Field trip: Trikeenan Tileworks

One afternoon during our recent ski weekend, we drove to the charming town of Keene, New Hampshire, to visit the showroom of Trikeenan Tileworks. We'd seen their work in a local tile store, and wanted to see more of their colorful, beautifully glazed tiles. An added incentive for the visit: we'd read that their showroom offered seconds (tiles that were overages or very slightly flawed) at a substantial discount.

The store was bustling on this particular spring-like afternoon. It's a welcoming place with several comfortable chairs where the non-shoppers (children, spouse, or other tile-weary fellow traveller) can relax. The folks at Trikeenan were friendly and very helpful, answering questions and suggesting tiles to suit one's ideas.





I knew I loved their Basics line (especially combined into blends), but I was surprised by their new Reclamation Collection. This collection of 12 colors uses 100% reclaimed glaze to reduce waste in their factories. The colors are subtle and much more beautiful than Trikeenan's online images suggest.

As for the seconds, I was happy (and overwhelmed) to see that they had a number of tiles available. The selection was good, especially if you were tiling a small area like an accent over a range. There were also a few tiles available in larger quantities.



We needed a fairly large amount of tile for our kitchen backsplash. We were also hoping to find tile for our master bathroom floor and shower. We were lucky enough to find this for our kitchen backsplash. The combination of white, cream, pale gray, and mossy greens works perfectly in our space. (The green reads more neutral in the photo than in reality.)



They didn't have quite enough square footage. However, we were able to buy enough tiles that comprise this blend that we'll be able to build what we need. In buying seconds, you may be saving money, but you need to be flexible and/or creative.

I highly recommend visiting the Trikeenan showroom. Call ahead to make sure that Trikeenan will be open and to hear what quantities of seconds are available. And while you're in Keene, enjoy a brewed-on-the-premises beer at Elm City Brewing Company. A very satisfying day trip.