How to Restore Craftsman-Era Charm, One Tile at a Time
There’s more to this company than just Subway tile!
As seen on episodes 6 and 8 of our HGTV show
Who’s Afraid of a Cheap Old House?
In Cheap Old Houses world, Heritage Tile is synonymous with Subway Ceramics, the beautiful tile first made in the early 1900s for the New York City subway stations. But their collections go far beyond the 3×6 light-reflecting white tiles! For Nur and Ali’s home in Albany, NY, Heritage Tile provided materials for two projects: first, in the living room, the couple’s children, Adnina and Adib, followed Ethan’s tutorial to transform the hearth from a 1980s nightmare to a period-appropriate Arts & Craft design.
Living Room Hearth
“Ethan is a great teacher because he has so much experience with doing restoration in old houses,” Adnina shared in between chiseling out black tiles.
Bye-bye, 1980s black glass tile! Helloooooo and welcome back CRAFTSMAN CHARM & CHARACTER!
Such a small but intentional change in this bungalow’s living room hearth made a major impact. Working with Heritage Tile, and incorporating some special finds from Opera House Co. antiques, the Cheap Old Houses team channeled the spirit of the turn of the century when Arts & Crafts homes dominated the American landscape. And one name that came to be synonymous with this era was Ernest Batchelder, who’s tile is still celebrated today as central to this architectural style and movement.
Heritage Tile absolutely hit the nail on the head when we shared our plans for this special hearth upgrade. After the double-take transformation they helped realize in the kitchen (more on that below!), we knew we had the best of the best on the job.
Craftsman Kitchen
In the kitchen, countertops and backsplash were both created from Heritage Tile’s Subway Ceramics in Moonshine and Pinecone Brown.
Photos: Scenes from “Who’s Afraid of a Cheap Old House?”; Stephanie Munguia for Cheap Old Houses.
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