuban Café
Dining Area at Gustazo Cuban Café
Photo Credit: Patricia Estorino, Owner, Gustazo Cuban Café

If you are in the Boston area and want to try some traditional Cuban cuisine, stop by the Gustazo Cuban Cafe. They are located at 289 Belmont Street, Belmont MA. They recently received a glowing review from @tablecritic. But, that's no surprise to Avente - we new they had good taste before they even opened their doors. Keep dong what you love, Patrica! Congratulations on the great review and Avente is glad we could help.

Dining Area at Gustazo Cuban Café
Dining Area at Gustazo Cuban Café
Photo Credit: Patricia Estorino, Owner, Gustazo Cuban Café

Serving Window at Gustazo Cuban Café is Framed with Spanish Tiles
Spanish Tile Frame the Serving Window at Gustazo Cuban Café
Photo Credit: Patricia Estorino, Owner, Gustazo Cuban Café

Hand Painted Spanish Tile - Alcala Pattern Formats

Our Spanish Tiles are a classic collection of hand painted tile patterns inspired by centuries-old Spanish tile designs.

Spanish Tile - AlcalaSpanish Tile - Alcala
6"x6" 3"x6"

See the collection of Spanish Tiles

Our hand painted Spanish tile patterns are available in a 6"x6", 3"x6", 4"x4", 2"x2" and 1"x1" formats.

How have you used tiles to create a unique sense of time for you space?


Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Cuban Tiles Make Eye-Catching Kitchen Backsplash

Readers of Tile Talk, know that I'm thrilled to receive installation photos from our wonderful customers! Last Tuesday an email from Durango, Colorado arrived with a photo. The email started like this:

"I forgot to send you a picture of our tile installation! It looks great! We LOVE it, and get TONS of complements on the tiles!
- Kelly von Stroh, Durango, CO"

Cuban Tiles Create an eye-catching backsplashCuban Tiles make an eye-catching kitchen backsplash
Photo Credit: Kelly von Stroh, Durango, CO, Avente Customer

I grew up not far from Durango in the small town of Aztec, New Mexico. Southwest Colorado is a beautiful area and Durango is a great little city with so much to offer. It was wonderful to meet Kelly and work with some folks from back home. I agree, the cement tile backsplash is stunning! The kitchen color design is excellent. The green in the tiles looks so nice with the dark wood cabinets and gray tones in the slate flooring. Kelly did a great job of letting the tiles be the focal point of the room – the counter and floor aren’t fighting for attention.

If I remember correctly, Kelly liked an installation she had seen on houzz.com. In this project, Avente Tile's Cuban Heritage Design 110 2B was chosen by Buckminster Green, the contractor, for an eclectic kitchen backsplash on their 5th Street Project. Kelly liked the concept; but wanted something in a different color. She ordered three samples in mid-July: Design 140 1A, Design 250 2B and Design 140 3B. Before August was over, she placed her order and decided on Design 140 3B.


Cuban Heritage Cement Tile Backsplash
Cuban Heritage 110 2B Cement Tile Backsplash
Photo Credit: Buckminster Green

Any project can have a 'deal breaker.' An obstacle that can't be overcome or resolved. It is often budget, delivery time, or application requirements. This time it was the cost of freight. The cost of freight for small cement tile orders can exceed the cost of the material. This is a common for small projects when using cement tiles for a fireplace, backsplash or small bathroom. The cost of freight increases even more when you aren't near a large city or major shipping lane. On this order, the freight costs were 45% of the total order cost. Pretty hard to swallow. But, Kelly knew what she liked and she knew she had made the right choice! It wasn't going to be a deal breaker. It's wonderful helping people find tile that they love. It's something they and will enjoy every day! Thanks, Kelly, for being such a great customer and sharing your installation with us and our readers.

The Cuban Heritage cement tile designs from Avente are from patterns re-discovered and saved from from old homes and crumbling estates in Havana. Cuban Tile designs are different from other cement tiles and characterized by the use of elaborate patterns, bold colors and prominent borders, very ofter double borders.

Cuban Heritage Design 140 comes in four standard colorways:


Cuban Tile Pattern 140-1A

Design 140 1A
8" x 8"

Cuban Tile Pattern 140-2B
Design 140 2B
8" x 8"

Cuban Tile Pattern CH140-3B
Design 140 3B
8" x 8"

Cuban Tile Pattern Design 140-4A
Design 140 4A
8" x 8"

You can also customize the colors in these patterns using the Heritage Colors or create your own custom color. As you can see from Kelly's photo, cement tiles provide jaw-dropping beauty and really are show stoppers. If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy some other blog posts where Avente customers share their installation photos. They certainly make my day!

Other Posts With Customer Installation Photos