Wild for Tile: Jewelry for Your Kitchen

Small companies such as Syzygy Tile Works in Silver City, N.M; Terra Firma Tiles in London; Trikeenan in Keene, N.H., sell tiles with an array of glazes, Tisa says. And Pratt and Larson Tile & Stone in Portland, Ore., offers 300 colors in 1,000 designs. Laurel recommends the glazes offered by Heath Ceramics in Sausalito, Calif. And she's a regular customer at McIntyre Tile Company in Healdsberg, Calif. "They make tiles to order so it's like getting fresh-baked cookies," she says. "And because they sell a high-fire tile, the work has a sophisticated glazed look."

Historically accurate tile is catching on as well, Tisa says. "A lot of people are buying 1920s-style houses, for example, and want historically correct decoration." The same is true for those with Spanish or Mediterranean-style homes who want traditionally accurate tile. Tisa recommends Tile Restoration Center in Seattle, where a handful of artists reproduce the work of well-known Arts-and-Crafts tile makers and design new Arts-and-Crafts-style designs; and Native Tile in Torrance, Calif., which creates more than 500 patterns in several styles.

Whatever the trend — intricate or simple, historic or contemporary, glass or stone — tile is all the rage. "When I got into the business four years ago, people didn't know much about tile," says DeAnne. "Now, because of more shows and changed building trends, they are so sophisticated. And there's just so much more to see."

More Info

Bisazza Mosaico
www.bisazza.com

Oceanside Glasstile
www.glasstile.com
www.stonesource.com

Syzygy Tileworks
www.syzygytile.com

Trikeenan
www.trikeenan.com

Pratt and Larson
www.prattandlarson.com

Tile Restoration Center
www.tilerestorationcenter.com

Native Tile & Ceramics
www.nativetile.com