Customize your Tile Size with StoneImpressions

Clermont Symmetric Mural in the Pewter Color on Carrara

Sometimes bigger IS better.  Take our ever popular Clermont Mural.  We show it in our catalog on 6" x 6" tiles, which makes the whole mural 18" x 30".  But like all of our tile designs, we can make this tile mural in any size that you desire. 

And when we say ANY size, we really do mean it.

Roger is showing off a 4 foot x 8 foot Clermont Mural that we created for a customer in Texas.  What is it they say - "Everything is bigger in Texas."  In this case, we believe it!

So the lesson of the day is that as you are looking through our tile catalog or the tile collections shown on our website, don't forget that you can change the size of any of our tile designs to fit your space.  Contact your local tile shop for information about how to order StoneImpressions tile.

Colorful Border Tiles! New additions to our fabulous Altalena Tile Collection.

The Altalena Tile Collection was inspired by the beautiful confluence of Roman and Moorish
influences found in ancient Spanish cities like Alhambra and Sevilla.  The rich color palette exudes a warmth to complement the timeless feel of the natural stone tile.

Altalena Siena Pattern Tile in a beautiful backsplash.
Photo and stunning kitchen courtesy of  Echelon Custom Homes.

We are excited to add two brand new listello designs to this tile collection.

The Altalena Bella Listello Border Tile is shown here in the Ochre Color on 3x6 Limestone. 

The Altalena Carina Listello Border Tile is shown here in the Ochre Color on 2x6 Limestone. 

The new listellos in the Altalena Tile Collection are available in these four colors.

And here is an example of the Altalena Tiles with some custom colors added.  This was a beautiful floor pattern for a New England customer.  Creating your own Custom Tile is a very simple process.  Ask your local StoneImpressions Tile Shop how to get started with a custom design.

And just one more photo of that gorgeous kitchen from Echelon Custom Homes because we are crazy about it!

Layout does matter

With some tile designs, how you lay them out during installation really does make a difference.  Some examples:

 A single tile of our Minore Charcoal Green design.  These tiles are usually laid out in multiples of fours to make up a pattern.  But how you arrange those four tiles can give you different looks.

This layout focuses on the circular pattern that you see in the Minore design.

By laying the tiles in a slightly different order, you emphasize the interlocking 

geometric pattern in the Minore design.

A single tile of the Linda Vista Pattern shown in 12x12 limestone.

You wouldn't think there are options with this swirly, floral pattern.  But there is more than one 

way to lay this out.  The drawing above shows it with all of the tiles facing in the same direction.

In this layout, every other tile has been turned 90 degrees so that the circular flow 

of the design is slightly changed.  It is a very subtle difference.

Here is a simple example of how layout can change the look.  This is the 

Marseille Pattern tiles as they are typically laid out.

By turning the tiles on the diagonal, you see a different pattern emerge.

The most important tip about laying out pattern tiles is to decide on how you want them arranged, BEFORE your tile installer gets started.  Lay them out together on the floor or on a table to take a look at how the pattern comes together.  And make sure your installer knows which way you want them to go.

New Pattern Tile Designs

Our designers have been working their tails off on new product for our upcoming catalog.  Lots of new styles with vibrant colors.  Here are some preliminary photos of a few new patterns.

 

We'll post more as we get more photos. 

Beautiful decorative listellos (and reduced prices)

Lucca Listellos paired with tumbled Durango tile.

A great way to add a subtle, decorative touch to any tile backsplash, floor, kitchen or bath, is to use tiles from our Listello Collection.  Since they have been so popular, this year we decided to reduce the prices of our listellos.   We (a.k.a. Lazy Blog Writer) thought we would recycle a blog post from last year that talks about listellos.  Enjoy!. 

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 add color and interest to a room without overwhelming the whole space with a single design.  You 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.

Crossbar Circle Listellos and Crossbar Circle Accents create an

interesting pattern when used among kitchen floor tiles.

Belisima Listellos used in the kitchen backsplash 

and also integrated into the design of the hood.

Browse through 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!

Sage Green Inspiration from KraftMaid Cabinets

We have been seeing a bit of a renaissance for our Minore Collection lately. Inquiries and purchases are definitely up in the last few months. Below are some photos of the Minore Pattern tiles in the Charcoal-Green color, paired up with some beautiful KraftMaid cabinets.  LOVE the sage green color of the cabinets.

And take a look at KraftMaid's website if you have a chance - www.kraftmaid.com.  Beautifully designed and easy to navigate, it is full of inspiring photos and lots of great information.  They are currently offering a Define Your Style Contest.  You get to play around with colors, styles, finishes and accessories and build your own digital Inspiration Board.  Lots of fun to do.  

And if the joy of creating isn't its own reward, you also have the chance to win $50,000 towards your dream kitchen!  Wouldn't that be great?  So stop wasting time on Facebook and Twitter (and reading silly blogs like this) and get on over there to release some of that creative energy!

Happy Independence Day to our Southern Neighbors

Tomorrow Mexico celebrates its Independence Day, which commemorates the start of its independence from Spanish rule.  It took over ten years of battles before the official Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire was made, but the "Grito de Dolores" on September 16, 1810 sparked the movement towards freedom.

What? 
Isn't Cinco de Mayo the big Mexican holiday?

You are not alone in your confusion.  Many people think Cinco de Mayo is the Mexican version of the United States Fourth of July.  But May 5th is actually a celebration of the Mexican Army's victory over the French invaders in 1862, many years after they had gained their independence from Spain.

Perhaps the very successful marketing efforts of the tequila and beer companies have led us astray.  How could anyone resist such subtle imagery?

 

Our distributor in Mexico recently sent us some pictures of their work.  Ruiz T is located in Huatabampo, Sonora.  Their city happens to be known as "Tierra de Generales" (Land of Generals) because several high ranking generals in the revolutionary war were hometown boys.  I'm sure the celebrations in their neck of the woods are going to be quite festive.

Ruiz T offers full service kitchen design and installation and and has been in business for over 20 years.  Their quality and craftsmanship are evident in their custom doors and wood furniture and shelving.  They do everything from fixtures, lighting, sinks, appliances and windows down to the last little detail like hinges, pulls for cabinets and doorknobs. 

They have a great looking website and last week they sent us these beautiful kitchen pictures:

Elegante Mural in a beautiful kitchen backsplash

Closer view of Elegante Mural. 
Check out those cool metal roosters.  I want them.

Lemons Mural framed with the Regatta Listello and Travertine Rope Liners.

A closer view of the Lemons Mural.

Gracias, Hector for the wonderful pictures.  Your photographer does an amazing job!

And Happy Independence Day to all of our Mexican friends!  

(I would try to write that in Spanish, but I (stupidly) took French classes in high school and college.  Pardonnez-moi, Monsier Lawrence, mais je le regrette!)

Mexican Flag image from Christian Frausto Bernal from Tepic, Nayarit, MEXICO

Catalog with Beautiful New Tile Designs is Online

Our new catalog is still at the printers, but who needs paper anyway!  We've got the whole thing online.

You can find all of the new collections at our re-designed website:

www.stoneimpressions.com

You can also browse all of the catalog pages here:

http://www.stoneimpressions.com/catalogue_patterns.htm

Take a look at some of the great new tile collection photos.

Colony Collection

Linda Vista Collection

Toulouse Collection

Lucca Collection

Altalena Collection

New colors for an old design

Our Amaretti Collection is another favorite that we have decided to expand by adding three wonderfully rich, earthy color palettes.  Take a look:

Amaretti Pattern - Amber

Amaretti Pattern - Forest

Amaretti Pattern  - Redwood

The new colors shown above are joining the originals:

Amaretti Pattern - Earth

Amaretti Pattern - Dawn

Go ahead...click on the pictures and immerse yourself in the warm, resonant color tones.  You know you want to.

Bringing back the classics....

These designs have been a part of our collections since the beginning.  You can't go wrong with classic shapes like Fleur d'Lys, and subtle, earthy tones.  Our natural stone tiles are just perfect for looks like this.

The Lucca Collection has been one of our favorites.   In our last catalog, we must have had a collective brain fog and we ended up with only one tiny picture of the Lucca listello on a single page, waaaay in the back of the catalog.  We are not going to make that mistake again.  This time the collection will have its very own page.

Modello is another collection that has remained a popular choice throughout the years.  This traditional pattern has a rustic, aged finish and rich, layered coloring that truly gives it an old world feel.  Modello looks best on our Light Travertine tile.  The edges are tumbled and the surface is full of natural pits and grooves.  The organic characteristics of the travertine tile add to that ancient, timeworn look and feel.

Our soon-to-be-released new Tile Book will show off a number of our classic designs, right alongside the many inspiring, new collections.  Our design team is working away to put the finishing touches on it and we are extremely excited about how it is turning out.  We can't wait to share it with you!    Stay tuned...