Green Mondays: New Eco-friendly Materials

At Plumbtile, we like to research about the newest trends and news about green living and design. It is our advocacy to spread awareness about using sustainable, recyclable, and eco-friendly materials for the home.

ThisOldHouse came up with a list of new interior materials that are on trend and in the market. Here are some of them:

LEATHER TILES

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Even luxurious leather gets thrown away; scraps from furniture, shoe, car seat, and other tanneries eventually make their way to landfills.

The naturally sound-absorbent tiles install like cork or vinyl (preglued tiles are available). For care and upkeep of floor tiles, use a damp mop to clean them; wax them three times a year, or use a topical sealer once every five to 10 years. Wall tiles do not need wax or additional maintenance.

BIO-GLASS

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This luminescent material is 100% post-consumer recycled glass that’s heated and compressed to create solid-surfacing slabs. It contains no binders, colorants, fillers, or other admixtures, and has no off-gassing.

Sample shows slight markings from the bottom of a recycled beverage bottle. To enhance the upgrade, lighter colors can be underlit to make agglomeration markings stand out in dramatic fashion.

To find out more about going green and the use of renewable sources and materials, go to http://www.plumbtile.com/go-green.html or call 1-866-369-8180.

Let's Go Organic…in the Kitchen

Green Mondays by PlumbtileIt’s Green Monday once again!

We will never get tired of spreading awareness about our environment as well as providing our readers with the latest trends in green design.

Do you know what 2013 will bring to the world of kitchen design? Organic. That’s right, warm, earthy gourmet spaces. Mixing wood, slate, stone, and other rustic materials with industrial pieces.

Terry Mulligan of Yahoo gives us the latest trend in kitchen design:

Earthy Colors

Greens, blues, grays, browns, yellows, reds — these colors will be making a grand appearance in kitchens across the country. Whether on painted, weathered cabinets or handmade, upcycled tile, earthen colors will warm up our cooking spaces like never before. All shades are fair game, unless they glow neon. Stick to what you find in nature, and you’ll be right in style.

Organic Wood Cabinets

Instead of traditionally styled, stained, and glazed cabinets with fancy millwork, look for a more understated display of rustic wood on cabinet surfaces. Spalted maple or natural birch drawer fronts will be mixed with clean, industrial-styled cabinet doors and brushed stainless steel. And this year, austere shaker cabinets will be reinvented in many ways. It will be a welcome, yet unusual departure from the kitchens of the last 10 years.

Wood, Stone, or Tile Counters

Granite may not be the material of choice for countertops anymore. Wood and stone like slate should dominate — then add tile tops and backsplashes with a handmade look and feel. It’s all about color and textures that make you feel at home and comfortable this year.

Materials in Their Natural Form

Anywhere you can use materials in their natural form, it’s time to do so. Exposed beams on walls and ceilings will add a rural touch in some kitchens. Wood counters will sport natural, unfinished edges in their shift to a more organic style.

Rustic Floors

Rustic floors will be the rage. Reclaimed wood or polished concrete with amazing stain work will pull the other organic elements of the room together. Slate floors will also be in demand over highly polished marble or tile. Yet even in their natural form, these floors will still be a work of art. Artisans will be lending their expertise to make them part of a unique and extraordinary kitchen design statement.

At Plumbtile, the leader in all things bathroom and kitchen design related products, we have a wide array of green products from counters, faucets, and even tiles that are that are made from renewable resources that have none to minimal impact on our environment.

Let’s GO GREEN in 2013!

PlumbTile features the largest collection of premium brand names including Alno, Jado, Hansgrohe, Herbeau, Phylrich, California Faucets, KWC, Newport Brass, Toto, Ginger, Americh & Zuma Tubs, Hastings, Sugatsune, Classic Brass & more.

Happy Weekend!

Join the Contest!

We at Plumbtile are thankful to our friends and all our loyal customers online. We have extended our Photo Contest promo to give everyone the chance to participate and win. The promo is now extended up to April 15, 2013.

If you haven’t heard about the contest yet, you will be pleased to hear that we are giving out $1000 worth of kitchen and bathroom products!

The rules are very simple. You just have to go to our Facebook fan page and upload a remodeling photo (past or present), and you will get the chance to win.

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Tell all you friends! Share this article and spread the word!

Again, thank you from all of us at Plumbtile!

How To: Introduce yourself to a new community

Hi there!

I’m the new guy. My name is Jim Hedger. I am working with Plumbtile to improve the Plumbtile.com website. As means of an introduction, I am a highly experienced webmaster with over a decade of high level web work under my belt. I have had an extremely fortunate career as a webmaster and hope to become a helpful resource for my new teammates and for the readers, shoppers and visitors to Plumbtile.com. Continue reading →

How-To: Make a Kitchen with Modern Style

Updating a kitchen is more than just installing brand new Jado fixtures or Herbeau sinks. The entire look of the kitchen needs to be taken into consideration. How do the cabinets make the room feel? How about the different in color and texture between the counter tops and floor? Are the stylings of the drawer pulls congruent with the contours of the oven hood? So here’s a guide with an eye to modern design.

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Sinks, vessels, basins galore!

We just posted this slideshow video featuring some of the more stylistic sinks we have available on our site: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfC1DWBZVXA]

This is similar to our last blog, but I’ve been perusing more of our catalog as I become better acquainted with our products. The staggering amount of design differences there are in sinks is something that dropped my jaw. I know that makes me sound like such a novice compared to other industry bloggers, but this blog has always been for our customers, and about the fundamentals of fixtures and new products.

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Dornbracht- Environmentally Friendly Kitchen Fixtures

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I’ve talked about bathroom design lately, so I want you to know we also offer several decoration and hardware possibilities for the kitchen.

Dornbracht is a German company founded in 1950. The futuristic styling many German designers pioneered was synthesized with traditional ideas that are easily used in today’s homes. In their own words they say, “Good design has therefore been central to our philosophy for many years. Our products are not merely decorative; they are an expression of a distinctive bathroom culture.”

So what do they have to offer?
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