Country Floors of California became the first tile showroom to open on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles on the 14th of July. Soon others would follow.
Just as we were the first to import artisan tiles from Europe in volume, we were also the first to recognize and nurture the re-emerging artisan tile industry in the US. In the early eighties, ceramic mouldings and relief pieces were being manufactured by several small tile studios hidden away in rural areas of the country. We dedicated ourselves to bringing these discoveries to our flagship showrooms in principal design markets. Major promotional and advertising efforts were launched by our Marketing Department. Tile style and use was expanding and changing with more architectural influences. We re-scaled classic mouldings to make them suitable for use in residential interiors. People were learning about new ways to design with tile.