Aaron Brown has been a tile setter in the Edmonton area for 15 years.  His background in the industry includes not just installation but manufacturing of handmade tile, as well as working in retail showrooms. He is a certified Schluter and Wedi installer. He is also one of two Canadians who have the distinction of earning a Bisazza installers certificate which recognizes installers who have completed the Bisazza installation school.  Aaron just recently opened his own retail store River City Tile (12250,142^nd Street Edmonton AB) specializing in luxury and custom tile.  They carry a wide variety of styles and tile materials from ceramic and glass to concrete and leather for residential and commercial use.  Some of the recognizable brands that they carry are Artistic Tile from New York, Sonoma Tilemakers from California and Ann Sacks from Seattle. I had a chance to interview Aaron about some industry trends and tile advice.

Bisazza Installation with no cut tiles. This is how to properly design with Mosaics!

Laura: What trends are you currently seeing in the Edmonton stone and tile market?

Aaron: Edmonton seems to be leaning more and more to a modern aesthetic.  Large format tiles of 12”x24″ and larger are very popular.  As far as walls are concerned Edmontonians still love glass and glass mosaics in watery colours as a compliment to neutral porcelain.

Laura: Sounds like the Edmonton I remember, beige and safe but beautiful none the less! What trends are you seeing globally

Aaron: Texture and textiles!  Tile and stone with dimension that when placed together in larger formats tell a rich story.  Textile patterns are also very popular as technology in processing tile and stone advances so do the design possibilities and at this point your imagination is your only limitation.

A recent install of Artistic Tile Dimensional Stone

Laura:  As the local representative for Artistic Tile in Edmonton can you share what the company is about and what products they produce?

Aaron:  Artistic Tile is a New Jersey headquartered company that specialize in tile design. The owner/founder of Artistic Tile (Nancy Epstein) is always traveling the world in search of inspiration for the latest and greatest.  Most of their product lines are produced from different manufactures around the world based on Nancy and her design team’s concepts and colour selections.  Even if the material and stylings are familiar the colour or finish might be what makes the tile unique to anything else available. Artistic Tile has a huge variety of styles and materials that can be combined or even customized to give a unique and distinguished one of a kind look.  They really understand that each project has its own design challenges and have the capability and more importantly the willingness to meet those challenges head on and exceed expectations.  They certainly have their finger on the pulse of the global trends and have become trend setters in their own right.  Artistic Tile has won the award for “best of the year” from Interior Design magazine, 4 times in 5 years for their original concepts.

Artistic Tiles samples displayed in Aaron's new River city tile showroom

Laura: Sicis has a stunning product range but looks like a nightmare to install.  Are there recommended installers in Edmonton and is it quite a bit more of an installation charge than regular mosaics

Aaron:To say that Sicis has quite a product range is an understatement to say the least.  Their product line is enormous.  As far as installation is concerned there are definitely tricks of the trade.  The most important thing that an installer can have in is bag of tricks is respect for the material.  Understanding what the end result should be and look like is one thing and then to have the patience to execute the install properly is another.  Technically speaking Sicis installs similarly to many other glass mosaics but requires, let’s just say a little massaging to get it right. The best thing any client can do when it comes to Sicis is prevent themselves from being hypnotized by some of the overwhelmingly beautiful murals that are available and remember that it does require an expert with some experience to get the proper end result.  We are a full service showroom and have the right people available.  When it comes to cost it can be more expensive but it really matters what type of application and the intricacy of the mosaic that needs installing.

Custom Sicis mosaic tile installation - each tile individually laid

Laura: Let’s set the record straight for my readers.  What is the difference between porcelain and ceramic and what is better for high traffic/commercial spaces?

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It is probably the bottom of most interior designers and clients lists for specification priority but the quality of switchplates in a project can make a dramatic difference to those with finer tastes. Often times it is the first thing a designer notices when walking onto a construction site… mis-matched switchplate colors and sizes, askew mounting and even a mixture of styles can all happen when you let the contractor have his run of plate selection. Here are some of my new favorite lines in the Luxury switchplate market. I figured I should share as I had a hard time myself finding these “wall jewelry” items.  All of them work especially well in Hospitality projects & private residences and are perfect for the MENA (Middle East & North Africa) market. Us designers know… “God is in the details” ~ Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Fontini (Spain) at over 50 years in business has a beautiful collection in a variety of finishes and styles but stands out most for me is their Swarovski elements collection seen below.

Fontini Wood switchplates

Fontini white backpainted glass switchplate

Fontini 1950 collection with Hyacinth Swarovski element toggle

Fontini Art Collection Swarovski switch plates

Fede (Spain) “The Art of Illumination” knows how to play with finishes and forms to create recognizable, elegant and even flashy switch plate covers in anything from crystal, wood, brass or more to suit almost any decor or taste.

Fede switch & light

Meljac (France) is a recent find of mine with timeless contemporary and classical styling options as well as an array of customization options. This line has been spotted in the likes of the Four Seasons George V in Paris, Aman Resort Montenegro, Hotel Royal Mansour in Marrakech Morrocco, Hotel Meurice in Paris and Castiglion del Bosco in Tuscany, Italy.

Meljac switches + sockets

Lithoss (Belgium) is the sleek streamlined switch + socket company for upscale modern installs with its clean lines and LED options. As they describe it the design is “clean, sober and simple”. The Crown Plaza in Brussels and the Puerta America in Madrid. Famous designers such as Jean Nouvel, Andree Putman, Alvaro Siza and Piet Boon are all claimed to have specified Lithoss switches in projects. Also, this company was a 2006 Red Dot design award winner!

Lithoss designed switches

Lithoss LED switches

Luxonov keeps sleek and simple but with a variety of traditional and unique metal finish options.

Luxonov sleek contemporary switch plates

Bendheim (NJ USA) my dear favorite specialty Architectural glass manufacturer has also come out with a backpainted glass range to compliment their backpainted glass wall panels.

Bendheim beveled custom color backpainted glass switchplate in cerulean blue

Finally lets not forget Lutron which is an element all its own with entire home controls and electronics fixed in with fancy customizable colored plates. This company enters the world of sustainability with occupancy sensors, roller shade controls and dimmers hooked up in a techie array to make any guy smirk. This company is best when you can do the whole meal deal and is more about the technology than the looks… don’t rely on them for a classy traditional switch plate cover or they may laugh at you.

There are many other manufacturers whom I have not showcased that have great product just not of the same unique aesthetic I have shown above. Here are some more options:

BTicino owned by Legrand contemporary switch plates (Finishes included: leather, glass, stone, lacquer, steel aluminum etc.)

ABB Light Switches owned by Siemens (LED technology, Finishes: slate, exotic woods, stainless steel, glass, plastic)

BJC contemporary switches (waterproof switches, finishes: metal, wood, glass etc)