Seattle Homes and Lifestyles magazine has a beautiful gallery of photos and accompanying article featuring a remodel in the North Beach neighborhood. The project was spearheaded by Rik Adams of Adams Mohler Ghillino Architects, who succeeded at updating a 50’s era home into a gorgeous home for his client. We were thankful to Rik for selecting our tile for the project, including this beautiful installation of Broadway II Bronzo on the bathroom floor.
Archive for the 'Our Partners' Category
I picked up a copy of Good magazine last week and came across a notion that strikes me as an excellent description of what Richard Scott and his crew at Status Ceramics are doing in the tile studio. The idea is something called Heirloom Design.
Saul Griffith, who coined the term, describes it thus:
An object with “heirloom design” is something that will not only last through your lifetime and into the next generation, but that you also desire to keep that long because it’s beautiful, functional, and timeless.
At Status, Richard uses the best quality materials, is fastidious about his quality control, and takes great pains to create glazes and forms that are not faddish, but enduring. Moreover, as I always say when someone asks me why I would choose Status over a less expensive tile, Status Ceramics are the kind of item that a consumer selects for posterity. They don’t ever intend to replace it, as they would a carpet choice, or an appliance, or even some pieces of art.
For more information on Heirloom Design, check out these articles:
Heirloom Design as a Cure for Consumption
Status Ceramics has just launched a new website. The new site has larger tile images, beautiful tile concepts, a simple search function, and a list of dealers to make it easy to find Status near you. They are also offering complimentary samples of the new Madison Park Collection. For more information, click on the image below.
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For all its beauty, natural stone requires a little extra care. Our salespeople make it standard practice to educate their customers about the additional maintenance requirements and the limitations of natural stone. In spite of that, we still do encounter some challenges after the product is installed.
Dallas and Denise Frakes run a company called Blue Sky Services, which provides stone cleaning and restoration services, and they are typically the first people we call in the event of a stone emergency. Aside from an incredible knowledge of natural stone characteristics, they are also honest, friendly people. Just recently Denise set up a blog with information about keeping a clean and safe home. Check it out: “An Ounce of Prevention.”
With Status Ceramics joining the Statements family it is only logical to post when someone does a great interview with them. So, when Renovation Junky did a write up I thought why not let our readers know. Think of Ciaotile as the refrigerator and the post the “A+” paper. Thanks Renovation Junky.
I was recently poking around on Twitter when I came across a guy named Richard Scott tweeting about tiles. Ever the tile enthusiast, I checked out his site and was really impressed. Scott owns an outfit in Seattle called Status Ceramic where they design and hand craft their own tiles. Well… I had a couple of questions about how the tile world operates and thought you might be interested in learning a thing or two about tiles from a much bigger and better authority than I. The following notes and tidbits are straight from the Tile Makers mouth…
Where do Tile Specialists get their inspiration (just in case I decide to hop into this line of work)?
Our inspiration comes from many sources including the current market and what we think will be the coming trends. Since I <Richard Scott> employ several different artists I can vary the look of our design images. To vary the looks of the tiles, Scotts team of engineers and designers play not only with colors but also shapes and glazes. In the case of Scotts’ company, he focuses on traditional designs with leanings towards contemporary, pulling heavily from the background of his team members to come up with the designs. I rely on our ceramist, Zsuzsa Bansaghi, she engineers our glazes but designs most of the Status line. Her roots are in Hungary so her designs are more of the old world flavor. Susan Boyd, our designer, works with Zsuzsa and together they are responsible for our glaze colors and presentation of the product line.
How does one get into this line of work?
Scott worked in the world of arts for a number of years doing everything from leaded glass, blown glass and beveled glass to pottery and eventually tile ceramics. The transformation that a well done ceramic tile can create in a room is profound, and being able to work with custom tiles and projects lets you take rooms from mundane to masterpieces in just weeks.
In your opinion, is tile installation or tile creation something that the average person could do?
If a person is mechanical in any way I believe they can install tile <Bold Statement>. Some of the most creative installations have been by amateurs. They have the time it takes to make it the way they want it to look. It also provides them the opportunity not only to be creative but to use reclaimed tile or other objects. The important thing to remember however is that the tile just is the finish and it’s what is behind the tile that’s important <Excellent Rule – think Shower Stalls!>. Backsplash’s can be glued on the sheet rock but tile for a countertop should never be put over plywood or press board. Yes, with patience and persistence most people can install tile. Even my wife and she is a slap dabber <I’ll be using the term slap dabber again – thanks Richard!>. Sometimes the professional look is not always the best!
What are some of your best money saving tips when it comes to tile?
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Ask a lot of questions: Do I use mastic or thin set? Is this suitable for a floor? What is the proper backing for this application? Do I need to pre seal or just seal after grouting? How do I mix the grout and apply it and how do I clean up?
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Make sure your materials fit the project that way you don’t have to do it twice.
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Recycle materials when possible and spend money on your backing materials and sealants.
15
Jun
Who is Faith Sheridan?
When those within the design community are doing good things it should be talked about, so when my personal friend and Statements customer, Faith Sheridan, has made great headway with her blog it should be mentioned. Especially when she has posted about us. So let’s talk a little about Faith Sheridan and why you should read her blog.
Faith Sheridan’s blog provides advice on all things design related for home decorating and remodeling. Not only is the information updated daily, but Sheridan also invites experts from other design resources and fields to post about their forte.
In addition to Sheridan’s daily posts she also writes a monthly newsletter which is also free. The newsletter provides interior design tips, trends and resources to further your design knowledge and answer more questions.
Sheridan has been practicing for over 20 years, and her work has received many awards. She is recognized as one of the top designers in Seattle. She is a past president of the Oregon ASID chapter and was featured as the winning expert on the HGTV hit Designer’s Challenge. She also served as a select member of the Benjamin Moore Residential Design Advisory Council from 2006-2008. She currently is a practicing designer at Faith Sheridan Interior Design firm and has been speaking about interior design and its use of social media for the past year.
23
May
Pb Elemental on Trendir
Trendir featured one of our favorite architect/design/build firms here in Seattle, Pb Elemental. Not only do we love their design and craftsmanship, we also love the fact that they love our tile! In the post, 3 Homes in 1, Trendir highlights their sleek lines and contemporary looks. And I think I see both our Concreate and our Neutra lines in the bathroom floor and showers, respectively. Check it out.
Extra, extra read all about it! Tile Dealer Magazine announced in their second quarter 2009 edition, the merging of Statements to our new family, Status Ceramics. We couldn’t be more excited and are ready to move forward with Richard and see where the tiles will take us. Thanks Tile Dealer for spreading the word.
STATUS ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH CALKINS FAMILY
Status Ceramics is proud to announce a new partnership with Steve Calkins, the founder of Statements, Inc., a Pacific Northwest distributor of ceramic tile and stone. Calkins has maintained a strong professional relationship with Status for many years, and knows the company well, as Statements distributes the Status collection in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. The new partnership adds to Status’ financial strength and brings new expertise in the form of the Statements management team, who will support Status in administrative tasks and business development. Richard Scott will maintain the same position he has held since Status’ inception as president of Status, and, as always, will be available for product questions, to address specific needs, and to find ways to partner with customers. Ryan Calkins, Steve Calkins’ son and the president of Statements, will serve as the CEO of Status. He will oversee the management team, which represents an infusion of financial, design and purchasing expertise from Statements. Moreover, the support in these key areas will allow Scott to focus on the core mission of Status: to create the very best handmade ceramic tile in a timely fashion. “Our business offers one of the premier handcrafted tiles in the country, but we have always felt limited in our capacity to reach the broader market. Steve and Ryan provide us with the business acumen and knowledge of the marketplace to take us to the next level,” says Richard Scott. The combination of Status’ existing strengths as a handcrafted tile manufacturer with new strengths in marketing and business development brings exciting prospects for the company’s future. One of the first initiatives is a stronger online presence. A new website is under development with enhanced sales tools and an easier interface. Within the next twelve months, Status intends to revamp its branding and merchandising materials to provide dealers with the tools they need to meet customer needs. “We have always admired Richard for his artisanship and commitment to quality. Partnering with him to extend the line to a broader audience is an exciting challenge and one we believe will bear fruit,” commented Ryan Calkins.
info@statusceramic.com
Yesterday we had the pleasure of hosting a group of Portland area interior designers in our Seattle
showroom for lunch and product presentations. During our meeting, Carole Jackson showed me a photo of a recent project incorporating the Jeffrey Court Raindrops Series — easily one of our most popular glass tiles over the last two years. And when you see Carole’s beautiful installation, you can see why our clients appreciate the series so much. Besides the luster of an iridescent surface, the Raindrops series comes in a soft color pallet with enough variation in natural tones to be interesting without overwhelming. As you can see in the photo, Carole combined the glass with contemporary countertops and elegant appliances for a modern but not austere look.
For more information about the design, contact Carole by email: carolejacksondes@aol.com
To order a sample of the Jeffrey Court Raindrops Glass, click here.
21
Jul
Statements got LIT
It is not common for the words couture, tile and lampshades to be in the same sentence, but when you are talking about LIT www.litshades.com , the couture lampshade boutique that has joined Statements’ new space in Pioneer Square, the three words are inseparable.
LIT is a couture lampshade boutique, starring its creators Dawn and Shawn (yes they think it’s funny their names rhyme) and the Papillion shop dog (with the most personality ever). LIT specializes in custom, contemporary lampshades, made the old fashion way, by hand. Dawn and Shawn use traditional methods as well as new techniques and work in vintage, high-end, and modern materials. The two of them agree, “…making something by hand and knowing that we will be taking the credit for the quality is one of the best things about being a self-employed designer.”
LIT may be relatively new to the design scene, but Dawn and Shawn have been in it for years on both the west and east coasts. Dawn worked on contract for a couple of different architectural firms in Manhattan and Shawn sewed lampshades for about 6 years with a company in the Seattle Design Center. But when Dawn realized she wasn’t compatible with the modern architectural world, “… I have a turntable, rotary phone, film projector and two typewriters.” She walked into the store Shawn was working at one day and said, “Wow, this would be fun,” Shawn realized he had found someone who shared his passion for lampshades and his desire to own his own company became a reality. “Shawn and I are both very quick learners with an eye for detail. If we hadn’t found lampshades, lampshades would have eventually found us.”
In addition to their design experience the pair has had design running through their veins since childhood. Dawn has been reading French Vogue and emulating Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch and Elizabeth Taylor since the age of six and Shawn is an accomplished painter whose paintings can be seen exhibited at various venues in Seattle. They also love, “…anything old, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin champagne, Shanghai Garden’s hand shaved noodles, old glass doorknobs, you-tubing videos of Galliano’s lines for Dior, staying in and drinkin’, talkin’ and laughing far too much.” Design certainly seems to be a major influence on their lives which is also a major influence for their lampshades. Dawn says they get inspiration everywhere. “We are always looking through fashion magazines, going to galleries, and observing what is going on around us. We love birds, thistles, black and white, lettering, and great linens.” This love of design could also be why when asked if they could see their pieces anywhere they do not give the obvious answers; hotels, movie stars homes, etc yet they simply state: “Elle Décor. Keep looking, it’s going to happen.” And why not Elle Décor? LIT shades are the perfect balance of fashion and interior design, everything Elle Décor represents.
Although LIT is still in the newborn phase of its life, its parents have certainly seen a change in the design industry. Dawn and Shawn have definitely noticed a color transformation from the black and pink color craze finally being over, allowing for more refined color palettes like grays, lavenders and mustard yellows to emerge. Shabby chic has given way to the rejuvenation of mid-century modern. It is their great fashion and design sense, attention to detail, and always looking for the “It factor” which will keep people looking to LIT for what lamps will be wearing on the runway next season.
