Made In the USA: AC Tile Lines Made in America

Because of the our nation's Independence Day, the month of July is all about America. We take time off to visit family, take part in parades, and take a moment to reflect on our nation's history that allows us today's freedoms. We're proud to be an American. While we're hyped up on all things red, white and blue, let's take a look at a few of Architectural Ceramic's tile lines that are proudly Made in the USA.

Allison Eden Studios

Let's start with a bang: Allison Eden Studios. The founder and creative visionary of this glass mosaic company, is Allison Eden herself. To say that Eden is bold and beautiful describes her mosaics and her reputation. With a fashion degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC, Eden approaches her mosaics with an artistic eye. "We do art on glass," Eden says of her creations, "I don't consider it tile."

"We do art on glass, I don't consider it tile" -- Allison Eden, of Allison Eden Studios

For Allison Eden Studios, it's about the quality and perfection of each project, which has caught the attention of some high-profile clients like Elton John and Kris Kardashian. Amidst the popularity and celebrity client list, Allison Eden Studios stays humble and homegrown. The studio where each mosaic is hand-assembled, is based in Brooklyn, New York. It's there that Eden and her husband have active roles in the design and business side of things. At Architectural Ceramics, we love family businesses because AC is one too. Eden's staff, most of whom have been with the studio for a decade or more, is like family. "Everyone who works here loves glass," Eden says, "everyone here is an artist." Today, after 20 years of designing glass mosaics, Allison Eden Studios is expanding their artistry. Eden is getting back to her fashion roots with the introduction of textiles and carpet that feature some of the same patterns seen in her mosaics. Have we sparked your interest? Visit Allison Eden Studios newly updated website at allisoneden.com. For now, we'll stick to the "tile" designs since AC is a tile company after all.

Encore

Encore Ceramics is another example of American-made tile. If we were putting together a Fourth of July show, Allison Eden Studios' mosaics are the fireworks; Encore Ceramic's tiles are the sparklers, because sparkle is what they do. Matte, glossy, crackle, sheer, jewel -- Encore Ceramic's glazes are what make the collection special. The line can be broken down into eight main palettes. The gradient mosaic shows off the palettes best, with beautiful subtle blends of each technique. While Encore Ceramics calls Oregon home, Architectural Ceramics is pleased to offer their product on the east coast. These handmade vitreous and frost-proof tiles offer a wide range of field tile sizes, mosaics and trims that can all be used indoors and out. Encore Ceramic is proud of their chemistry-like process in creating their palette glazes, but are also proud to call themselves green from the ground up. From saving energy by way of solar panels, to cutting out raw tile waste in landfills; Encore Ceramics cares about the impact they have on the environment. Check out Encore Ceramic's 2017 Online Catalog to view the full product line or to learn more about their environmentally-friendly processes.

Pratt & Larson

Another husband and wife team, Michael Pratt and Reta Larson, started their tile company together in Portland, Oregon. What makes Pratt & Larson's tile different from others, is that every piece is hand-crafted. It's hard not to think of William Morris, textile design from the Arts & Crafts movement, when you look at Pratt & Larson's tile. The tile fits so well into the Craftsman style. Here, a bathroom remodel features hand-cut reliefs along with field and trim tile. While over the past 30 years, Pratt & Larson may have made their niche with a more traditional style, today, they have adapted to modern trends. Here, west-coast designer Trisha Anderson of Abode Design, created a modern shower using Pratt & Larson's diamond tile. The trendy color and geometric pattern lend itself to a bold look, and an energizing way to start the day. For more Pratt & Larson projects, visit their website.

Quemere

Where Allison Eden Studios glass is big and bold out of Brooklyn, Quemere Designs is also from New York but represents the other end of the spectrum. Based in Port Chester, a quiet village that's home to just 29,000 residents, Quemere Designs creates handmade ceramics that honor it's old-world beginnings. Owner and founder, Christian Quemere, was born in Brittany, France, an area known for ceramics. It's there that he learned the art of old-world tile making. In 1987, Quemere International Handmade Tile was born. Today, from cutting to firing and from glazing to painting, each tile is touched by several hands before it leaves their facility. For a quick glimpse at what it takes to create each piece, watch the video posted on Quemere Design's homepage. It's truly amazing artistry. We're warning you, the video is only a minute long, but you'll be mesmerized and find yourself watching it again and again.

Sonoma Tilemakers

A company that started 23 years ago, Sonoma Tilemakers continues today to thrive on six principles: Handmade, Innovation, Sustainability, Passion, Resilience, and Commitment. Let's start with Handmade. If it's tile and it's made in America, chances are it's handmade. This is true of all our lines mentioned in this blog post. Two of Sonoma Tile's collections that showcase this best are Euphoria and Stellar. Euphoria, is handmade by artisans in Colorado. The field tiles range from a standard 4x4 to an arabesque and elongated hexagon. All field tiles are available in two glaze types: crackle or luster. A blend of the two glazes is available as well. Stellar is another handmade tile collection, created in the company's home state of California. The Stellar collection is much larger and offers a variety of flat field tiles, decorative carved field tiles, and trims. Here, the Stellar 6x6 field, rhomboid, and trim create a calming shower space. The change in direction from the rhomboid to the square creates movement without it being busy. And the neutral scheme balances well with the wood-look tile floor. For more information about the Euphoria or Stella collections, check out their PDF brochures. Looking back at Sonoma Tile's principles, we can't help but be struck by Passion. It's about fire, literally. To make tile you have to fire up the kiln. But to make a great product takes fire and a love for what you do. Nearly 45% of Sonoma Tilemakers employees have been with them for a decade or more.

Want More?

The 'Made in America' vendor lines and products featured here aren't the only ones Architectural Ceramics offers. We'd be amiss not to mention New Ravenna, who hand-assembles their mosaics in Virginia; or E&S who specialize in wood cladding out of Colorado. How about Oceanside's glass tile or Tabarka's cement tile? Well, AC has to save some content for future blog posts, don't we? You'll just have to come back. For further questions about our lines that are Made in America, or to place a tile order, please contact sales@architecturalceramics.com. Want weekly updates about Architectural Ceramics and our product lines? Join our newsletterhere.