New York, NY, Jan. 12--Two hundred SKUs in tile, stone, wood and metal that suggest the masculinity and durability of the man himself will mark the introduction of flooring from the Ernest Hemingway Collection at Surfaces 2004.
Beautifully embellished liners, corner pieces, insets and medallions in bronze, brass, copper, pewter and inlaid wood take their design cues from Ernest Hemingway’s storied past. Bullfighters, kingfishers and a host of other designs inspired by one of America’s most beloved authors tell the story of a life lived in full.
Ernest Hemingway Collection licensee Tile Brands International of Pharr, TX, will roll out the full collection over the next three years to a network of 500 dealers, according to Tile Brands President Dolores R. Thompson. Ernest Hemingway Collection flooring is being distributed by Mid-Atlantic Tile Distributors and will be available to 240 dealers in 2004, Thompson said.
Mid-Atlantic Tile Distributors will show the new collection in its booth at Surfaces (G1809) in the Las Vegas Sands Expo and Convention Center Jan. 27-30. More than 40,000 floor covering professionals and 900 exhibitors are expected to attend.
Hemingway Collection flooring will be priced at retail above premium, Thompson said, with a recommended price of $4.99 per square foot. Thompson said distribution will initially be focused on the Mid-Atlantic and Southern states.
“We're trying to use a lot of the same wood species, colors and designs used in the full collection of furniture and accessories so that people who buy Hemingway furniture will see that it can be beautifully complimented with flooring and wall covering,” Thompson said.
Architecturally qualified for residential and light commercial uses, these beautiful tiles made their public debut on the showroom floor in High Point in October at the Ernest Hemingway Collection showroom at 200 Steele Street. The flooring will be available for homes, hotels and restaurants beginning the first quarter of 2004.
“The Hemingway image is so masculine, so virile, so tough, hard, durable, it just seemed like the perfect fit for us,” Thompson said of her company’s efforts to partner with a brand that would hold a premium price point for a product that has become commoditized. Market research about several well-known celebrity brands pointed Tile Brands solidly toward Hemingway, she said.
