Euro Tile & Stone, Ottawa, Ontario. Click on the photos to learn more about this high-concept tile and stone showroom.
CONVERSATION PIECE
Painstakingly crafted by a team of visual artists, the statue of David replica is blanketed in more than 376,000 gradient-toned glass tiles. The reproduction serves as a focal point and a token of Italian iconography – where a majority of the store’s tiles originate.
LOCAL FLAVOR
Flooring and wall tiles are prominently displayed on maquettes and were designed to be alternated on a regular basis. With each product rotation, a new prop from a local artist, designer or architect is paired with the fresh samples.
LIGHT AS A FEATHER
Suspended metal bird sculptures pop against the pitch-black ceiling, without detracting from the tile. “We ended up with a lot of empty space above, so we wanted to create something that would give us a certain volume, without being too heavy,” says Robert Ruscio, president and principal designer, Ruscio Studio (Montreal).
MEETING OF THE MINDS
Strategically placed client stations offer designers the privacy they need for client consultations, without being isolated from the samples. Occasionally rotated with coordinating featured wallcoverings and floor tiles, the interior of each station varies.
DOUBLE DUTY
Used to conceal bulk tile samples, this giant angular wall inspires designers to think outside the box. “We installed [the tiles] like shingles,” Ruscio says. “It’s a play on a product that’s meant to be installed a certain way, and we installed it in the tradition of another product, so it becomes an art form in and of itself.”
PROJECT SUPPLIERS
Retailer
Euro Tile & Stone, Ottawa, Ontario
Design
Ruscio Studio, Montreal; Robert Ruscio, president and principal designer; Catherine Landry, project manager; Charles-Antoine Montpetit, creative director.
Architecture
Leonard Koffman Architect Inc., Ottawa, Ontario
General Contractor
Basscon Group Inc., Gloucester, Ontario; Rosario Lindia.
Flooring
Euro Tile & Stone, Ottawa, Ontario
Furniture
Bath Depot, Nepean, Ontario
Crate and Barrel, Laval, Quebec
Latitude Nord, Montreal
ISA International, North York, Ontario
Boconcept, Laval, Quebec
Hermes Supplies, Montreal
Lighting
Corlite, Montreal
EDP Éclairage, Montreal
Vente Futura, Boisbriand, Quebec
LumiGroup, Montreal
Signage/Graphics
Lamcom, Montreal
Fabric
Marham, Toronto
Maxwell Fabrics, Vancouver, British Columbia
Metal Mesh
McNichols, Boston
Tile & Stone
Euro Tile & Stone, Ottawa, Ontario
Plastic Laminate
Formica, Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Quebec
Uniboard, Laval, Quebec
Octolam, Laval, Quebec