Carrara Venato creates shower of dreams…. Mine anyway :)

Yep. This is definitely a dream shower. Beyond a Five Start resort hotel.

It is an incredible installation glass doors yet to go on, but this does give us a better view of the marble. This is no accident in creating this masterpiece. The customer or installer (probably both) has placed the Venato 6×12″ Honed to spread out the veining to create the look they want. They added a Venato 1″ Hexagon honed to the two niches framed with the Carrara Venato 3/4″ honed pencil trim. (Nice touch)

Then on the floor and as a feature wall is the Carrara Venato 2″ Hexagon Honed and the main bathroom floor has the Carrara Venato 12×24″ Honed in a classic brick format.

This shows how well the marble matches when it is picked and packed by our marble experts no other company offers this service. That just one key difference to our business model. A USP to our business. We are not interested in huge volumes. We are focused on each individual customer as if these are our bathrooms.

This is not dumb packing at a 3rd party warehouse or low cost warehouse employees, these are skilled marble experts with decades of experience selecting the marble for your project. You are not ordering from people that have no access to the product. The actual product is right outside the door of our offices. We see it before it is shipped. We selected this lot. Our offices are not in some ivory tower with the marble in another state. Our product is all together with us under one roof. Very few companies operate this way.

A no frills marketing strategy helps keep our costs low. We do not have experts in marketing writing our blogs or taking pictures to the point that they are not realistic with the products our pictures are with an iPhone (not even the latest one). My English teacher would not have picked me to write this blog, but we do not want to pay for another resource. All resources are a cost. Costs have to be added to the square foot price of the product and in these inflationary times saving our customers money and perfect marble is more important to us than grammatical perfection. I am already making excuses for this post. Happy to change any mistakes if someone would point them out. Then we are all working together to keep the prices low 🙂

As with all our blog posts prices are subject to change (as eventually this post will become a decade old). This was posted during 2022 when inflation was impacting globally. Hopefully in the future inflation is under control again.

Carrara Venato Honed Bathroom

The incredible Carrara Venato used perfectly to create a shower classic instantly adding value to any home buying direct from the supplier The Builder Depot.

Keeping the number of SKU’s simple: A Carrara Venato 6×12″ wall tile with Nero Strip Hexagon shower floor tile and capped off with a simple pencil trim.

Not a complicated design but the 6×12″ has been arranged to maximum effect spreading out the veining and not just thrown on the wall box-to-box. Planning has paid off here.

The great thing I know about this shower, we can come back to this post in a decade and it will still look like a shower that I wish I had. That is when you know you have a great design. Timeless Classics. No need to ever remodel again (which once you have done it you do not want to do it again). This type of bathroom that sits in Hotels in London that have been around since the 1800’s or the Plaza in NYC with their timeless Carrara marble bathrooms. Installations over a hundred years ago and looks perfect today.

The bathroom will add value. Overtime the cost to create this same design will double, triple and so on. The design itself will not age and the owner gets to enjoy living in a 5 star hotel resort bathroom forever, all while the value of the bathroom appreciates in value. “Carrara Marble” bathroom is an incredible bonus feature when it comes to selling a home. Tomorrow or in fifty years.

Pietra Carrara Shower 6×12″ Subway Tile

Carrara Pietra 6×12″ Subway Tile $8.00 a Square Foot. along with 2″ Hexagon Mosaic for $9.45 a Square Foot along with Free Shipping (Prices valid thru 2019 then apparently using legal terms… subject to change. Please see our website for current pricing).

The Bench is created with tiles of Pietra 4×12″ honed also available in the same collection.

It is a common question what is the difference between Bianco Carrara, Carrara Venato and Carrara Pietra. It is difficult to explain as it is subjective.

My best explanation: Carrara Bianco is the most traditional of all Carrara products. It is what you see at every showroom in North America. Carrara Venato is whiter based has tiles that are blank with no veining. You can see Carrara Venato below in the 4″ Hexagon Mosaic. If you look at the marble, some of the mosaics and some of the tiles are completely white. This creates a whiter, brighter look.

Carrara Pietra was created for people that wanted Carrara Venato but wanted it with more veining. So we added more “life” tiles with more veining. It is a great looking marble and a great price point.

Venato Carrara 4″ Hexagon Honed $12.95

Cement Tile and Carrara Venato! Wow!!

Very quickly: In front of Island Cement Tile Medina Black $10.95/Free Ship. 4×12″ Cararra Venato Subway Tile $8.00 a Square Foot. Pencils $9.95EA and Arabesque $16.95 all honed. (This collection of Marble is Exclusive to The Builder Depot).

The post can be seen on Instagram here: Jenny Hollander also good resource for questions about grout color, etc.

It is also called the following, Atlas, Taza, Medina and on and on with lots of names for the same Encaustic Cement Tile….. just to really help customers (let’s all agree one name….. but sadly that would not work as our price of $10.95 a Square Foot with Free Shipping (thru 2019) is the lowest in the market).

Everyone can make Cement Tile it is then simply a question of how efficient you are at supplying the consumer and not many are very efficient – but will give you a) A lower price then charge you huge amount of freight or b) Price the product by the piece for example $6.70 then you have to multiply that by 2.25 to get the “Real Cost Per Square Foot” which is at $6.70 a piece $15.07 a Square Foot”. It is just “Click Bait”).

The marble is stunning. Background as white as Calacatta Gold, you will never find a marble with such consistency from product to product, from field tile to mosaic to trim….. not just saying that because it is ours. You can see how white the base is of the 4×12″ Carrara and the Arabesque framed above the stone against the white door. We all know the color of a white door. That is a good reference point to how white based our Carrara Venato collection truly is. Exceptionally white. Probably the whitest based marble in the world and it is a Trademarked product only sold online through The Builder Depot 🙂

Amazing Backsplash with Carrara Venato 3×6″. Simple and Elegant.

Simple Elegance. Carrara Venato 3×6″ Subway Tile for $9.95 a Square Foot available in Honed or Polished part of a collection of marble in various sizes, mosaics and trims. Carrara Venato.

You cannot underestimate the power of simplicity. Okay….. the tile is spectacular and whomever installed it did a great job picking and placing the tile. So there are two forces at work to create this wonderful backsplash.

A beautiful kitchen. Not complex in its design and will always be popular Carrara Marble dates back to the Roman era it was popular then. It is popular today. It will always be popular because every single tile is unique and every backsplash is different.

The veining is natural and unlike a porcelain or ceramic pattern does not repeat every six tiles. Which once you know that is how they make it. The pattern is a repeating pattern you start to spot the repeats. They may rotate the tile to help to make it a little different but ultimately you will see it and count them. Well I would but I think I have some sort of OCD. 🙂

This kitchen makes me think of Spring. Have a wonderful March everyone. Here to Spring finally arriving!!

Cement Tile. Carrara Tile – The never aging trend.

Atlas Black used on the front of this Countertop. Stunning (our marble 4×12″ Venato for $9.95 a Square Foot along with Arabesque picture frame used as a border). Stunning Kitchen posted to our IG feed (take a look to see questions).

If you are an avid follower of design trends, or frequently spend your time on Pinterest or Instagram looking for the hot and charming trends, then it is safe to say that you might have come across some beautiful looking patterned tiles now and then. From kitchen floors to bathrooms and laundry rooms, these patterned tiles offer an appealing outlook to any floor.

Several of the patterned tile you’ve set eyes online and social media is Encaustic Cement Tile. It perfectly encapsulates the essence of a vintage tile. This tile like other Handmade Cement Tile has been making waves in Europe for quite some time now, but only just gained prominence and popularity in the US only in the last couple of years. What makes it an attractive Cement Tile is its alluring matte finish and the smooth, silky feel of its body.

We can rave about the amazing qualities of Encaustic Cement Tile all day and not be tired, and indeed it’s an integral part of The Builder Depot line up of products their Cement Tile collection. The Builder Depot is the only Google Trusted Store and the highest ranking store in the Tile and Stone Industry as a whole not just in the Cement Tile Industry

As well as the only company that ships from its own warehouse which it owns, giving us complete control over QC checks prior to it being loading onto the truck.The competition well…. They are all 3PL a 3rd Party ships their orders at a high price (that is a person simply scanning an order and putting a box on a pallet, no checking, fast as possible, then move onto other orders in the Air Conditioning section) 3PL’s stock multiple product types.

The Competition tries to sneak around their higher cost structure by selling online as cost per piece for example $6.95 is all the customer will see. But to get to the square foot price you have to multiply that by 2.25.

An example of pricing per piece (FYI. The only flooring product that is sold by the piece). $6.95 x 2.25 = $15.64 per Square Foot. So you do have to watch this tricky maneuver, to make you buy before you think. Whereas we are $10.95 a Square Foot and Free Shipping.

The Builder Depot works on massive economies of scale, a no debt business, pays cash upfront for the product (which ensures the highest quality – no one wants to loose a cash paying account). Along with a no frills marketing strategy, that keeps our costs down, along with no fixed costs. Instead of keeping this extra margin, we pass it onto the consumer. Pricing in 2019 for our Handmade Encaustic Cement Tile (made with the highest grade of Cement; Portland cement) is $10.95 a Square Foot and Free Shipping.

The competition does not have (and this is to warn not poke holes)

• Their own a warehouse
• Have a review policy (We are the only Google Trusted Store in this industry)
• An address shown on their website, very few. (as it is operated out of their home, nothing wrong with that but at least get a mailbox).
• No return policy (read their policy if you can find it in the lines and lines of waffle).
• Why you might ask? So they can collapse overnight and you cannot come after them for the sub-par Cement Tile they sold you. They have no assets. They will simply hide behind their LLC and you cannot take their 3PL that is not theirs. The inventory will be gone before you can say “But Lawsuit…..”

However: This well-designed Handmade Cement Tile still has a couple of drawbacks on its own. So let’s discuss those.

It is very similar to marble. As a Cement Tile, it  can stain if acidic liquids like wine are just left to sit. It is handmade and can be more susceptible to wear than any other tile (depending on the quality you purchased, from a small company with no history he will be buying the cheapest tile possible. Shipping from a 3PL (3rd Party Location and close up shop and hide behind his LLC as everyone is left with terrible tile, company has no assets, that is why they are all 3PL shippers).

It needs to be re-sealed as required better sealer quality less often. It does share very close similarities with marble. But some of these drawbacks could be a blessing in disguise. These “imperfections” are what makes the Encaustic Cement Tile perfect, and you know what, because the color and pattern of the tile are usually bold, when they wear or fade, their beauty will even come out the more. So, like fine wine, the Encaustic Cement Tile gets better with age.

Prices subject to change at anytime. The website has the most up to date pricing but we try and keep some stability. Ordering a sample for example. That locks your price in for 30 days from when you ordered the sample gives you time to decide without the rush. (Sorry lawyers want this caveat added to anything with pricing).

Carrara Venato 1×3″ Herringbone Mosaic Tile

Carrara Venato 1×3″ Herringbone Mosaic Tile available in Honed and Polished $14.95SF

Here is the Venato Carrara 1×3″ Herringbone Honed, installed in a spectacular bathroom. In the background is our Brilliant white 3×6″ glass tile (for $9.95 in 2016) so it gives you some perspective of how incredibly white based this product actually is. It really is the whitest tile I have ever seen and so consistent, you cannot see where one sheet of mosaic ends and another begins.

Updating the same page this image above is added on August 12th 2016. This shows the Carrara Venato 1×3″ Herringbone Polished. I like looking back at it historically, there has been no change in the product in two years. That is consistent!

Another image. This is an order for a customer shipping out in August 2016. You can see how consistent the quality of the Venato Carrara 1×3″ Honed has been kept over the months and years.

2023 and another picture of the Carrara Venato 1×3″ Herringbone.

Time flies!!! Still taking pictures. The consistency of this collection spans over a decade and is amazing. This is due to the quality control system we have in place with massive 30FT sample boards at the quarry. Simple enough strategy the product has to match the sample board. Keep it simple works! If it matches the sample board then it meets the classification to fit this high-quality collection. The density of the product along with the feel of the finish is carefully inspected as well. Artisans with decades of experience carefully select the best blocks to meet the requirements improving efficiency and reducing waste keeping cost efficiencies for the consumer.

Incredible white Carrara Venato bathroom and love the Brass Fixtures

What else can I say or feel other than Wow! This is Carrara Venato as White as Calacatta for a fraction of the cost. Add Brass Fixtures and you have a Five Star penthouse Bathroom (probably better).

Here the customer has used the following products and at 2018 this was the price:

6×12″ Subway Tile Honed on the wall $8.00 a Square Foot

1×3″ Herringbone Honed on the shower pan floor (creates better grip): $12.95 a Square Foot.

4×12″ Subway Tile directly after the Subway Tile: $8.50 a Square Foot.

Bullnose down the edge near the door to finish the gap with a beveled edge $9.95 Each

Very simple just four SKU’s. If I was a betting man, on the other side is most likely a double niche and the background of the niche is 1×3″ Herringbone to co-ordinate nicely. This product was not just laid box to box, some tiles were removed, tiles were dry laid before installing. The perfect look was planned just like on HGTV, it did not just happen this was a professional installation.

Amazing Carrara Venato 4×12″ Polished Backsplash

 

The product used in this backsplash is our exclusive Carrara Venato 4×12″ polished for $8.00 a Square Foot (also available in honed), and honed also makes a stunning backsplash as well. Pictured here.

But to get a better understanding of this absolutely stunning (and yes wow!) kitchen you need to take a look at Heather’s website here.

The Carrara Venato collection if correctly installed, by taking your time and ensuring the veining is well spread out with the mix of blank tiles can create a white backsplash that has no comparison. It is as white as printer paper.

While just one product is used here the Carrara Venato Collection consists of over sixty products which we match before shipping. We can send pictures before shipping. We do not use a third party warehouse like 90% of everyone else in the industry. We stock our own inventory so we control exactly what is shipped.

That is the only way we can see to be the highest ranked Google Trusted Store in the USA with 4.9 Stars out of 5 Stars. Which can be read here.

Carrara Venato Bathroom. Amazing!!

This bathroom kept it simple and that is part of the appeal. Used 6×12″ Honed Subway Tile $8.00/SF along with 1″ Hexagon floor tile $11.25 a Sheet and a 12″ honed Pencil trim. (Price are all subject to change and the website has the true cost).

The 6×12″ was then installed in a classic brick pattern on the wall and then a Herringbone on the floor. I love how well all the different products fit together. All carefully selected to match as if coming from one block.

An all round stunning bathroom. The white based nature of Carrara Venato as a marble stone is incredible.