Tile and Stone that Inspires
Starting as a small terracotta importer, Saltillo Tile & Stone has grown into one of the leading tile suppliers in Canada, and has slowly begun expanding to the United States, offering a range of materials from all over the world. Their contemporary patterns and materials have been a staple in ARTium renovations for many years!
They have a beautiful showroom in Stittsville which is conveniently located around the corner from us.
We had the opportunity speak with Sidney from Saltillo, about the company and their tiles. And our pleased to share some frequently asked questions from customers.
Q – How many years have you been in business?
A – Saltillo has been around for years now, but our Ottawa based location has been here for over a decade. Situated in the West end of town, we love where we have most recently landed in Stittsville where everyone has been so welcoming to the community.
Q – How big is your showroom?
A – Our showroom is a great size- we wanted to keep it quaint feeling all while being warm and inviting and being able to showcase our products. Over the past few years we have been growing our business and are happy to announce that we will be expanding very soon all while keeping our original goal in mind.
Q – How many different types of tiles are there?
A – The list could go on for a very long time but most popularly used ones are porcelain, ceramic and marble.
Q – What is the largest tile you currently sell?
A – We try to bring in different styles and sizes of tiles to accommodate as many projects as possible. We have 15x32, 24x24, 24x48 and even 36x72!
Q – What questions does your sales/design team get asked the most?
A – We get some funny questions at times but mostly people are asking if we can help which we love! We offer in store design assistance and find this is definitely one of the things that sets us apart from our competition.
Q – How do you help guide clients into what type of materials/styles/types of tiles they should choose? A – Listening is the most important thing I find when it comes to dealing with clients projects. They may have some ideas they like but not always able to explain the look they desire so listening and being able to read between the lines sometimes is what they really need. This helps us guide them to certain materials over others. For example, a client lived in the country with hard water and wanted marble floors in the shower. Due to marble being such a soft and porous material, we advised them to use an imitation of marble made of recycled glass and it turned out beautiful!
Q – What are some key design trends/colours that you are noticing?
A – Colour and lots of it! We are finding Ottawa to be a little bit more on the conservative side when it comes to design, especially in bathrooms and kitchens. We do have clients that are a little more daring but the pops of colour
are more commonly seen in a commercial setting.
Q – What is your favourite tile so far this year? A – This is a hard one- we have so many different textures, sizes, material and colours of tiles that I would need to break down into categories! If I had to choose one, I would probably say the new larger format porcelain marble looking tiles for a few reasons. First, they are beautiful, and you achieve that luxurious look at the fraction of the cost and without having any maintenance. Secondly, less grout! We hate grout lines, and this gives you less grout lines. Lastly, they are timeless and elegant. When designing a space, you need to keep in
mind many things, but my main thought is always will I love this in five years from now. We do not always have the budget or time to start renovating certain spaces multiple times.
All the best to Sidney and the team at Saltillo Tile & Stone. As always it is a pleasure to work with you, thank you for sharing some insider knowledge on the company!