Concept Boards: The Daltile showroom is a playground of design possibilities.

 Daltile’s new tile showroom is a wholesale outlet and sells to contractors only—not to the general public. But don’t think homeowners aren’t welcome. In fact, the entire purpose of this beautiful new showroom is “to help contractors and homeowners find a design that’s installation-friendly,” says manager John Pasternak.

First, the design part. The showroom’s walls are covered with pattern upon pattern. These “concept boards” mix-and-match Daltile’s size, shape, texture and color options—not to mention its range of stone, glass, metal, porcelain and ceramics. With so many design possibilities, homeowners are limited only by their imagination.

“We created the boards to help the homeowner express their ideas,” Pasternak says. “To see how their choices will blend together, get a better feel. When you put these options together, it becomes a true design.”

In one glazed porcelain, for instance, Daltile incorporated a clipped corner into a square tile. The 3-inch accent “dots” are interchangeable, so homeowners need not match up their floor tile or backsplash to say, the granite used in the kitchen countertop. Instead, that very same granite can be the accent. “Cuts allow us to bring another dimension into the tile,” Pasternak says.

For a tumbled travertine, Daltile set large and small tiles in a random, diagonal pattern (to create depth) and added a pencil rail border, inlaid with mother-of-pearl. For a glass tile, Daltile used a foil backing to colorize and highlight the undulating surface. “We show homeowners how accents can create a different motif, how liners can be a focal point between two patterns,” Pasternak says. “It’s not cookie cutter here; a stone wall can have a porcelain deco. As long as the looks are there, that’s what’s important.”

Porcelains: John Pasternak and Ki Blaisdell show off the hottest new commercially-strong easy-to-clean looks-like-travertine products.

Next, the installation part. Sometimes, what the homeowner wants isn’t feasible for the contractor to install—or will incur more cost. Or, the room’s functionality or maintenance needs don’t match the tile.

So, Daltile asks the tough questions up front: Is the contractor comfortable with the design? Can the deco fit? Is a curve the right radius? “Remember, your tile is not a finished product until it’s set into the ground,” Pasternak says. “We consider the contractor’s input; they know the materials and bring a lot of experience to the table.

“We’re still the same Daltile as before,” he adds. “We upgraded our showroom to help homeowners get their designs done properly, but we still strive to service the contractor, make sure everyone’s happy with the end result. That’s the bottom line. The barometer is the homeowner; the catalyst is the contractor—and Daltile.”

Daltile Honolulu

1200 N. Nimitz Hwy., Honolulu Open: Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (7 a.m. - 4 p.m. for contractors) Tel: 523-3660 Web site: www.daltileproducts.com