So you’ve just moved to the Northwest (welcome to Seattle!) and barbecue season is fast approaching. How are you going to cover that mound of dirt in your backyard that could so easily be a beautiful patio? Good question. Let’s talk about your possibilities.
With the variable weather here in Seattle, you have limited options for outdoor tile use–quartzite (natural stone) and porcelain tile. Here are a few excellent choices that you’ll find in our showroom:
Sahara Sands Quartzite: This quartzite is more dense than slate which makes it appropriate for outdoor use. Because of its dense, granular structure, Sahara Sands does not accept moisture in a way that will cause it to crack with extreme temperature changes.
Diamond Black Quartzite: Like Sahara Sands, Diamond Black quartzite’s dense make up makes it appropriate for outdoor use. This dark, graphite-colored quartzite has little to no color variation and sparkles with a mica fleck throughout.
Sites porcelain: With its chiseled edge and subtle veining, the Sites line has a traditional look and feel that mimics natural stone. Sites has a moderately textured surface which lends to its low slip resistance rating–another plus for outdoor use.
Natura porcelain: This new line by Italian manufacturer, Mirage, comes in five nature-inspired colors. The density of this porcelain tile makes it extremely durable and frost proof while its linear, textured surface gives it plenty of grip to guard against a slippery surface.
Zebrano porcelain: With a modern look and feel, this through-bodied, rectified porcelain creates a contemporary look both indoors and out. This tile has a subtle linear texture that guards against a slippage in our rainy climate.
Self proclaimed “boring guy”, David, the warehouse’s newest addition, is anything but. Statements warehouse guy by day, student by night and rural mail man on the weekends, David is a man of all trades. He started here at Statements on Monday May 12th to assist us with our warehousing needs. A Santa Barbara transplant, David moved up here about a month ago and has been living with a roommate (he hopes temporarily) on Capitol Hill. He moved from the Golden State because he needed a change of scenery and (gasp!) claimed to be sick of the sun.
In the 4 weeks he has been here David finds the people in the Northwest more genuine, kind and less self absorbed than in California. So far, he really enjoys living in Seattle. As mentioned, David is also a student working towards a degree in communications and business through the University of Phoenix. And, just in case you want to know what he plans on doing after he graduates, don’t ask–he doesn’t know yet. That’s ok, David, you have plenty of time to decide!
In addition to his studies, David is a rural postman in Everett on Saturdays. No he is not disgruntled, no he doesn’t have to wear the uniform, no he doesn’t get to drive the mail truck and no he hasn’t been bitten by a dog (at least not while working for the post office). When David is not working at Statements, studying or delivering the mail, he is running. In California David used to run 40-50 miles per week. He loves to run– it is his way of relieving stress and gives him time to think. In addition to all of his other activities David also enjoys crosswords which will make him a great addition to Statements lunchtime crossword puzzlers: Kimi, Ryan and Rebekka. From what I’ve learned about David, he will be a great addition to the Statements warehouse. Welcome David!
Another common question that I am asked in our showroom is whether or not ceramic tile is suitable for countertop use. Here’s my answer: it depends. Really, it does!
More often than not, my answer to this question is no. Here’s why: There are two major characteristics of ceramic tile that typically deem it unsuitable for a countertop that will receive much wear and tear. First, ceramic tile is less dense than porcelain tile (and some natural stone as well) making it a less durable surface for activities like chopping and dicing, or the accidental dropping of kitchen utensils on top of. Secondly, ceramic tile often has a glazed surface (a handpainted or screenprinted matte or gloss finish) that can more easily be chipped, scratched or damaged in some way. Because the body of most ceramic tiles does not match the color of its glazed finish a chip or scratch creates an obvious aesthetic flaw. So, for heavy use surfaces like kitchen countertops or master bathroom vanities, I recommend using porcelain or natural stone.
There are some exceptions to my loose “rule”. Ceramic tile can be used on light-use countertops such as a powder room vanity or a kitchen desk. Our handcrafted line, Flying Tigress, is a great choice for light-use countertops as are Solid and Bloom. Check them out!
What happens when you combine “Seattle’s favorite 7’2” drag queen Glamazonia,” the design and architecture elite of Seattle, and gowns made of carpet and girls wearing nothing but 1”x1” pieces of green tile? The first annual Product Runway, held in Seattle at the South Lake Union Naval Reserve on May 2, 2008.
The night played like a who’s who of Seattle’s most fashionable designers and architects rubbing elbows and looking fabulous. The event was a fashion show where designers and architects were paired with distributors, such as Statements, to create a wearable, fashionable ensemble made almost solely out of the distributor’s product, while competing for bragging rights a plaque and an exclusive invitation to the VIP after party cruise.
The event was sponsored by the Interior Design Coalition (IDC) of Washington. Bringing together designers and architects from around the region and for the first time involving design firms from Canada, whom Statements was partnered with. The teams were chosen back in January and had until the event to make their innovations come to life. Each runway worthy creation was judged by a panel of celebrity judges within the fashion or design world. Along with locally known names such as furnishing and fashion accessory designer Angela Adams and director of fashion for Nordstrom June Rau, the Bravo channel provided more nationally known celebrity names; Jack Mackenroth Season 4 Project Runway contestant and Matt Lorenz winner of Bravo’s 2006 Top Design competition.
It is no stretch to say the winners of the event should definitely have bragging rights. Although all the designs were amazing the winning designs possessed the extra umph of fashion and design with some surprise. The winning dress had a somewhat Heidi meets Star Wars theme made solely out of carpet from GGLO and Atlas Carpet Mills. Second place, and my tie for personal favorite, was an amazing two tone upholstery fabric dress created by the partnering of Collins Woerman 2 and Momentum Group. The model came out wearing a silver gray mini with a matching lime green puff sleeve jacket and mid runway the puff sleeves were let go and exploded into a dramatic floor length two tone contemporary spin on a ball gown. Third prize was a combinations of upholstery fabric and office furniture systems by yet another creative grouping, Callison 2 and Allsteel. The model marched down the runway wearing what appeared to be a gun metal bubble skirt and corset in black and white with eggplant purple detailing but once she reached the end of the runway she removed her skirt revealing stove pipe city shorts in the same gun metal color and put her arms through holes in the jacket giving it a puff sleeve biker look. But the fun did not stop there. As she made her final pose at the end of the runway and faced the audience a man clad in dark sunglasses from the VIP section of the audience hurdled onto the runway with two cans of spray paint and started spraying her jacket graffiti style, with the same purple color accenting on her outfit and then disappeared from the runway as she turned and walked away.
Overall Product Runway was such a success for the IDC there was no question of whether it would return next year. The waitlist had upwards of 200 ticket requests before they had to close the online ticket reservations and many requests were still coming in days before the show. With such a turnout the IDC can not wait to see how much bigger and better next year can and will be.
Statements is contributing to Mercy Corps to help with its relief efforts in Myanmar. As one of the few international organizations with a presence in Myanmar, Mercy Corps is uniquely positioned to respond to this devastating crisis. We have been impressed with their work in the past in both disaster assistance and development work, and so we feel confident that our contribution will be used wisely and efficiently. If you are interested in making a donation as well, please click here.
Many of you have wanted a definitive answer about whether or not to use crackle tile in your showers. Unfortunately, I don’t have one. But don’t fret, here’s what you need to be aware of when considering crackle tile in a wet application.
According to Richard Scott, owner of Status Handmade Ceramics here in Seattle (see previous post on Status), he does not recommend using crackle tile in the shower or any wet application. However, when questioned further, Richard (who has crackle tile in his shower–gasp!) conceded that home owners and designers can do as they please. They simply need to be aware that crackle tile, when exposed to water, can either cultivate bacteria in its tiny tile crevices or it can be stained by dark-colored liquids such as hair dye or color-enhanced shampoos.
So, if you’ve fallen in love with our Tiffany 3×6″ subway tile, Cristalli’s sunny Miele 5×5″, or the look and feel of Status’ Apple-colored enhanced crackle tile, don’t despair. Just remember these helpful hints (and know that you are taking a bit of a risk):
In a wet application crackle tile needs to be well sealed. This can be done before or after installation but I suggest sealing the tile before and after installation to ensure that your grout color does not soak into the crazed lines and afterwards to seal your grout and to add another layer of protection against moisture damage. Unlike natural stone, once your ceramic crackle tile has been sealed, it should not need to be resealed often in order to protect it from water damage. Of course, we always recommend that you pay attention to the surface of your tile to ensure that the seal is holding.
Use a neutral pH, water-based, penetrating sealer to protect your crackle tile. Wipe the sealer onto the surface of your tile with a soft cloth using enough sealer to penetrate the surface. Wipe off any excess sealer so it does not pool on the surface and potentially change the look and feel of your tile. To find such sealers, stop by your local hardware store or, if you prefer online shopping, check out Aquamix and StonetechPro. Always follow the manufacturers instructions for use!
“How do you stand in those things all day?,” is normally the question asked to Britt as she runs through the showroom carrying tile that, according to Kristen, will probably hurt her back. But at 5 feet 4 inches Britt needs all the help she can get in the height department.
Britt joined the Statements showroom on November 6th, 2006. After dabbling in restaurants for 10 years and a couple brief stints in TV newsrooms and at Mario’s clothing store, she ended up here at Statements Distinctive Tile and Stone. Although Britt has no formal design training her mom, Kara, has been an interior designer for 18 years and used to take Britt with her on appointments with clients when she was younger. Design is in her blood. Britt’s natural design sensibilities also stem from her education in art history and fine arts at the University of Portland (not to mention her journalism degree from Seattle University).
What she likes best about her job is the finished product when people bring in pictures and are so happy. She also really enjoys writing the new product stories.
Britt describes her job as “always here, always knows where everybody and everything is, ruler of the Jeffrey Court samples and–as the warehouse guys so lovingly say–the “sample boss.”
Britt grew up in that magical little city east of the mountains, Spokane, where she lived until she left to go to the University of Portland in 1999, but not before getting her AA at Eastern Washington University. She loves Seattle but does not want to live here forever. She would someday like to live in New York or San Francisco. But for now Seattle makes a great place for her to snowboard in the winter and enjoy the sun in the summer.
By purchasing organic varieties of fruits and vegetables, you can reduce your exposure to pesticides by 90 percent! In addition to the health benefits of organic food, if just 1% of our nation’s farmlands eliminated the use of synthetic chemicals, it would remove 26,000,000 pounds of pesticides per year from the food we eat and from our environment.
When you buy organic, you encourage this kind of farming!
On a food-related note, in the month of May we will focus on Nutrition and Healthy Cooking as part of our Year of Wellness. A potluck and healthy recipe contest are in the works! Stay tuned…
Now that the weather is starting to warm up and the dark days are getting longer and lighter, you may be thinking about finding an alternative way to get to work. If you live nearby, biking to work may be an excellent idea! Statistically, people who live within two miles of where they work spend an average of $384 a year when they drive their commute. If you bike or walk, your commute is free! And mull on this – if only 20 people per state decided to make this change, we’d save 64,000 lbs of nasty chemicals from being released into the air each year!!
And of course, walking or biking to work has great health benefits! You can travel 2 miles by bicycle in 10 minutes pretty easily, and within that time, you could burn around 100 calories. Bike riding is aerobic exercise, so it promotes cardiovascular health, loosens up tense muscles, reduces stress, and increases positive mental attitudes.
To find a bike route that works for you, visit Seattle’s Department of Transportation biking page.
Statements has recently started carrying the smallest porcelain cube-tiles in the world. I Frammenti (the fragments) by Brix is the latest creation from architect Silvestrin who has a long history of work both in Italy and London. Integrity, clarity of purpose and an emphatic attention to detail are the key features of Silvestrin’s architecture and this is reflected in I Frammenti’s design in which each mosaic is a perfect cube and the space is perfectly proportioned. The grout lines with I-Frammenti make it both pleasing to the eye and to the touch. The 5mm (1/5 inch) micro mosaics are available in 10 color options. Critics in the tile world consider I Frammenti’s extensive surface textures, contemporary color palettes, and mosaic formats remarkably inspirational.
The inspiration for I Frammenti comes from the creative mind of Claudio Silvestrin who has been practicing worldwide from his London office, now known as Claudio Silvestrin Architects since 1989. Claudio’s work includes day to day objects, domestic and commercial interiors, art galleries and houses. He also is known for his higher end clients such as Giorgio Armani, illycaffé, Anish Kapoor, Calvin Klein, Cappellini, and the ‘Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo’ for whom he has designed the newly built museum in Turin Italy.
Terence Conran one of the world’s best-known designers, restaurateurs and retailers comments, “there is no doubt that Claudio Silvestrin is the most admired minimalist in the current cell of monastic works. His work is simply sublime; its effortless serenity disguises the dedicated control necessary to achieve such exquisite austerity.”
