In the three-plus decades that The Tile Shop has been in business, the company has mostly catered to the contracting crowd. But in recent years, the tile industry has changed: No longer is tile a utilitarian material specified primarily by contractors and builders—it’s a design statement. Never before have there been more finishes, colors or manufacturing techniques available. Tile, whether in the bathroom or kitchen—or throughout the house—has become another opportunity for creative expression, and designers are looking for unique, higher-end products to suit the changing tastes of luxury clients.
To better serve this corner of the industry, The Tile Shop is turning directly to designers. The Plymouth, Minnesota–based company had already successfully teamed up with textile designer Annie Selke, founder of Pine Cone Hill linens and Dash & Albert rugs, on her boutique inn in Lenox, Massachusetts. So they took the relationship to the next level and partnered to create The Tile Shop’s first-ever designer collaboration, releasing a 230-piece collection in early 2019 that translates Selke’s signature textiles into tiles.
“We had never worked from the ground up with a designer on a collection like this,” says Shehan Ghanchi, marketing manager at The Tile Shop. To bring the line to life, they worked with multiple manufacturers, each specializing in a different type of finish and texture—many of which were firsts for The Tile Shop.
The collection includes five lines, each with multiple patterns and colorways. Artisanal has a modern farmhouse style with subdued colors and crackle finish, while Palazzo offers a more elevated look, with pastel shades and layered printed glazes that mimic the look of textiles. Glam turns tile into artwork through metallic speckles and large-scale floral patterns on tempered glass. Ikat features a global, bohemian aesthetic in bold blues and blacks, and the Texture family brings a softness inspired by fabric.
“The fact that they could reproduce a hair hide leather with silver and bronze still blows my mind,” says Selke. “I have it in my shower at home and I’m continually amazed by it! The supplier had never made anything like it before—and that was the case with a lot of the items The Tile Shop developed.”
The collaboration was a pilot of sorts for The Tile Shop, and they were blown away by its success. “It’s a great way to work with the design community,” says Ghanchi. “It allowed us to bring in a like-minded brand with similar principles, but provides something unique.”
This story is a paid promotion and was created in partnership with The Tile Shop.
Homepage image: Courtesy of The Tile Shop
