Materials + Methods

RAEANNE MARSH

>>> Smith-Laredo, Bonsall, California

Smith-Laredo's Minimalist tiles were used indoors and out at this residence.

Integral color is not the only quality characteristic built into Smith-Laredo's concrete tiles. Their green-build attributes are inherent in supplies and process as well as product.

Founder/owner Bill Smith (there is no Mr. Laredo) sources supplies locally, produces the tiles by hand, and cures them in an eco-friendly process that does not use energy-depleting kilns.

That the green concept permeates the company's entire operations is no accident. "We took the approach that we need to build quality in from the beginning and be good stewards of the environment from the beginning," says Smith. The inspiration for his philosophy, he shares, comes from an experience working with a Japanese car company in his earlier career as an engineer with IBM. "While the thinking in America was, 'We can't afford to build quality cars,' the Japanese were saying, 'We can't afford not to. It's cheaper to have the quality process from the beginning.'" That approach resonated with Smith, and he incorporated its tenets into Smith-Laredo when he founded the company just outside San Diego, California in 2003.

Sustainability lies behind Smith's use of skylights in the curing room, to make the most of the sun for light and heat over electrical sources, and in providing product brochures as PDFs on the company Web site instead of printing the collateral.

Minimalist tiles underscore a cool and serene bedroom.

Smith-Laredo is built on a product that Smith created to solve a design dilemma in the construction of his own home. He wanted a flooring suitable for both indoor and outdoor spaces, "so when you're sitting indoors looking out, it looks like a continuous flow." He also wanted it to look model-home perfect but be "something you can really use all the time."

Being able to move seamlessly between indoor and outdoor spaces, he felt, was especially valuable in houses built to the increasingly popular style of courtyards and patios, and it would help homeowners with small yards maximize their outdoor space. Inspired by the increasing popularity of concrete for such decorative elements as stack stone features, he found it had been used for flooring in times past and was currently being used in Australia and other countries.

Serendipitously, Smith had a longtime family friend, David-Michael, a Santa Ana, California designer who worked on upscale houses for high-profile clients. He would contribute his expertise on color palette, patterns and textures for the tile products.

For Smith-Laredo, David-Michael created two distinct lines — Minimalist and Casa Monterey — and launched his Designer Series. Minimalist is a modern look, suiting a broad range of styles in addition to the contemporary one its name invokes. Casa Monterey was designed with the Tuscan and Early California styles in mind. Another will be released this year. "Concrete is so versatile," Smith notes.

Casa Monterey tiles provide a backdrop for a European-influenced interior.

Tile colors are created by mixing pigments with naturally occurring iron oxide, and each line is offered in the colors created specifically for it — colors do not overlap the lines.

Building the business across the nation has been accomplished primarily through word of mouth, as tile vendors from as far away as the East Coast learned of Smith-Laredo's product and contacted Smith. Smith-Laredo tiles are now available through select tile showrooms and builders' design centers nationwide, and Smith refers queries from designers, architects and builders to the location nearest them. "We support the designers and builders, and send them sample products and information [if they contact us], but we sell through the tile stores," he explains.

The response of the design community to his product has been rewarding, Smith shares. And as for the concrete tiles in his own home? He notes that the color is richer now than when they were installed, and that each tile patinas differently. As he says, "They've gotten more beautiful over time."

Smith-Laredo, 5256 S. Mission Road, Suite 703-09, Bonsall, CA 92003; (866) 581-5748 or www.smith-laredo.com.