Series Episode II: Duo Kitchen Backsplash

Duo Kitchen Backsplash (Nickel)

The Duo Pattern is our second example of modern patterns in the Artisan Stone Tile Carrara line. Duo’s Nickel color scheme highlights this kitchen’s simple steely and minimalist styles. The grey and pearl tones create a 3-dimensional depth on the kitchen backsplash. Duo’s diagonal shifts and the alternating colors are distinct to this pattern creating a unique feeling of movement along its surface. I particularly enjoy this backsplash because of the green and red colors that draw the eye. This example really shows off how the Nickel monochrome color pattern can bring out the other colors around your kitchen.

Duo (Glacier)

Another alternative is our Glacier Blue color scheme. Glacier Blue is named after its nearly translucent usage of blues just like a glacier. The blues nearly fade back to the natural Carrara stone as you approach the center of each diagonal line. Though it departs from the monochromatic scale of the Nickel pattern, it retains the subtlety of its colors.

Duo is offered on 6” x 12” Carrara stone.

As the Tile Turns

Our Marseille Collection of tiles have been a very popular choice for kitchen backsplash designs.  

 

Bet you didn't know how a slight turn of a tile can give you a whole different look!

The picture above shows the layout for the Marseille Collection that you will see in our tile catalogs.  Four tiles make the pattern with the larger circles meeting in the middle.

But by laying out the same pattern tiles in a new way, you can have a single large circle in the middle and four little "quarter circles" in each corner.

But you aren't done yet!  Another turn of the tile gives you yet another look using the same Marseille Pattern tiles.  You get one larger circle in the center and two half circles on each side.  Neat, huh?

The Marseille Collection comes in a number of different colors:

Olivine

Truffle

Port

Caviar

Green Blue

Red

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!

Creative Kitchen Backsplash Designs using colorful natural stone tile

Did you always color inside the lines when you were a kid?  I did.  That is why I am thoroughly impressed with those people who are able to look at things in a more imaginative way to create unique and interesting designs.  In the case of our tile collections, you often see folks sticking with the traditional way of doing things and using tile designs from only one collection.  It makes sense, given that the tiles in each collection are intentionally designed to work with each other.

But then you have those crazy creative ones, who can see how designs that seem very different, can work great together.  A perfect example is Ana Sirota from Kitchens by Gedney in Madison, Connecticut.  She worked with her client and used tiles from not one, not two, but three different StoneImpressions collections in the kitchen.

You can't see the close up detail of the tiles in these photos, so I'll list the different collections below.

The center of the backsplash is the Lisbon Pattern in the Brown colorway surrounded by...

the Altalena Dia Listello in the Siena Color.

The larger Altalena Listello in the Siena color is then run as a border along the bottom of the backsplash in both sections of the kitchen.

And finally, what you might call the background tile is the Color Wash Silhouettes Hourglass in the Natural color.  This is a great way to add some depth and dimension to your backsplash, without adding too much of one color.  The Color Wash Silhouettes tiles do come in different colors and shapes.  You can see the whole collection here: Colorful Kitchen Backsplash Tile.

I would never have thought to use all of these different collections and colors together, but it absolutely works!  Thanks to Sandy at Tile America New Haven for forwarding the pictures to us.

A beautiful kitchen backsplash

This beautiful kitchen features tiles from our Clermont Collection.  Limestone was used for both the decorative tiles and the plain tiles throughout the backsplash.  Click on any of these pictures to see a larger version.

The backsplash area behind the stove showcases the Clermont Upright Mural.  It is a colorful pattern with an intricate design. See a more detailed photo below:

This design has a number of colors - gold, green, blue and burgundy.  However, the name we chose for this color scheme is Azul.

Here is a close up of so you can see the detail and color of this design.

The Clermont Listello runs along the entire backsplash as a border and 6" x 6" Clermont Accent tiles have been placed in a few key areas. 

These accents are shown on our Limestone tile.

Here is a list of the exact tiles uses in this kitchen:

PTN700200-A CLERMONT UPRIGHT Mural - AZUL

BTN700300-A CLERMONT Listello - AZUL

ATN700103-A CLERMONT THREE Accent - AZUL

ATN700102-A CLERMONT TWO Accent - AZUL

Click on this link for a printable file (PDF) of the whole Clermont Collection.

A kitchen backsplash: from California to Connecticut and back again

 
We just received a wonderful email from a happy homeowner and wanted to share:

Hello,
I want to thank you for our beautiful mural! What a treat to talk with Kathy and to be connected with Andrea Brewster for guidance on backsplash and surrounding tile. I just love it, as do our guests that come to see the new kitchen. I would be happy to leave positive feedback if you have a way to do it and feel free to let people know about our beautiful mural, even folks in this area could drop by to see it in person. Thanks to Tile 2 Stone too!
Warmly,
Tawny Cleveland
Chico, CA

She used our ST150 Hydrangea Mural (part of the Still Life Collection) and accented the blue in the mural with some a blue-toned mosaic framing the mural.  We think it looks lovely! 

Tawny lives in Chico, California but was able to get design advice from Andrea Brewster of Tile Spaces in Woodbury, Connecticut.  Andrea has been designing with StoneImpressions tiles for years and was able to help Tawny with choices of other materials in the kitchen as well.  We have many designers who work with our tiles and we have to say, Andrea is one of the best!  Like all valuable things in life, her design advice isn't free...but it is definitely worth it!

Thank you for the photos and compliments, Tawny.  We don't often get to see the finished product and love it when homeowners show us how it looks in their homes.

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

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...

Deep, rich colors - a makeover for our Marseille Collection

From the moment that we introduced it, our Marseille Collection has been one of our most celebrated and popular tile designs.   We have seen this versatile pattern used in kitchen backsplashes, large and small, and also scaled up for large format flooring applications.   It even won the coveted Platinum Award for Design Excellence (ADEX) for 2009.

The Marseille Collection was inspired by Jacobean embroidery, using highly stylized floral designs with flowing vines and leaves.  This type of embroidery was popular during the reign of King James I of England, in fabrics used for elaborate tapestries, bed hangings, curtains and even stylish jackets worn by both men and women. 

Ladies, can you imagine dressing yourselves in all those layers of embroidered, lace finery every morning?  And Gentlemen - how many of you could rock that terrific gold, leafy shirt like this guy is doing?  (Hawaiian shirts don't count.)  He owns that look.

We originally introduced this collection with three colorways - Red, Blue-Green and Green-Yellow.

In the past few months, our designers have been working to create different color palettes for this design.  We are going with rich, deep hues that really make a statement - Burgundy, Sage Green and Deep Brown.  Earthy and warm, but with enough boldness to add a stunning focal point to any room.

Burgundy

Sage Green

Deep Brown

The colors that you see here will become a bit more muted after these designs are printed on our stone tiles.  The shading of the natural stone will show through in the areas that are white in these pictures.  The warm color and natural texture of the stone will add so much to the unique beauty of these designs.  You will never get quite the same result on a porcelain or ceramic tile.  The natural stone gives this collection a warmth and a timeless feel that maintains the connection to its historic origins.