Design Daily: Fireclay’s SoMa Showroom Highlights Fresh New Collections
Author:Sarah Virginia WhiteCraving a master class in tile design? Get yourself to the gorgeous new SoMa showroom of San Jose-based Fireclay Tile, where the brand best known for its handcrafted tile recently rehabbed a derelict industrial space at 8th and Brannan to create its new local headquarters. It’s a decided shift towards the clean, modern aesthetic also seen in Fireclay’s newest tile collection, and we got the inside scoop on happenings in the new digs.
The new Fireclay showroom features an oversize pattern wall of the Contemporary collection.
Formerly inhabited by the Dwan Elevator company, the building at 901 Brannan St. had been empty for years and had fallen into disrepair, so the Fireclay team enlisted Vital architects and Varian Designs to bring the space up to snuff—sloping floors and all. They removed more than a few walls, letting light flood in through oversize casement windows. In the main showroom, rift white oak worktables provide space for mixing and matching samples or designing your own colorway inside the massive selection of handpainted tiles in the Fireclay portfolio.
An oversize pattern wall highlights the fresh look our favorite new line, the Contemporary collection. Muted tones—think soft grays, creams, and matte charcoals—showcase the sleek geometric lines of the just-launched designs, which have both subtley and energy to recommend them for use in modern kitchens, bathrooms or for feature walls. And because it’s Fireclay, the tiles are made from 70 percent recycled clay and are hand-stamped and hand painted with lead-free glazes.
Loving the simplicity of the Palmera (at left, from Contemporary collection) and Kabuki Sphere (at right, from Moroccan collection) tiles.
Take a spin through the new space; Fireclay Tile, 901 Brannan St., (415) 697-2044.
