COMPANY PROFILE

Country Floors™ is considered a foremost style-setter in the ceramic tile and stone industry and is the first choice of many architects, interior designers and savvy consumers.

The company was founded in 1964 by New York still life photographer Norman Karlson on the idea that design integrity could be achieved and maintained through artistry and uncompromising concern for quality. Karlson felt there was a void in many areas of the ceramic and stone market. Originally, he imported tiles from Europe that had rarely been seen in America. Eventually, the company became involved in every aspect of the creative process including the evolution of each design concept to the finished product.

Through the years, the company has supplied tile and stone for countless pre-eminent residential design projects and is consistently featured in every important design magazine. Famous for its vast collection of the finest designs from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, Country Floors also offers a large selection of plain glaze colours, a dozen or so options in contemporary glass tile, a wide variety of mosaics, high-style natural stone and handmade terra cotta. Many of Country Floors tiles and natural stone pavers are most adaptable to the requirements of hospitality and commercial designers.

With headquarters in Los Angeles, Country Floors maintains showrooms in seven North American markets and dealers that service all areas beyond the major cities. Internationally, the company is represented throughout Australia.

As Chief Executive Officer and President, Shannon Karlson adheres to the view “that in a period when others in our industry are willing to compromise, we at Country Floors hold design integrity through artistry, originality and quality as our benchmark and constantly strive for improvement.”


NORMAN KARLSON
Founder and Chairman of the Board

Norman Karlson is the founder and Chairman of the Board for Country Floors. In the early sixties, when he opened his first New York showroom, the occasion marked the advent of the tile specialist. At that time, Country Floors became the sole source for unique hand painted tiles and terra cottas. Mr. Karlson has over forty years experience in the distribution of ceramic tile and stone and has directed the company’s position as the unique source for historically inspired art tiles, refined stone and reclaimed terra cottas.

Always the avid collector, Mr. Karlson published AMERICAN ART TILE 1876-1941 (Rizzoli New York), that is now considered the standard guide to America’s first golden age of tile making. For decades, the versatility of the company’s product collections have been used advantageously by clients to achieve bespoke imagery for their projects ranging from tile plaques to fully tiled bathrooms or swimming pools.

Norman attended the School of Modern Photography. He resides in California with his wife Shannon. He enjoys travel, photography, collecting tiles and art pottery in addition to the study of Mediterranean revival architecture to facilitate the restoration of a small Italianate Villa in the Hollywood Hills.


SHANNON KARLSON
Chief Executive Officer and President

Shannon Karlson is CEO and President for Country Floors. As co-creative director, she oversees product development and visual merchandising for the corporate showrooms. As a tile merchant, she feels that the arts today are much closer to the daily life of every individual than they were a generation ago. They have become an unavoidable and essential ingredient to living. Good design in every object of household use or decoration, including tile or stone is today, a requisite for sales appeal. Shannon has over thirty years experience in the distribution of ceramic tile and stone. She has expanded the company’s solid colour tile offerings in addition to the introduction of natural stone into the product collections.

Shannon earned a BFA in Environmental Design from Arizona State University. She resides in California with her husband Norman. She enjoys collecting antiques, ceramics, art pottery and paintings. Presently, she is researching and studying the Mediterranean revival architects of Southern California and pursuing her passion for design while restoring a 1920’s house in the Hollywood Hills.