Q&A with Stephen Fischer, President of Garden State Tile
Interview by Laurie Pellichero | Photo by Linda McManus
Tell us about the history of Garden State Tile.
Garden State Tile first opened its doors in New Jersey in 1957, where we have been family owned and operated since our inception. Since then we have expanded to 15 locations and 12 showrooms up and down the East Coast. In 2018 we officially brought our concierge design services and vast product selection to the Princeton community with the opening of our luxury Nassau street showroom.
What does your product selection include?
Our large catalog of offerings encompasses everything from porcelain, ceramic, glass, stone, hardwood flooring, and countertops to specially sourced decorative lines such as water-jet tiles, handcrafted glass tiles, artisan mosaics, cement tiles, exterior pavers, and more. To hold it all in place, setting materials, grout, epoxies, waterproofing, cleaners, and sealants are also offered to ensure your project looks and stays beautiful. Our Princeton showroom also displays and sells sinks, mirrors, vanities, and niches for cohesive design solutions.
How does Garden State Tile source its product lines?
We’ve spent over half a century building relationships with global manufacturers to ensure that only the very best quality products are sourced for our customers’ homes and businesses. Whether it be the marble quarries of Settentrione, the traditional manufacturing facilities of Spain and Italy, or the cutting-edge plants in the United States, Garden State Tile works closely with the people and the places from around the world who produce our collections. We are extremely hands-on from the design process through production which, in turn, allows us to offer the most on-trend and technologically advanced surfacing solutions available today.
Photo by Oak Design Project
What can visitors expect from your Princeton showroom?
Both homeowners and design professionals will enjoy our state-of-the-art showroom located at 203 Nassau Street. Our design center showcases our extensive, yet carefully curated, tile and stone collections through contemporary installations and innovative displays. Garden State Tile’s highly skilled design consultants are ready to assist you while managing every aspect of your purchase from selection to delivery. The showroom is also available to architectural and design professionals who are welcome to reserve our private meeting room with their clients for one-on-one consultations.
Where can readers see Garden State Tile collections installed locally?
Our product lines can be found throughout the Princeton community, with some of our most recent installations including Kristine’s on Witherspoon Street and Tacoria on Nassau Street. Both of these projects represent our ability to work closely with our clients to convey a very specific design aesthetic through tile and stone. At Kristine’s, a beautiful Bianco Carrara fan mosaic reminiscent of what is found in traditional French bistros was carefully sourced to set the mood for a one-of-a-kind culinary experience. At Tacoria, an encaustic-look porcelain was selected to mimic the appearance of traditional handcrafted tile in a more durable porcelain format that would hold up to the heavy foot traffic of the lunchtime rush. Additionally, our tile can also be found in many Princeton University buildings and Carnegie Center lobbies and offices, as well as notable retail locations like Hamilton Jewelers.
What sets Garden State Tile apart?
Just as important as the products are the people who stand behind them. Alongside our unmatched product selection, we promise to meet your tile and stone needs with reliability, accountability, and extraordinary service. Visit us to see why the homeowners, designers, architects, contractors, and the companies both large and small who have worked with us return again and again to Garden State Tile.
Garden State Tile
203 Nassau Street, Princeton
609.356.1100; gstile.com
Photo by Kristine’s Princeton