Friday, February 5, 2010

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!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

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.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

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.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

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.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

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?

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

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


kitchen backsplash mural with dark wood kitchen cabinets

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.


grape basket mural on light travertine tiles






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.