Holiday Gift Ideas from Small Businesses

Last holiday season, we gave you some last minute holiday gift ideas from one of our favorite design stores, West Elm.  And while we love every single thing that comes out of that store, this year we want to support small businesses, artisans and local shops around the country.  So this year's gift guide will be filled with unique and one-of-kind finds to help support other small businesses like ourselves.

1. Simply Grove Shop If you don't remember, we were lucky enough to collaborate with interior designer and blogger, Kristen Grove of Simply Grove on her master bath renovation last year.  Well this summer she opened up a curated shop in Boise, ID that is filled with home accessories perfect for the design-lover and also affordable!  Here are our top picks from her shop:

White Tea Candle ($24.00)

      Aragon Marble Board ($47.00)

Click HERE to browse her entire online shop!

 2.  31 Bits We're not sure what we're more in love with, the goods from 31 Bits, or their mission!  The 3 Orange County founders have made it their mission to provide fair and sustainable wages to their skilled Artisans who create their lovely collection of design goods and jewelry.   Here are some of our favorites:

Marble X Coasters and Pinch Dishes ($98.00)

Wood Serving Spoons ($48.00)

Click HERE to shop their whole collection
 

3. Design 4 Corners  The sisters at the design firm, Design 4 Corners, recently opened up their own shop in the quaint town of Carlsbad in San Diego, CA and sell a variety of home goods handcrafted by Artisans from the South East Asian archipelago.  Here are some of our favorites: 

Large Blush Dipped Wood Bowls ($76.95)

Cream and Turquoise Candle Sticks ($78.95 set of 2)

Click HERE to shop their entire collection 

  4. Tramake These funky coasters and trivets are the perfect gift for someone who loves one-of-a-kind home accessories.  Based in Chicago, local artisan Faith Veenstra makes these modern works of art by hand and in small batches.  These gifts are perfect for anyone who loves home accessories and aren't afraid of a little pattern!

"Terrazzo" Absorbent Stone Coaster (set of 4/$30.00)

"Shapes" Absorbent Stone Trivet ($24.00)

Click HERE to shop her entire collection

5. Benjamin June Ceramics  We are honestly obsessed with everything that Benjamin June produces.  This Portland local produces ceramic flask set that features various patterns and colors.  Gift one of his hand-made flasks sets to someone who appreciates modern design and a well-designed home bar. 

Mountain Flask Set ($95.00)

Click HERE to shop his entire collection

6. ANITAKOorganics  Do you have a friend or family member that loves small batch organic bath and beauty products?  Look no further than Anitako Organics, a Canadian beauty line that uses sustainable and safe ingredients for you and your baby.  These gifts are appealing to the eye and safe for the skin.  The best part is they are affordable and will make thoughtful gifts!

SILK Organic Face Cream Moisturizer ($25.00)

Hydrating 3-in-1 Facial Cleansing Grains ($18.00)

Sensual Dead Sea Salt Soak ($18.00)

Click HERE to shop all her products 

This year, we hope you shop small to help support local businesses and artisans!  Not only are you giving something unique and thoughtful to a family member or friend, you are also helping grow a business.  

Make sure to check out the rest of the collections these shops have to offer!

Our First Video Blog!

This past year has brought many new and exciting changes to the StoneImpressions' family!  We have added amazing new members to our team, collaborated with talented bloggers, and created stunning new designs for our two collections, StoneImpressions and Artisan Stone Tile.

Not only did we create new designs for these collections, we also added a new and innovative finish to give seven lucky patterns an even bolder look!  We are so excited to formally introduce the Luster Finish Collection, a subtle, pearlized glaze that brings further brightness and nuance to our Limestone tiles. 

So we mentioned that 2017 has been all about new and exciting changes, and one more thing we have started to do is video blogging!  We thought we would start off our video blog series by talking about the new Luster Finish collection.  

Our next two videos will be about our favorite new designs from our in-stock collection, Artisan Stone Tile!  Check out our full YouTube channel HERE!

For more information on our tiles or sample requests, please email hilary@stoneimpressions.com.

5 Unique Backsplash Ideas

The kitchen is easily the most important part of a home.  It is a space where families gather each night for dinner, holidays are spent cooking in, and late-night meals are had.  Renovating a kitchen is a big project to take on, but the results are worth it.

To add a personal touch to your kitchen, we suggest adding some type of backsplash to this space.  There are a variety of ways you can implement a backsplash in the kitchen, so we put together our 5 favorite backsplash ideas to get those creative juices flowing!

1. Mural

A mural is traditional and works in a variety of home styles.  It is also a good way to create a strong focal point in small area.  

Design by Anne Rae Designs
Mural is Cynara

2. Backsplash with Matching Butler's Pantry

There is nothing better than a kitchen that comes together cohesively.  One way to create this feeling of unity is by using the same tile as a backsplash behind the stove and in a corresponding spot in the kitchen such as a butler's pantry or wet bar. 

Design by Preservation Renovation
Pattern is Sweep

Pattern is Sweep

3. Rectangular Backsplash

Sometimes it only takes a few patterned tiles to create a stunning focal point.  Use a strong, bold pattern and surround it with clean field tile to give your kitchen a timeless look.

Design by Tami Faulkner Design

4. Range Hood Accent

The phrase, "keep it simple" works perfectly when designing a kitchen.  We have been seeing more designers add tiles to the hood of a stove and we think the result is remarkable. Remember that sometimes it only takes a few tiles to create an award-winning kitchen renovation.

Design by Blackband Design
Pattern is Sanza

 
5. Full Coverage

Whenever we see a designer cover a wall with a patterned tile, we are always impressed by the finished result.  It is a bold move but is very worth it. 

 Pattern is Ellipse

For more information on our made to order tiles, please visit www.stoneimpressions.com.  To see the tiles that are kept in stock in our San Diego warehouse, visit www.artisanstonetile.com.

Fireplaces for Fall

     It may be 80 degrees in Southern California, but that won't stop us from lighting those pumpkin-scented candles and hitting the pumpkin patch in our new fall coats.  The change in season means sweater weather and also the beginning of new home projects for many of you.  

     If you're not looking to completely gut your home this Fall but want to give a room in your house that personal touch, we suggest remodeling your fireplace.   We've said it many times before, but adding a decorative tile around your fireplace is a very quick and cost-effective way to add some spice to your space.   We rounded up some of our favorite fireplace projects that have us getting out those furry throws!

1.) A Twist on Traditional 

Whenever we see this Michigan den project, we immediately want to curl up on one of those gorgeous leather couches and feel the warm fire on our face.  This is the perfect example of how to go bold with little material.  

Photography by Ashley Avila
Pattern is Zurich from our StoneImpressions' Collection

2.)  Go Bold or Go Home

We were lucky enough to tour the home of Beth Robb (@dietguruswife) and we were not disappointed by her tile choices.  Her home featured many fireplaces and backsplashes that showcased two of our favorite patterns from our in-stock collection, Artisan Stone Tile.

Fiore Pattern from the Artisan Stone Tile collection

Sanza Pattern from the Artisan Stone Tile collection

3. Rustic Roots

Austin, TX local, Michelle Oyler Root (@rooteedinaustin) designed this stunning fireplace for her home renovation.  She chose the Lena pattern from our in-stock collection which created this timeless look and proves that a little bit of tile can go a long way. 

Lena Pattern from the Artisan Stone Tile collection

4. Moroccan Melody

The designers over at Big Sky Designs in Wilmington, NC got really creative with our Saybook Deco Dots' collection.  They chose to use only one of the individual accent tiles to create this Moroccan inspired fireplace.  

Photo Courtesy of Big Sky Designs 

Saybrook Deco Dots Collection

Hopefully you have some inspiration and motivation to start your next home project!  Start off by sprucing up the coziest part of the house and get your home ready for the Winter! 

Inspiration Behind our New Collection

You may have noticed that our in-stock collection, Artisan Stone Tile, has gotten a little bit bigger over the past few weeks.  We are very excited about these new designs, so we thought it would be fun to share with you what exactly inspired Melinda Earl, founder and lead designer at StoneImpressions, to create these patterns.  We were lucky enough to sit down with Melinda to get a little insight into her creative processes (she even told us some of her favorites).

On Style

"When you choose a tile for your home, you want it to match the overall style and tone of that room.  I wanted to make sure that I designed an even amount of traditional and modern patterns that would fit in a range of spaces."

Oasis Pattern from the Artisan Stone Tile Collection

 
The art of balancing two different styles took a little time for Melinda to master.

"I realized that I was creating many patterns that were influenced by Spanish and Portuguese tiles.  Designing a classic tile comes a lot easier for me.  I am fortunate enough to work with people who had fresh new ideas for more modern patterns."

"I wouldn't have been able to create these fun, contemporary collections without our Senior Designer, Matthew Griffin, or our Brand Manager, Elaine Richman."

Morocco Pattern from the Artisan Stone Tile Collection

"Once I stepped out of that comfort zone and started getting positive feedback from everyone in the office, I really started to play around with unique shapes and metallic colors."

On Finding Inspiration

Melinda has always been an artist and before creating StoneImpressions, she worked as a mixed media artist and painter.  But the beginning process is always the toughest for her.

"Even when I was painting portraits in my little garage, the hardest part for me was always starting.  I finally figured out that what I was missing was some inspiration.  Now, I make much more of an effort to get my creative juices flowing."

Ventana Pattern from the Artisan Stone Tile Collection
Photo Courtesy of @JordanNicoleDesign

We asked her to give us some examples of how she gets those creative juices flowing.  She smiles.

"Well, I always say that I am going to take a trip to Portugal or Spain to be immersed in all of the old world designs and patterns.  But for now, I spend hours looking at images in big history books on these different countries."

And for the more modern patterns...

Parasol Pattern from the Artisan Stone Tile Collection

"The way I create a modern pattern is very different than how I begin to create a traditional design.  I really try to stay original and I want to create something that is completely unique to us.  I find inspiration in everyday objects as you can tell in the Parasol pattern (pictured above)." 

On Knowing a Winner

"As soon as I'm done with a pattern, I know right away if it's going to be a big seller or not.  Of course, I want every design I put out to be a hit, but I usually have a good sense of what people will absolutely love and what people won't.  A good example of this is the Lena pattern--I instantly knew this was going to be our top seller.  That's why I added a new color to it for this collection."

 

Lena's Newest color "Coachman Grey" from the Artisan Stone Tile Collection, on a carrara marble and Calcario Limestone

Sometimes, she is wrong about her design instincts.

"What's funny is sometimes I am completely wrong about my predictions.  For this collection, I was so unsure about the pattern Zara, but all of my colleagues kept telling me they loved it.  We actually have gotten great feedback on Zara and plenty of sample orders."

Zara Pattern 

On her Favorites

We couldn't help but ask Melinda what her favorite designs are of this year.  It was a little hard to get it out of her but we got her to narrow her answer down to two patterns.

"This is such a tough question!  It's hard to pick just one after I've been working on these designs for months and staring endlessly at them.  But I would have to say either Oasis or Vencina.  I love a traditional tile!"

On the left, Vencina pattern and on the upper right hand corner, Oasis

We are excited to announce that we are also adding new designs to our made to order collection, StoneImpressions.  Check back with us soon to hear more about the new collection.

Simply Grove Master Bath Renovation

     If you haven't heard of Kirsten Grove, interior stylist, author, and creator of the blog Simply Grove, drop everything you are doing and go check out her incredible design skills right now.  We have been following her for awhile, so we were more than thrilled when she decided to use our tiles in her own master bath renovation.  Since buying the home of her dreams in West Boise last May, Kirsten has been effortlessly tackling and restyling each room of their spacious, one-story home and turning it into a modern, mid-century dream.  

When choosing the perfect tile for her master bathroom, she wanted something modern for the floors and something clean for the shower and bathroom walls.  After a little deliberation and going through samples, she settled on a mod hexagon tile from the Alston Tile Collection. 

Alston Tribeca Pattern
Color: Beige
Stone: Carrara 

For the surrounding walls, Kirsten kept it simple with a gorgeous carrara subway tile and mini hexagon tiles for the shower niche.  

3x6 Carrara Subway Field Tile

And now for the floors...

Before and After! 

When we shipped off the tile to Kirsten, we really had no idea how her master bath renovation was going to turn out, so when we got back these images from her, how could we not do a little happy dance in our office? 

From the smaller details such as fixture placement and faucet material to the tile pairings and colors, everything in this master bathroom came together cohesively and went above and beyond our imaginations.  

For a complete look at Kirsten's bathroom renovation and to read her take on the renovation process, click the link: Simply Grove Bathroom Renovation

Photography by: Allison Corona