Handmade Tile

After listening to thousands of hours of podcasts while I work, I am thrilled that I get to be on a podcast about my work! Well, it's actually more like an 11 minute love letter to my hometown, with a little bit of tile talk mixed it. It was a real joy to chat with my friend, Katy Thomas, about our shared love of Kent, Ohio. Katy, your positivity is contagious! Big thanks to Main Street Kent, as well, for producing the aptly named "In Good Company" podcast. https://mainstreetkent.org/discover/in-good-company/The link above will take you to the Main Street Kent website....

Pictures of this gorgeous fireplace just turned up in my mailbox, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out! That woodwork would be quite impressive by itself and together with the tiles it looks magnificent. Here are some close ups of the different plants and animals featured: What a nice layout- I love the combination of 2x2, 4x4 and 4x8 inch tiles they chose. The client wrote that she "wanted to send the photos to help inspire others to the potential of your beautiful tile. We truly enjoy our fireplace surround it’s everything I’ve wanted." Wow, my customers...

This backsplash is a tile lover's dream! It was four years in the making because it took that long for the homeowner to collect this beautiful array of nautical and ocean themed tiles. It was well worth the wait; this montage is absolutely perfect for a New England home by the sea. I can almost smell the salty air! I'm honored that so many of my tiles are featured here, and I am also happy to see work by some of my tile making friends including Little Traverse Tileworks who made the sailboat, the anchor, and the number 4, and Dana...

2023 was the best year ever for Emu Tile and I can't thank you all enough. However, the post holiday blahs have been worse than usual for me because I woke up on January 1st with a fever and sore throat. Needless to say, I haven't exactly started the new year strong. Fortunately, before I could sink too far into self-pity, these lovely installing photos turned up in my inbox along a nice note: "I ordered some of your beautiful tile for my new house in June '17. Although we moved in June '19, the fireplace & surround were not...

This evening, the last full moon of the year will illuminate the sky, bringing light to what would otherwise be one of the longest, darkest nights of the year. In honor of that big, beautiful moon, I am sharing these installation photos from a local tile installer, Matt, of Rembrandt Tile in Cleveland, Ohio. I am especially pleased to know that this hearth is in Matt's very own house! When a fellow tile professional chooses my work for their home, it feels like a real honor. You can check out some of his other stellar work on his website, https://rembrandttile.com/...

Doesn't this look like an enchanting place to wake up and greet the day? Aspen leaf tiles grace the foot of this handcrafted bed, which is shared by two lucky Californians. One of the pair is the woodworker who created this gorgeous bed, and aspen leaves are a recurring theme in their home. Here is a close up of the tiles at the foot of the bed: A few years back, they created a gorgeous custom staircase that also featured 2x2 inch aspen leaf tiles that I made. You can see that installation here: https://emutile.com/blogs/handmade-tile/aspen-leaf-stairway It is an honor and...

This gorgeous arched fireplace is part of a historic home in Illinois. While it may not be obvious, the green tiles on the floor are a recent addition. This is what the homeowner has to say about the tiles: "We had been looking for something that was beautiful and had the vibe that it may have been original to our 170 year old Victorian. Love them!" The field tiles are 2x4 and 2x2 inch size, the feature tiles are 1x6, 6x6, and 1x1 inch size. Designs include "tree of life," "leaves," and "flower." Glaze on all tiles is "leaf green."...

I hope everyone who celebrates had a great Thanksgiving. My "week of gratitude" lost momentum over the holiday weekend, but I am going to keep working my way though all the wonderful customer installation photos that I have been neglecting to post. This kitchen is in Oregon, and the photos arrived last July. It is now December. Oops! Better late than never, right? This installation shows that even a small grouping of handmade tiles can give a space a distinctive, personal feel.   Four 3x3 inch handmade feature tiles create a focal point above the stove in a field of...