FAQ - Finding more images to create a custom tile mural

Q.  I've looked at your website and I really like the murals you have in your Landscape and Still Life pages.  But I haven't found the perfect one yet.  Do you have a catalog or are there other murals that are not shown on your website?

A. The website is the only place to find our complete collection of designs.  We do have a printed catalog, but it does not contain all of the images you can find on our website.  The website shows it all - older collections as well as brand new tile designs.  Take a look at our New Products page to see our beautiful new tile collections.

If you have looked at our website and you still can't find the perfect design, you do have the option to go to the websites of our licensing partners.  They have thousands of additional images and artwork and we can use any of those to create a custom tile mural for you.

See below for detailed information about this option.

We have arrangements with two prominent art licensing companies.  You can browse their websites and pick out artwork to create a custom design for your mural on our natural stone tiles.

  

 Rosenstiel's Publishing

Wild Wings Licensing
(password required, call us)

Both website have terrific search features that allow you to narrow down the choices and find the perfect design.  Wild Wings lets you search by Season - Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter.  Rosenstiels has an advanced search option which lets you filter by colors that you want to see in your search results.

 

ROSENSTIEL'S
Still Life with Chinese Vase and Flowers
by Ruud Verkerk

Found by searching for "Flowers" and the color white.

ROSENSTIEL'S

Stanley Barker and The Pytchley Hounds

by Sir Alfred Munnings

Found by searching for "Horse" and the color red

Ordering a custom tile mural from us is simple:

Step 1: Find the artwork that you like and write down the name and number

Step 2: Go to your local StoneImpressions Dealer and place your order.  They can help you decide what size mural to order and what type of stone to put it on.  They can also help you pick out liners or trim pieces to frame your tile mural.

Keep in mind that we can also create a custom design from a photo that you supply to us.   You can find more information about our Custom Program here: StoneImpressions Custom Tile Design.

Even more New Tile Designs!

Quick preview of what we are working on.  

If it weren't for the potential kidnapping charges, we'd lock the doors and not let the design team leave until they finish all of these beautiful new collections.  They are doing an excellent job!  We are very, very close to finalizing.

What in the world is a Listello?

If you go to the Products button on our website, you'll see Listellos as one of our categories.  Listellos are border or trim pieces.  All of the StoneImpresssions listellos have printed designs on them.  Usually the size of the tile determines whether a stone tile is a listello or an accent tile.  Listellos are usually rectangular shaped, while our accent tiles are square.

StoneImpressions listellos come in a variety of sizes: 

• 2"x 4"
• 2"x 6"
• 3"x 6"
• 4"x 8"
• 6"x 12"

 

Just like all of our products, you can get any of our listello designs in any size.  Notice that the 4x8 and 3x6 sizes keep the same proportions.  For the 2x6 size, the proportions are different - the design looks a little shorter and wider.

What happens if you like one of our listellos that we show in a 3x6 size, but you need a 2x6?  That is no problem.  We can send you an email with a picture of the listello as a 2x6, so you can see its proportions before you make your decision.   

Listellos are a great way to add color and interest to a room without overwhelming the whole space with a single design.  Your can run a listello across the backsplash in your kitchen and surround it with plain stone or mosaics.  Listellos can be used as unique stair risers, living room flooring borders, and wall caps for powder rooms or the entryway.  See some great examples below:

Belisima Listello on 3x6 travertine in a kitchen backsplash

 

Amaretti Earth Listello on 3x6 travertine surrounded by a field of 1x2 mosaics.

This stunning kitchen uses two listellos from our Colony Collection.

 Brillo Listello used as a unique, decorative stair riser.

You can go to the Listello page of our website to see the variety of listello designs that we offer.  You are bound to find one that you love!

FAQ - Customizing your tiles - changing color

Q. I like one of your designs, but can you change the color?


A. Yes!  Some examples below:

 

Our Amara Accent - original color is shown at the top left.

 

Amaretti Pattern - Our Earth color is shown on the left and a custom mustard color on the right.

 

Our Regatta Listello - original color in the back and custom blue color shown in front.

 

We can easily make color changes on our murals too.  Shown above is the Country Garden mural with two different color changes.  Click on the picture for a closer look. 

Please send your questions to info@stoneimpressions.com and we'll be happy to try to answer them.

Exciting new collections in development

Here is a quick look at new designs we've been working on.

 

  

  

 

Our designers have been working hard and we are really looking forward to finishing them up and launching these new tile collections.  Stay tuned....

And let us know what you think by leaving a comment!

A beautiful Arizona kitchen

Christine at Villagio Tile & Stone in Scottsdale, Arizona liked our Marseille design so much that she decided to put it in her own kitchen.  We take it as a great compliment.  In her own words:

The reason why I chose the Marseille design was because how intricate the design is but yet it is very delicate at the same time.  I know I wanted to do a take off on Country French and that is the reason why I chose the rhomboids for the backsplash beside the Marseille design.

Her kitchen is a perfect example of how choosing the right size for your decorative tile can make all the difference.  The Marseille Pattern in the square shape fits beautifully over the stovetop.  Any larger and it would look crammed into the space.  The blue-green color palette and intricate detail in the design provide an eye-catching focal point without overwhelming the other elements in the kitchen.

The small rhomboid mosaic in the rest of the backsplash is limestone and she added small rhomboids with ten different etched designs.  These little accents are installed randomly throughout the rest of the backsplash and help to tie it all together.

Christine chose the Marseille Pattern in Green Blue.  The center design is printed on 6x6 Limestone and the border around is 3x6 and 3x3 Limestone.  She took advantage of the fact that we can size any of our designs to fit any space. You can have the center pattern on 3x3, 4x4, 8x8 or even 12x12 and larger.  The border listellos can come on 2x6, 4x8 and 6x12 tiles.

The Marseille Pattern has also be extremely popular in the Red color.  You can see the whole Marseille Tile Collection here.

We love it when we get to see our designs installed in a happy homeowner's kitchen.  Send us your pictures and show off your kitchen!  We are always interested to see what kind of design ideas people come up with when using our tiles.

Happy New Year (and some old news)

Happy New Year!  We have come back from holiday vacations rested and relaxed and looking forward to a great 2010!

Some old news that we managed to miss in 2009 - take a look at our floor tile designs featured in the February issue of Hotel Design.

Click here for a link to the online version of the issue.

Sneak peek at some new tile designs

Cathedral Collection

Colony Collection with Color Wash Silhouettes

Eden Collection

Labyrinth Collection

 

 

More photos can be found on our New Products page.

Don't be shy!  Let us know what you think by clicking on the Comments link below.

Delivery before Christmas is still possible!

Getting your home ready for the upcoming holidays? 

Yes, there is still time for delivery of our product before Christmas.

Normal production time 

Ships from San Diego via UPS Ground

in 10 business days.

Rush order 

  Small rush charge and your order will ship 

 out in 3-5 business days.

Rush shipping 

3-Day, 2-Day and Overnight delivery available.

Quick Ship Program 

  In stock murals can ship in 24 hours or SAME DAY if you get to us before 3:00 PM Pacific time. 
Click here for sales sheet.

Need it really, really, really fast?

CALL US!

We can do amazing things.

800-350-3003

Contact your local StoneImpressions Dealer 

to place your order.

Is it just me, or does Santa look awfully tired?

Yes, wood DOES grow on trees....good advice from a Kitchen Designer

Here is a great article from Kitchen Sync about the details of wood and its characteristics in kitchen cabinets.  Excellent information for anyone thinking about a kitchen renovation and for people like us who know nothing about cabinets.  We know stone, but wood is a whole different animal.  That is why we always keep an eye out for good information that we can pass along.

Kitchen Sync is another excellent blog that we recommend.  Kelly Morisseau is a Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer and a Certified Interior Designer.  Her blog is overflowing with great ideas, smart ways to solve problems, and excellent advice that you can only get from a person who has an extraordinary amount of experience and training.

Kelly has a tip for people who don't want any natural variations in their wood cabinets - either be prepared to pay extra or go with something else.  As she says, "The beauty of wood is in its characteristics."  

We sometimes run into similar issues regarding natural stone.  We think the natural imperfections, color variations and veining or holes in the stone add to the beauty.  But some people request that we hand pick stone with certain characteristics for their order.  For example:

"Pick stone with no holes at all."  

"Choose only lighter colored tiles."

"Pick a combination of shades of off white and beige colors with a preference towards the beige."

Yup.  That last one is for real.  We do everything in our power to give someone what they have requested and our regular practice is to reject tiles with significant holes, cracks or chipped edges.  But if you know you are too OCD to handle the inherent tumbled edges, shading variations and small imperfections - natural stone tiles are probably not for you.  It's okay to admit it.  There are plenty of ceramic tiles* to choose from.

Our Grape Harvest mural on 6x6 Light Travertine is a good example of how the natural variations in the stone enhance the beauty of the warm, rustic artwork.

*We do have a way to put our designs on ceramic or porcelain tile, but we use an outside service and the lead times can be 2-3 months out.  It is not something we have added to our main product line, but we can do special requests. The lead time on our natural stone products is 2 weeks in production and then it is out the door.

Kitchen picture at the top is courtesy of Bartel Kitchen & Bath in Buhler, Kansas.

Pattern tiles for a kitchen backsplash

We just received a picture of this beautiful kitchen from Great Britain Tile.  They used the Minore Antiqued tiles in the Charcoal/Green color as the focal point for the backsplash. The tiles are printed on our 6x6 Light Travertine stone.

The Minore Antiqued is a very subtle fusion of color and patterns.  It is not a design which jumps out at you. Instead, it hints at something old and timeless.  It lingers and slowly unfolds its many turns and mysteries; like an ancient Grecian city or a pathway through the old town of Tangiers.

It is difficult to see the details in this picture, so here is a close up of the pattern:

Minore Antiqued Charcoal/Green on 6x6 Light Travertine

The Minore design is also available in these two colors:

Minore Antiqued Blue/Green on 6x6 Light Travertine

Minore Antiqued Salmon/Green on 6x6 Light Travertine

As with all of our designs, the Minore Antiqued can be made into any size and printed on any stone.  In the kitchen pictured above, it is done on 6x6 Light Travertine tiles, but we can imagine it enlarged and printed on 12x12 tiles for a much bigger impact.  The 12x12 tiles would fill up the 24 inch high by 48 inch wide space in that kitchen and you would have two choices for how to lay it out.   You can emphasize the circular part of the pattern like this:

 

Or make the more square and linear shapes the focal point, like this:

What do you think?  Would you pick circles or squares?

Custom Tiles and our Fabulous Dealers

This week we held our first Custom & Design Program Webinar with some of our Authorized Dealers.  We presented all of the options available to create custom tiles and shared pictures of some of our custom tile projects.  Our Custom Program is actually not very complicated.  We can make changes to any of our designs or work with customer-supplied artwork to create a truly personalized tile.  We have a great deal of flexibility and options since we always start with a digital image.  See more information about our Custom Program here.

A Celtic pendant was used to create a custom tile from our Amaretti Dawn design.

We have been embracing technology recently and love how it can keep us connected.  Our webinar brought us together with people all the way from Merrimack, New Hampshire to Santa Barbara, California - and lots of places in between.  The dealers around the country who carry our product lines have proven to be a smart and committed bunch of people.  They are always looking for opportunities to improve their knowledge so that they can better serve their customers.  They always impress us.

This is why customers who contact us directly will be strongly encouraged (gently shoved?  politely pushed?) to go see one of our Authorized Dealers.  When you call us, our customer service team is always happy to answer your questions about any of our products.  But when it comes down to making a decision about purchase, it is to your advantage to work with a local, knowledgeable Authorized Dealer.  Here's why:

Dealers have full-size, in-store samples.  You can browse the beautiful pictures on our website, but there is nothing like seeing the tiles up close and personal.  Touch the natural stone tiles to feel the texture and weight of the stone. Look closely at the detail and colors in the artwork and the shading in the stone.  Taste and smell the tile if that's your thing. (Please bring your own antibacterial wipes.)  Seeing the full-size samples will give you a much better idea of what the StoneImpressions tiles will look like in your home.

One of our Floor Tile Sample Boards featuring the Clermont design. 

Clermont also looks great as a kitchen backsplash.

Dealers are trained.  They can answer your questions and they might even have a few questions for you to help you determine the best way to approach your home improvement project.  They have experience working with StoneImpressions and will be able to make recommendations about other items that you might need - grout, cleaner, adhesive, or the phone number of a good tile installer.

Dealers are a part of your local economy.  They employ your neighbors, contribute to the local tax rolls and have a vested interest in your community.  Nobody likes to pay taxes, but wouldn't you rather have your money stay in your own backyard?  Especially in this economy, shopping locally supports your community in a very tangible way.

One of our full-size (24" x 30") sample boards featuring our Dolce Casa tile mural and Regatta listello.

Dealers can assist you in other ways.  We do one thing - decorative natural stone products.  But our Dealers can help you with other aspects of your home improvement project.  Some have Certified Kitchen Designers on staff, like DJ Dietz Designs in Reedsburg, Wisconsin.  They can help you with your total kitchen remodel from planning and design, all the way to installation.  Other Dealers carry a wide variety of products including kitchen cabinets, sinks, appliances, marble countertops, bath and shower fixtures, and all types of flooring from carpeting to hardwood.

We are always happy to talk to you when you call.  But when you want that fabulous face-to-face customer service experience, you can find an Authorized StoneImpressions Dealer by going to the Showrooms page on our website.

Kitchen display in the DJ Dietz Designs showroom.