Tile Studio

Navigating Covid lockdowns and restrictions has been a challenging experience for new business the Tile Studio in Glenmore Drive, Warkworth.

The business is a family venture involving tiler Paul Moran, and his children Joy and Josiah.

“It’s been a bit of a struggle with opening restrictions and supply chain issues, but it’s given us the opportunity to start slowly and get our showrooms organised,” Paul says.

Joy, who has an interior design background, has had a lot of input into the layout of the showrooms.

“We’re using the walls in our three spaces to display some of our range,” she says. “It gives customers a much better appreciation of the texture and colour of a tile when they can step back and really see what it looks like.”

This has been especially important for the extra-large format range, which have become fashionable. Paul says they are mostly used in bathrooms but overseas, there is a trend towards using them to build furniture as well.

The third member of the team, Josiah, is a tiler like his Dad, but is currently on a snowboarding holiday in Italy.

Many of the tiles in the shop are from Spain and Italy, so Josiah is also researching the latest tile trends and products on the market in Europe.

“A couple of years ago, Josiah and I went to an international tile fair in Bologna. It was a valuable experience because we got see new product and what was trending. We also learned that the jacks we are using for outdoor tiling are the best on the market, which gives us a lot of confidence recommending them to customers.”

Paul, who has been laying tiles for more than 30 years, says the Tile Studio is about giving people options and advice when they need it.

Joy adds that customers really are spoiled for choice. Whether someone wants a clean, consistent surface or something a little funky, there are tiles to suit all tastes and budgets.