Highland Park 2×6″ Beveled Mosaic – New!

New product added currently Highland Park $10.50 a Square Foot. 2×6″ Beveled Mesh Mosaic. Comes on a sheet. Easily installed. In stock ships in 1-2 Business Days.

Arabesque Gloss Vento Gray Beveled Mosaic Arrives!

Beveled Vento Gray Arabesque arrives and is everything we hoped for…. a subtle Gray. Online for $10.95 a Square Foot the only mesh mounted Beveled Gray Arabesque of this size in the USA. The only other option is loose pieces. We have this in loose pieces as well.

This is designed to speed up installation and lower install costs. Thinking about the consumer not just by a low product cost but the install cost as well.

This image attempts to show the color of the Gray by being placed next to the Beveled Whisper White Arabesque. We all know white is well….. White 🙂

This ships for Free! $10.95 a Square Foot prices as valid as long as possible 🙂

July 2017 and Vento Gray Arabesque Matte Arrives.

It has almost been a year since the introduction of the Gloss Vento Gray. We have had the Matte finish in stock but we have been awaiting for our new warehouse to provide space so we can bring it here. That space is now here: Matte Finish of the Vento Gray Arabesque $10.95 a Square Foot (which is a sheet arrives). You can see against the printer white background it is just a few shades towards Gray than White which is exactly what we were looking to create.

The Matte Finish is a great feel. I love the smooth yet slight textured feel of it.

Specification sheet for the Mesh Mosaic of our Arabesque Mosaic Beveled Tiles.

Arabesque maybe the #1 Shape of 2016

Will the Arabesque Format be the #1 format of 2016? Not sure Hexagon is putting up a fight. It is a Timeless Classic. I really suppose it depends on options. The more options of Arabesque we add the more we sell. The new Vento Gray will be $11.95 a Square Foot and Free Shipping for 2016. Available around mid September.

Whisper White Looks Good with Anything

Whisper White Collection • Handcrafted 3×6 inch $8.50 Sq.Ft. to give it that undulated antique • Then a Whisper White Herringbone has been chosen for the picture frame created by the matching chair rail for $2.95 each. But could have easily used the matching Whisper White Arabesque for $10.25 a Square Foot to create the picture frame. Or a White Glass Arabesque for $16.95 a Square Foot.

This page has the Whisper White Collection.

This page from Bridgewater Ceramics continues it on with even more options

Arabesque Mosaic Options for Under $7/SF

Here are three great products that are all under $7.00 a Square Foot. You have Fog Crackle Arabesque $6.95 a Square Foot then White Arabesque $6.95 a Square Foot in Gloss and Matte Versions and then Finally Bianco Arabesque but as of March 29th 2016 will be called by us “Antique Design Arabesque“. But as I write this blog I realize that this has absolutely nothing to do or look like Bianco at all. Not even close. The Supplier called the product on the far left “Bianco”. I have no idea why???

So I am making an executive decision and changing the name to “Antique Design” as it has an almost antique effect to the edge. See below.  I have changed the image above so now it all makes sense!

You can see the Antique effect here better on a close up. It is practically impossible to see online, you can see that it is not quite white by the comparison shot. IMHO it is the antiquing effect on the edge that makes this product so different.

It will also create the largest challenge to selling online. It really is a “retailer”in store product. If you see if you would go “ahhh…..” but with pictures it looks no different as the effect on the edge cannot be seen. It will sell well locally in our new facility.

This product is from MS International but to call this “Bianco White” as they have done, is misleading to the consumer. I think it is done for the purpose of attracting traffic. The word Bianco is a popular word. So instead of describing what they see they are going for the best possible social media hits or perhaps they just do not know. But this is not a Bianco. Does not look like Bianco. It has no veining at all!

Just looks wonderful……

Sometimes customers are wonderful they send in pictures and there really is no need for words. It just looks incredible (move me in!) $10.95 a Square Foot and Free Shipping (for 2016). Beveled Whisper White Arabesque Tile available in a Gloss and Matte finish. Part of the Bridgewater collection.

Arabesque Large Format without a Bevel

$10.95 a Square Foot Matte Arabesque available in Gloss finish arabesque as well. And we thought, Free Shipping as well (prices valid for 2016). Each piece is 6.1″ (155mm) in height and 5.1″ (130mm) in width. One sheet covers a square foot 8 pieces. Just as a 3×6″ on a mesh would. There is a spec drawing attached.

We have had the Beveled version of Arabesque large format in stock for over a year and it has been selling well. Then people ask if we have it without the bevel? And how about on a mesh for easier installation? I agree. Good plan. So we did just that and here it is. In Gloss and Matte or flat, but not a shiny finish 🙂

Personally I prefer my iPhone warehouse pic as the product arrives, that is the one in the box it is real. I love warehouse pictures, just open the box and take a picture (job done in 10 seconds), forget all the frills. Keep the cost down for the customer not waste it on models draped over tiles, I mean that is not too likely in someones home, is it? I want it realistic. So what you see is what you get. I do not think customers should have to pay for unrealistic images, as that is where the cost has to go….  onto the product. Eliminate that cost and you can offer better value. Now that I can live with!

Big companies reduce the size of mosaics to boost sales!

the

The HEADLINE PRICE IS LOWER – THE PRODUCT IS SMALLER (But consumers fail to notice).

This is an unfortunate trend we have noticed. Companies are reducing the size of mosaic sheets. This is one clear example. Our Penny round in white and on the bottom and the big box retailer is black and on the top.

Big box retailers listed on the stock market are continually under pressure to increase profits. One way to do that is to offer lower price. Sell by “the Sheet” this allows the ‘Big Box’ to sell at a lower price. The price the consumer sees or the HIGHLIGHTED PRICE is low, it is low because a quarter of the sheet is missing.

The same trend has moved into Hexagon. Particularly the 2″ Hexagon mosaic sheets have become a 6 by 6  (6 Columns by 6 Rows) for a total of 36 pieces of 2″ Hexagon. Ours is still 7 by 6 or a total of 42 pieces of 2″ Hexagon. Forty two pieces creates a full sheet a complete square foot thirty size pieces do not.

Few consumers notice this when buying. They see a HEADLINE price. Do not look at the specs. They buy. Then when installing they realize they cannot complete the job. They have to wait to get more, if the supplier has run out….. the worst case is they have to start again. Especially in marble when matching lots is important.

I am sure as corporations try to compete with private companies like ours that have little interest in being millionaires. Flying in private jets or driving around in excessive cars. NYSE listed big boxes will have to come up with more innovative ways to essentially “stick it to the customer”.

As for us, The Builder Depot. We will always put our employees and customers first. Sell a product that is as close as possible to a full square foot. Simply because it is the right thing to do. It fits with who we are a company with Integrity where our actions are based on our values rather than personal gain.

Marble hexagon and Ceramic subway Mix

 Use the Calacatta 1×1″ Hexagon honed or polished $17.95 a Square Foot and Free Shipping (thru March 2016) and then a classic 3×6″ Ceramic on the wall which we have for $2.95SF and Free Shipping. I love the simplicity, you can really go with honed or polished on the floor, it is the grout that provides the traction (or friction coefficient if we want to use the real name) not the stone, big misconception.  Go with what you want.

White Hot Collection!

Beveled Whisper White Arabesque Tile $10.50SF and Free Shipping for 2016 available in Gloss Finish and Matte Finish

What you see is what we ship. I love taking pictures at the back of the warehouse dock with the iPhone. This is an incredible backsplash look the Arabesque Whisper White Beveled Tile (8 Pieces for $10.50 (that is a square foot) and Free Shipping all prices valid for 2016) is a personal favorite. We have matching 3×6″ handcrafted subway tile for $8.35 a Square Foot along with Crown Molding for $3.95 each and quarter round trim to finish the job for $3.50 each.

Arabesque is still a new style in the market place and as such companies get to bamboozle the consumer with prices as their is little information and plenty of mis-information. I have seen price from $28 to $86.50 a square foot in retailers for the exact same product, same factory, we can look up where the products are exported from through customs data.

Major Corporations have HUGE overhead and they need their customers to pay for it, their private jet or their key five executives compensation which in 2015 (according to data from morning star) was over $16m and that would not include millions and millions in stock options.  You the consumer pays for this when you buy the product. That is the only feasible way a cost can be passed on, through products, money just does not grow on trees for them. They charge for the products and that then pays their compensation. I have no issue with people earning a living. But equally there is only so much money you can need, maybe not. I personally have no idea.

It is very nice of people to pay for the executives to earn millions and millions of dollars, when you remodel, perhaps you are on a budget and decide to put your sweat equity into the installation and do it yourself. These guys are not worried about installing tile.  They will not be doing the installation on their own home (or they might, I am making assumptions).

Our business model is simplified. Take all the links out of the supply chain, go direct, pay with cash not terms, work hard (that one is a shocker, really hard so this is me the CEO of the company typing this now at 9pm at night, not the marketing department (as we do not have one – we do not want you paying for it). I took the picture with my cell phone. That is the marketing department. Do more with less! Everyone works. In fact it has become such a challenge for people to believe our prices that we had to create a short white board video to explain it.

Personally I could tell you, but I think it is better that you read from a customer who explains it with more clarity than me.

Do you know who once said “I love paying $10.00 square foot more for the same product” or “Please let me pay you $10,000 more, I will just leave the cash here for you to take as I do not need it”.

No One; Ever 🙂

Arabesque Whisper White Tile $10.95 a Square Foot and Free Shipping thru 2016 (you receive 8 pieces) available in a Matte Finish for $10.95SF and Free Shipping until we can no longer afford to offer it.