“Organic” goes beyond the food industry. Homeowners desire more natural materials for their dwellings as well, says Melissa Clements, owner of Eco-Friendly Flooring in Madison.
“Organic is a generic term,” says Clements. But it signifies what more homeowners want to know: the “where” and “what” of their home interiors. People want to know the ingredients that go into the products.
Clements, who got her start 16 years ago when she opened a small showroom selling natural flooring like cork and bamboo, has seen recycled materials grow from a niche interest to something even the big-box stores offer now.
She has expanded Eco-Friendly’s offerings to include recycled wall tiles of glass, metal, clay/cement, and stone. These often form kitchen backsplashes but also shower surrounds and other decorative accents.
Backsplashes have moved on from subway tiles. Last night’s Heineken or Shiraz bottle could become the glass tile in your next backsplash or shower surround; Clements has a variety to choose from.
She also works with Level 43 Mosaics, a Michigan company that creates 100 percent recycled glass tiles using old window glass with shards of stained glass scraps mixed in, creating a marble-like effect.
Shapes for tiles are changing, too. Squares are still favorites, but rectangles, diamonds and “lanterns” are also trending.
As homeowners consult websites like Houzz and Pinterest for design ideas, they crave customization rather than settling for what’s on the shelf at the nearest big-box home improvement store. Clements creates customized designs with glass and other tiles, and says her business has “more colors and styles of recycled glass tile than anyone in the U.S.”
Melissa Clements favors natural materials for tile: recycled glass and aluminum and brass (far right).
The options don’t stop at glass. Clements’ showroom has a wall covered in 3-by-3-inch white oak tiles that create a beautiful, clean look that is nothing like the wood-paneled basements of the ’50s and ’60s. Clements says it smells good, too, and is easy to install — simply attach to the wall with some finish nails.
Metal is another popular, often single-ingredient product that people like for that purity. “This is on the periodic table of elements,” says Clements, holding up a skinny rectangular tile of shiny aluminum.
Metal can help integrate different elements of a kitchen attractively, pulling together appliances, flooring and countertops. Another benefit of metal is the multidimensional effect it creates, almost like a motion picture on the wall as people walk by. Clements likes to use it in smaller, darker kitchens, because the tiles reflect natural light: “It adds a little bit of bling,” she says.
Hand-crafted brass tiles, made in Mexico by punching out the centers of old pesos, are not quite as shiny and complement an older home well. Tiling a wall with these and adding marble countertops creates an antique, French country look, providing a quick update.
While the recycled tiles can range from $7.50 per square foot for wood to $40 per square foot for glass, it’s often a worthwhile expense. More expensive tiles can be used for accent squares. And splurging on some tile can freshen a space while still being less expensive than a complete renovation.
Clements’ clientele include many people with chemical sensitivities, so she makes a point of investigating all her products and their impact on the indoor home environment.
“There are more beautiful recycled products coming out because consumers are demanding it,” says Clements. “People will pay more to have something that lasts longer and that’s higher quality.”
Eco-Friendly Flooring
931 E. Main S., Suite 4, ecofriendlyflooring.com, 608-441-3264, 9:15 am-5 pm Mon.-Fri.; evenings and weekends by appointment
