One of the many ways we show appreciation for the staff in all of showrooms is by featuring them here on the blog in our Showroom Consultant Spotlight feature. This month we are proud to share with you a little about Tina Baker, who manages our Harrisburg, PA showroom. We recently sat down with her to ask what a customer should expect when visiting a Conestoga Tile showroom, as well as what’s trending when it comes to tiles.
On preparing to visit a showroom…
We ask that you do lots of research before coming to our showroom. Find pictures of what you like in magazines or on the internet. Conestoga has a nice inspiration gallery on our website. Bring the pictures you find along with samples of countertop, cabinets, paint or anything else that may help in making tile selections. The showroom can be overwhelming if you are not prepared, and it will be hard for your consultant to help you narrow the huge selection of tile to more manageable options without the information mentioned above.
What to expect when you arrive…
We ask you to sign in when you get here because it helps us keep track of who has been helped. It is also a useful reference for when a contractor calls and wants to know if their customer has visited the showroom. After doing so, if it your first visit, we will ask what project you are working on and give you a brief layout of the showroom. We then ask that you spend some time looking around the showroom checking out our vignettes and getting an idea of what colors and textures of tiles you like. A consultant will then check with you to answer any questions you may have and help you finalize your selections. We will then fill out a selection sheet for you and your contractor and loan you any available samples if you are interested. Most people don’t finalize their selections in the first trip, so don’t be discouraged if you need to come back.
The current tile trends…
- 4” x 4” and 3” x 6” tiles are still very popular.
- Glass tiles as accents or borders in backsplash designs.
- 6” x 24” planks in a wood look are very popular and very realistic looking with the new high definition digital printing technology.
- Earth tones and neutral colors are still very popular, but there is a definite shift towards grey, especially with the urban areas and younger customers.
- In bathrooms, large tiles (12” x 24”) are especially popular for shower walls. As well as polished (glossy) marble looking tile because of the easy maintenance and “clean look.”
- Tile accent walls in powder rooms and on kitchen counters.
If you reside near our Harrisburg location or any of our other locations, feel free to stop by and get help from our consultants on choosing the right tile for your project!