STONE & Substance

What are some of the elements that set your business apart?

We are not a ‘sausage factory’ store… we have heart, soul and take care in everything we do.

We are not an everyday tile store that is filled with an overwhelming range. I keep the range short, sharp and everchanging.

Our service and care for each person who walks through the door is very genuine and we pride ourselves on looking after our customers more like friends, well they usually do turn into friends!

Our specialty are full house concepts as we have myself and Kate McLean our inhouse designer for the inside and Ben (pictured) who can take the exterior of the house to the next level too! He focuses on installing and sourcing unique stone cladding for the Sunshine Coast. He has a great team and is very proud of every job he does from letter boxes, entry doorways, pool walls and fireplaces!

What are people loving right now?

Gone are the days when the trend was trying to stay ‘safe’ with neutral grey tones. We are seeing people want to take risks and show a bit of colour and inject their own personality in their projects.

Anything from deep rich greens with brass, unique patterned porcelains, soft handmade edged tiles and anything with texture.

In terms of planning and design trends, people are adding alfresco and bar areas into their designs which is awesome to see!

So we work on concepts that tie everything together from the inside to the outside, then around the pool and bar areas too! It’s always a bit of fun!

What about colours and textures?

Anything that is warm and earthy looking. Soft terracottas and peachy tones are definitely in right now.

This style creates warmth and softness to a design, which is nice to see after a long run in grey designs.

What is the process in designing a concept for a new home or renovation?

We always want to know our client’s vision and gather as much information from them as possible.

First we would find the tiles that run throughout the house as this sets the scene or foundation for the rest of the concept. This is usually large format tiles in either a soft stone look, natural timber-look tiles or stunning stone that can also flow to the exterior to create the illusion of space and have that outside-inside vibe happening.

Then we like to find what colour or style reflects their personality and incorporate this element to create a space that feels like home for them.

Ben is sometimes in the shop too and loves helping with any external design concepts - he has many years of experience.

What are your top tips when it comes to selecting tiles?

Tiles are permanent so everything needs to be considered but the most important part is you have to love them.

Whether they are bold, beautiful and bright or soft, simple and stunning, they have to light you up and make you feel happy.

How have tiles and how we use them in the home changed over the years?

It’s all about the little things and attention to detail.

People are definitely finding those usually forgotten spaces to add interest with pattern, colour and texture in tiles and stone.

We are seeing lots of areas like stair risers, pool waterlines, front entries, fireplaces and entertaining areas as extra features in a home design to stand out from the crowd.

What future trends do you see happening in the tile industry?

Stone, stone, stone and more stoneon floors and walls!

Travertine and anything that has a soft, warm and earthy vibe.

Limestone and quartz claddings in soft whites and soft desert colours.

What do you love most about your business?

It’s honestly my happy place. It’s filled with beautiful products and awesome people that walk through the door everyday.

I love being at the forefront of the design industry and being the first to see the new products.

Oh, and having the beach only 50 metres away always makes it a great place to spend my days!

Nina Shadforth explores how art imitating life can provide a thought-provoking and inspiring way to immerse yourself in your surroundings.

The eye and the hand of an artist can take the ordinary to the extra-ordinary, as is the case with Caloundra Regional Gallery’s incoming exhibition, Constructing Landscape: Urban Visions.

A handful of Queensland-based artists have taken up the challenge put forward by the curator of the exhibition, Jo Duke, to re-imagine and re-purpose the humble traffic cone into artistic statements reflecting on each artist’s individual experiences and perceptions about urban constructs and the broader exploration of ‘landscape’ in contemporary Australia.

Complementary to these works and plugging in to the theme of the ‘urban landscape’ are works by street artists,