When Heritage Tile rolled into town three years ago, it was a boon for owners of historic homes in the Chicago area. Instead of relying solely on the Internet for historically-accurate tile, homeowners could now visit the only U.S. showroom representing Heritage Tile brands — the very same brands that, in all likelihood, had been used in their heritage homes when they were first constructed.Â
General Manager Keith Bieneman said Oak Park was the perfect place to house the company’s only physical showroom.Â
“We do business all over the world, but Oak Park is a great location for our showroom because we’re surrounded by older homes. From the late 1800s to the 1930s, tile production in the United States was very uniform. You would order the same tile in New York that you would in Los Angeles. Very specific parts were uniform and standardized, which made it possible for architects to work more efficiently.”Â
Then the Depression hit.Â
“Those tile factories started closing, and until recently, it was harder to find tile made to the same exact specifications.”
Heritage lines
One of the flagship lines for Heritage is Subway Ceramics. The same company that created the iconic subway tiles for the New York City subway system — or your 100-year-old home’s bathroom — is still creating subway tiles to the same specifications as they did at the turn of the 19th century.Â
“It’s hard to find things that are truly authentic today,” said Bieneman. Subway Ceramics is one of those things.”
Heritage also introduced a new line of Arts & Crafts tiles this year based on the designs of Ernest Batchelder, a leader of the Arts & Crafts movement. According to Bieneman, the Batchelder line is indicative of the direction Heritage is heading.Â
“We’re expanding lines that we haven’t seen in almost 100 years.”
Another Heritage bestseller is Rookwood tile, made in Cincinnati. The renowned pottery and tile factory continues to use historical molds for tiles and employs artisan tile makers to create historically accurate products. Rookwood tile is popular at Heritage for decorative fireplace surrounds, and for the holidays, the showroom is carrying a line of Rookwood pottery to give as gifts.
In order to help homeowners and people in the trades come up with historically accurate designs, Heritage offers plenty of samples in its showroom and produces catalogues for its lines of tiles. Most are exact replicas of the original catalogues in use at the time the older homes in the area were designed.Â
When coming up with a plan to restore an older home or replace original elements that might have disappeared over the years, these catalogues can provide homeowners with the information necessary to make accurate choices.
While tile is commonly used in restoration efforts involving bathrooms, kitchens, fireplaces and entryways, Bieneman pointed out that their uses are not limited to residential projects in the Midwest.Â
“We export tile all over the world,” he noted. “The people in Tokyo are very keen on American craftsmanship, and we have many projects there in retail and restaurant applications. We’ve worked on restaurants in Chicago and a hotel in Australia. We do that one thing uniquely that you won’t find anywhere else.”
Staff historians
According to Bieneman, helping to educate the consumer is the staff’s role at the showroom.Â
“Every homeowner comes in with a certain sensibility, but they often don’t know what was original to the home. We can show them what was original, and it’s their choice as to whether they want to go back to that time. Because education is really the theme of our company, we really have to demonstrate in a very real way how period tile differs from today’s methods.”
Bieneman noted that there are countless tile manufacturers making lovely tiles, but not everyone can claim to do what Heritage can. “There are no 45-degree angles with our tiles, no miters. The trims and small pieces are individually made. This is not a cut-and-fit mentality.”
Part of educating the consumer means having an educated staff on board.Â
“We have three architects on staff,” he said, “and people who specialize in historic preservation. When they work on homes, they are authorities in the field.”
The staff’s experience results partly from their decision to base the showroom in Oak Park.Â
“We’re very much historians here,” said Bieneman, “and we based in Oak Park because we were able to learn so much here. By going around the neighborhoods here, you can tell what would’ve been used when the homes were built. It’s great to have Cheney Mansion and Pleasant Home with their original tile to turn to. When I first came to Oak Park, I stayed at Under the Ginkgo Tree [Bed & Breakfast], where they have a beautiful tiled entry floor. That design is in one of catalogues today.”
Expanding
In hopes of better showcasing their lines, Heritage Tile is expanding their showroom, opening the storefront to the space next to their original store at 146 N. Oak Park Ave. Bieneman said the new space allows the company to create period vignettes representing the various tile lines available through Heritage. At the front of the store, two bathrooms have been created, showcasing Victorian-era tile. Next up is the Bungalow collection, representing the era when homeowners who grew up in Victorians tried to do something different from their parents. A cottage-style line of glazed tiles, and the Atomic Tile line, offering a mid-century look, are planned for the remaining vignettes.
Bieneman said these will help customers visualize what the tile looks like in a room, which can be difficult to do with just a catalogue and a few loose tiles.Â
“It’s very nice to have our space expand and focus on vignettes,” he said. “We’re hoping that entering the store will be like stepping back in time.”
Doubling the square footage of the store, he added, will also allow Heritage Tile to play a larger role, not only in the community of Oak Park but the design world as well.Â
“We have a mezzanine conference room so designers can come here for classes or continuing education. We would love to be able to use our space as a venue for topics of interest to those who own and work with older homes by inviting in authorities on historic restoration and finding other ways to engage with our community.”
