stories of sustainability: brought to you by Kevin O’Donnell
“Boneyard Brick”
No, the title isn’t literal at all, but we couldn’t resist hamming it up just a little for the holiday. In this case “boneyard” is a term used for imperfect bricks usually trashed out back since they are not very useful. Here, however, we enjoy Kevin’s tale of how this is one bit of trash that came to be reclaimed and made beautiful by Trikeenan Tileworks.
I moved from the northeastern United States to Los Angeles nearly fifteen years ago. Having been gone for so long I often forget what the fall season is like. I have trouble remembering brightly colored trees and piles of leaves on every yard. I have fond distant memories, but truly don’t miss them. However, each year at this time I tend to think about friends and family who live in the region.
This year I’ve been wondering whether my new friends Kristin and Stephen Powers, the husband and wife co-founders of Trikeenan Tileworks in Keen, New Hampshire, are enjoying the season. I visited their studio and one of their production facilities this past summer during a tour of sustainable building material manufacturers in New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Keene is a stereotypical New England community. Its historical, storybook charm makes you wish it were fall year round.
The principal reason for my visit was to see three new collections recently added to their existing lines of handmade artisan tile. Those collections are called Arctic Glass, Boneyard Brick, and Reclamation.
Arctic Glass is an addition to their Glass-Fused Ceramic Line. What makes it special? The artisans behind these tiles take 100% recycled crushed glass (both post-industrial and post-consumer) and fuse it to a ceramic back. The Arctic Glass colors are fired on a brown clay body, which gives the set a rather rustic look and feel.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51