Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 11, November 2003

Copyright 2003 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article below in your research. Be sure to cite the Seattle Sun as your source.

Mom & pop (& cat) tile store

offers alternative to big boxes

By JAMES BUSH

While customers marvel at the many varieties of tile samples on the walls of her store near Green Lake, Denée Foti reminds them that it's what's underneath that counts.

A properly installed tile job can last a lifetime, but a poorly installed job can start to show wear and damage within a few years, she says. Fortunately, the Seattle Tile Company offers the one-two punch of fine product and quality installation, courtesy of husband, Tom Foti.

The two decided to join forces seven years ago, when Denée quit her job managing the Broadway Frame-It store to open a retail outlet to operate in conjunction with Tom's tile installation business. "Since I knew retail, it was natural that we opened a retail tile store," she says.

Merging tile sales and installation also made sense from a quality control standpoint, she notes. Her husband would sometimes get referral jobs from stores and find that customers had been sold the wrong product in one case, black wall tile to be installed on an entry-way floor. "What we provide here is service," she says.

The store has only a few common tiles in stock, but most any of the tiles represented in the vast sample collection can be ordered and obtained in three to 10 days. Handmade tiles can take four to six weeks to produce and ship.

A lot of the work they do is right in the neighborhood, says Denée. "We do a lot of restorations. A lot of people have really beautiful tile installations from the teens and (19)20s."

Tom prides himself on being an old school installer, using the classic installation methods. Their work may not be the cheapest, says Denée. "But we're not the kind of company that cuts corners."

The installers also do work for high-end homebuilders, who are featuring more and more tile in their new homes. Carpeting and linoleum are on the decline, while tile and hardwood floors are increasing in popularity, notes Denée. One factor is the rise of radiant heating, providing gentle heat from below for tile bathroom floors. "Especially in Seattle, it makes it nice and cozy in the winter," she says.

And, while the big box hardware stores can be tough on small businesses, they've been a good teaching tool for tile customers, she adds. "They've exposed people to lots of tile," says Denée. "They've opened the door. People come in and say 'Wow, I didn't know there were so many kinds of tile."

The atmosphere at the Seattle Tile Company showroom is aided by the presence of resident cat Mitzi. She actually lives in the store: a veterinarian suggested the move about five years ago because Tom and Denée spend more time there than at home. Family dog Bon Bon often comes to work as well.

Customers at Seattle Tile Company appreciate their big three advantages: service, knowledge, and attention. "It's hard when you've got the Home Depots and the Lowe's," Denée says. "But I think mom-and-pop companies have a lot to offer the consumer."

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Seattle Tile Company is located at 7218 Linden Ave. N. For more information, call 782-1985.