Artistic expression has always been at the heart of our business. Our roots trace back to a team of no less than THREE glass blowing artists and one young CPA, onboard to handle the business side of things. Our founding artists — Jon Stokesbary, Don Pettey, & Boyce Lundstrom — set out on a mission to bring the beauty and magic of the glass world they knew and loved into the homes of everyday people through beautiful hand-cast glass tile. The CPA — Sean Gildea, who now serves as CEO — is the nephew of glassblower/inventor, Boyce Lundstrom, and is the sole remaining founder active in the company today.  

Over 30 years ago now, our glass expert founders pioneered a modern method to recreate the magic of an ancient art form by pouring hot, molten glass into molds then cutting the thick glass into pieces and assembling them as mosaic sheets of tile. Although the tile market has quadrupled since we began, we are still the only US company creating genuine, hand-poured, cast glass tile. A clear advantage to our production technique is that the glass color is distributed throughout each tile — not painted or glazed on the back as with most other glass tile on the market. Over the years, we’ve also perfected methods to produce four different finishes that alter the color and refractive properties enough that each of our glass colors can be multiplied by up to four unique finish looks. This translates into 170 different combinations of color and finish that you can draw from to build just the right blend for your projects. 

To create our Luxury Art Glass line, we begin with gorgeous sheets of art glass (stand-alone works of art that they are) and either hand-cut or precision water-jet cut them into shapes to build unique and distinctive patterns and field tile. Did you know that we manufacture these art glass sheets as well? We originally purchased sheets from a Seattle-based company but when they wanted to exit the industry in 2016, we acquired the glass-making assets and learned to manufacture the sheet glass ourselves. (We produce sheets not only for our own needs, but we supply products to glass artists all over the world.) The beauty of genuine art glass is truly unsurpassed and there’s no better way to project elegance and good taste than through our unique Luxury Art Glass products. 

Another critical way we ensure quality in every tile we make is through our all-important annealing process (the gradual cooling of hot glass). If not thoroughly or correctly annealed, the internal stress can render glass fragile and easy to shatter. On the other hand, with proper annealing, cast glass tile can be extremely durable and even frost-resistant for outdoor use in colder climates. It takes time to properly anneal glass though — it cannot be rushed. As expert glass makers, we know how critical this step is and would never try to cut corners by skimping on annealing time. It’s just not who we are. We stand by our products proudly, knowing they are not only beautiful but timeless and enduring. 

 If you’re looking to elevate your home, you’ve found your tile partner. Give us a call and let’s see how we can work together to build your dream.