Ashland, OR, March 9, 2006--Hakatai Enterprises, Inc., a glass tile importer and distributor, played a major role in one of the most visible home building projects of 2005.
Hakatai’s top-selling Carter series of glass mosaic tile made its television debut, and the series’ vibrant colors and unique mosaic blends earned rave reviews in the process.
When Christopher Herr of Studio h:t in Boulder, Colorado, designed the first showcase project for his new architectural firm, it just so happened to be his very own house. The “Box House,” as it is commonly referred to, drew the attention of HGTV’s popular series “Dream House,” and Hakatai’s glass tile was prominently featured throughout the house that Herr designed to meet the needs and desires of his young family.
The “Box House” that Herr and his fellow architect and partner Brad Tomecek designed was ambitious. Situated on a steep slope in the foothills north of Boulder, the house consists of four separate boxes that include a garage, studio, lower living area and an upper master suite, that when pieced together provide 2,300 square feet of living space.
Herr, a self-described “modernist” by nature, who believes in using different materials, colors and textures for interior design to create a more interactive experience, chose Hakatai’s versatile Carter Series of ¾” X ¾” mesh-mounted glass tile for just that reason.
“A fellow architect and friend of ours in Denver turned us on to Hakatai,” Herr said. “He had used that firm’s glass tile before and highly recommended it. We wanted to change the walls from classic gypsum to something that would engage the senses.”
The front door to the Herr’s “dream house” (completed in June of 2005) measures four feet in width and stands almost 11 feet tall - and besides the frame, is almost entirely transparent. As the main entrance to the house, Herr wanted to make sure that it made a bold statement.
“We chose the Carter series in Crimson Blend from Hakatai for the tile in the entryway (115 square feet),” said Herr, “and a lot of the punch in the front of the house comes from the color of the tile. We put high-gloss red cabinets in the kitchen to go in concert with the tile, and pulled the orange hue out of the blend, using that color to paint a wall at the top of the area. It set up a dialogue across the space that you can’t really see in pictures.”
Glass tile, an increasingly popular trend in both new building and remodeling, played a prominent role in this Colorado dream house. The size, color options, and versatility of Hakatai’s glass tile allowed Studio h:t the ability to go beyond just the visual, adding a sense of texture, rhythm and even contrast to the interior design.
“The master bedroom has a really sunny, open design shower,” Herr said. “Since most people associate the bathroom with water, my wife and I chose Hakatai’s Carter Series in Deep Blue Blend to tile the inside of the shower (165 square feet). Then we painted the walls yellow. The combination of the cool blue and the light yellow creates quite a contrast.”
A similar strategy was employed by the Herr’s for the more conventional bathroom downstairs that is mostly occupied by their daughter, Talia. The Herr’s chose Hakatai’s Ice Purple Blend (80 square feet), and took the cues from the tile to select the paint. Hakatai’s Carter glass tile, which runs from the edge of the tub basin to the ceiling, has a way of pulling the color out of the paint.
“We’ve had an excellent response,” said Herr. “The tile has a huge visual impact, particularly in the entry way and the master shower.”
