TileCraft Sponsors the 2009 Ultimate Up North Kitchen Tour
Indulge me in a little story that illustrates why I love tile and why I’m thrilled that the Traverse City tile store TileCraft is a sponsor of the 2009 Ultimate Up North Kitchen Tour.
When I was 6 years old, in 1964, I went with my family to the ruins of the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. My father was a University of Michigan doctoral student and we’d been living in Paris while he did research on a Fulbright Scholarship. No offense to Notre Dame, Chartres and their kindred medieval wonders, but by the spring of that year I had had my share and more of leering gargoyles, carved Biblical figures carrying their bloody heads and those depressing stone tombs that my older brother made certain to assure me really, truly held human bones.
Swimming, bubbles vs. sin, death—no wonder I was a happy kid touring those baths. While my father was there to study the magnificently soaring Roman arches that date to AD 216, it was the tile that entranced me. Bits and pieces of the colorful floor and wall mosaics—in wonderful swirls, geometrics and even cartoonlike (to my innocent eyes anyway) depictions of sea creatures made a lasting impression on me. I love the interplay between earthiness and art that tiles represent and the way even the smallest tile back splash can add color and a focal point to a kitchen—and believe me, you’ll see many examples of this on the 2009 Ultimate Up North Kitchen Tour.
Which brings me back, of course to TileCraft—a major hub of all things tile in Northern Michigan. TileCraft carries ceramic tile, glass mosaics, marble tile and stone and tile mosaics—a selection from all over this country and Europe. Wander into TileCraft, lust a little over the gorgeous products in their showroom, then know that (unlike shopping in big box home improvement stores) you have plenty of support in the design and installation. TileCraft’s staff designers and in-house installers are as comfortable working with architects and builders as they are with homeowners.
You’ll also want to check out TileCraft’s new flooring store in Frankfort, Surfaces By TileCraft (400 Main St., 231-352-8130), for their selection of (sustainable!) flooring that includes natural wool carpet, cork, bamboo and hand-scraped wood.
Here's a sample of TileCraft's work--now wouldn't those Romans be jealous:
The Ultimate Up North Kitchen Tour is sponsored by:
Wooden Hammer LTD.
Fustini’s Oils & Vinegars
>Legacy of Clean
Cherryland Cut Stone
TileCraft Inc
When I was 6 years old, in 1964, I went with my family to the ruins of the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. My father was a University of Michigan doctoral student and we’d been living in Paris while he did research on a Fulbright Scholarship. No offense to Notre Dame, Chartres and their kindred medieval wonders, but by the spring of that year I had had my share and more of leering gargoyles, carved Biblical figures carrying their bloody heads and those depressing stone tombs that my older brother made certain to assure me really, truly held human bones.
Swimming, bubbles vs. sin, death—no wonder I was a happy kid touring those baths. While my father was there to study the magnificently soaring Roman arches that date to AD 216, it was the tile that entranced me. Bits and pieces of the colorful floor and wall mosaics—in wonderful swirls, geometrics and even cartoonlike (to my innocent eyes anyway) depictions of sea creatures made a lasting impression on me. I love the interplay between earthiness and art that tiles represent and the way even the smallest tile back splash can add color and a focal point to a kitchen—and believe me, you’ll see many examples of this on the 2009 Ultimate Up North Kitchen Tour.
Which brings me back, of course to TileCraft—a major hub of all things tile in Northern Michigan. TileCraft carries ceramic tile, glass mosaics, marble tile and stone and tile mosaics—a selection from all over this country and Europe. Wander into TileCraft, lust a little over the gorgeous products in their showroom, then know that (unlike shopping in big box home improvement stores) you have plenty of support in the design and installation. TileCraft’s staff designers and in-house installers are as comfortable working with architects and builders as they are with homeowners.
You’ll also want to check out TileCraft’s new flooring store in Frankfort, Surfaces By TileCraft (400 Main St., 231-352-8130), for their selection of (sustainable!) flooring that includes natural wool carpet, cork, bamboo and hand-scraped wood.
Here's a sample of TileCraft's work--now wouldn't those Romans be jealous:
The Ultimate Up North Kitchen Tour is sponsored by:
Wooden Hammer LTD.
Fustini’s Oils & Vinegars
>Legacy of Clean
Cherryland Cut Stone
TileCraft Inc
Tags: 2009 ultimate up north kitc..., amway global, cherryland cut stone, fustini's, legacy of clean, tilecraft, traverse city, wooden hammer
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