Showroom

BY KIMBERLY MACARTHUR GRAHAM

>>> Decorative Materials, Denver, Colorado

Metal tile from Metal Flux Studios.

Aficionados of ceramic and stone, welcome to paradise. Decorative Materials offers the crème de la crème in nearly any stone, ceramic or hard-surface material you can imagine — and some that you probably can't. Organized as a charming, rambling series of rooms with the feel of a gracious country manse, the Denver showroom (one of three in Colorado) inspires creativity with hundreds of lovely, often dramatic, combinations and thousands of additional samples.

Though many of the materials here draw upon ancient techniques, Decorative Materials itself is relatively new and growing quickly. About 1988, owner Margot Hampleman went shopping for tile for her new home — and she fell in love. She says, "I absolutely, totally fell in love with tile, and I thought, 'Someday, I'm going to have a showroom.'" Though she was not involved in tile or even the design arts (she worked in international transportation), Hampleman doggedly pursued her dream. A mere 18 months later, she started Decorative Materials, primarily to represent "cottage industry" tile makers. Sensing an untapped market, she headed to Aspen "with tile in my Honda."

Despite her simple presentation and limited means, Hampleman's beautiful wares quickly attracted fans and seemed to signal the success of Decorative Materials — though in the beginning, she sometimes was more exhausted than exhilarated. "Passion and hard work got me through this. I had no idea what I was doing," she remembers. "I was in the showroom all the time: Mother's Day, the day after Thanksgiving…" Still moving fast, Decorative Materials continues to add floor space, showrooms and staff members who introduce clients to unique materials and keep them abreast of the latest trends.

Hampleman keeps her finger on the pulse of her world, and she will share astute observations and trend predictions if asked. For 2008 she anticipates "more of a linear look" and popularity of either very-large-format or very small tiles. In other words, the more traditional 6- or 12-inch square tiles are losing favor. Mixed-media installations of, for example, ceramic and metallics, are hot. And glass continues to be extremely popular. But after citing all these "do's," and their complementary "don'ts," Hampleman reassures, "Really, today, anything goes, as long as it looks good and is good quality."

Calacatta Vignette tile.

Rest assured — anything purchased at Decorative Materials is quality. Every piece, every line is luxe. Hampleman likes to say, "If you can dream it, we'll create it." And she means it, citing an unbeatable combination of unusual, high-end materials and outstanding client service that includes one-on-one help with design. She says that often a designer or client has only a germinal idea of a desired look. Decorative Materials can take the most nebulous idea and make it real, thanks to a sharp design and sales staff that enjoys great connections to a world of tile artisans and manufacturers.

In the Denver showroom, prepare to be dazzled by an extensive Who's Who of lines including Artistic Tile, Sonoma Tilemakers, Epro, Island Stone, Smith-Laredo, Syzygy Handmade Tile, Metolius Ridge Tile, Motawi Tileworks, New Ravenna Mosaics and Stone, and Ponte Vecchio USA. On the walls, set in numerous displays, the timeless warmth of ceramic tile — bold to subdued, antique to contemporary — is juxtaposed against the glow of glass tiles cast in an impressive number of colors, shapes and textures. Metal tiles glint seductively among the huge array of natural-stone options, including two notable "pebble" offerings: one with small soft stones carefully affixed to mesh, and another that reveals tiny pebbles encased in translucent, sometimes brightly colored, resin. Concrete, too, is featured in a range of handsome looks, and there are even richly hued tiles of leather. On top of all this, Decorative Materials carries an ample range of bath accessories such as lighting, sinks and vanities, and related custom ironwork (for tables, vanity bases and the like).

Hampleman believes strongly in sustainable design, though she points out that it's more difficult than one might think to accomplish in the world of tile and stone. Some lines are officially labeled "green" because they're made in sustainable factories that reuse clay or water, or are wind powered. When available, locally made or quarried materials are good environmental choices because energy required for their transport is minimized. Too, nearly all ceramic and stone is easy to clean and does not off-gas, two wonderful indoor air quality benefits. Tile's "greenest" characteristic of all, though, is the most basic. Properly made, installed and maintained, ceramic and most stone will last forever, putting less into landfills and decreasing demand for the manufacture of replacement material.

Asked what the future might hold, Hampleman is open to many possibilities, but she holds firm on two things. "We'll never leave Colorado, though we may try to get into other ski towns," she vows, and then adds, "We're not interested in other surface products. We have our hands full and we do it well."

595 S. Broadway, #121E, Denver, CO 80209, (303) 722-1333; 150 Basalt Center Circle, Basalt, CO 81621, (970) 927-0700; 23698 N. Hwy. 24, Minturn, CO 81645, (970) 827-4194; or www.decorativematerials.com.