Introducing......"Arche"

Inspired by architectural and natural beauty, we are proud to introduce our latest design Arche.   As the dictionary puts it,  "an upwardly curved construction, a doorway, gateway, etc." 

 Well, we couldn't have said it better ourselves!  Arche is a gateway to myriad of design options.  Sophisticated curves to playful "scales" of the elusive Mermaid.  
To learn more about BonTon designs visit us On-line or on Facebook. 

It's all about TEXTure

Touch is one of the most basic human senses and often guides us through life. We see this all the time at trade shows around the country. Passers by can't seem to keep there hands off our beautiful hand made tile.

Well, we've made it more difficult to walk by. Introducing "Impressions" by BonTon. This line features custom impressed designs that are truly impressive! The line includes "Swirls", "Botanicals" and "TEXTiles". Yes, we are custom designing ceramic tiles with words of your choice. No one does that! See more at BonTon Online, or on Facebook.

Add some texture to your life with the coolest new designs in the industry.

Introducing "Tile Couture" by BonTon

After taking a hiatus from the world of Blogging we are back with one of the coolest new launches of the year!

Let's face it, in today's ultra competitive (and tight) marketplace you must do something to attract and keep your customers in new and creative ways. One way is to create excitement in your showroom that gets your customers to browse longer and interested in tile! "Tile Couture" will dress-up your showroom, create a visually enticing display and get the register ringing!

Mary Anderson, founder of BonTon designs, once again has combined ceramic tile and fashion. Trust me, that's no small feat! After the phenomenal success of the tile handbags and necklaces, it was the next logical step! "The number of directions we can go for this line is almost limitless" said Mary. Stay tuned followers of BonTon, you never know what could be next????

Every so often something comes into your life that makes a big impact. One such event happened to my family about 9 months ago when we welcomed our 3rd foster dog into our home. Mary started calling her "Lucky", and it stuck.

Lucky was obviously mistreated earlier in her life. However, over the months she assimilated into our home and made herself quite comfortable on her special place on the couch.

February 5th everything changed. On our way home from a trade show we found out that Lucky was involved in a dog fight and things didn't look good. Something snapped and no one will ever know what exactly happened or who is to blame. The next day she was euthanized and her light was snuffed out.

The loss was so sudden and painful. One day she was here and getting better, the next day shes gone. How do you fill that void? The thought of getting another dog is out of the question at this time. So about 2 weeks ago Mary sat down and began to sculpt a tile in memory of Lucky. The design needed to be simple, yet uplifting and fun. Mary says she thinks she sculpted tile design with her eyes closed. As one Facebook friend said, "The daisy represents purity and innocence....the very heart of a dog for sure."

"Chanceux" is the name we decided upon, it loosely means "Lucky" in French. There was never any intention of selling this new design as a stand alone piece. That is until we posted it on Facebook and inquires started rolling in. "How can I get one?", "how much is that?", I must get one?" are a few of the many responses.

Mary, over whelmed by the support, decided we can turn this into a positive situation. Since we can't take in another foster dog, why don't we raise money to support those organizations that care for these helpless animals? The decision was made to create our very first philanthropic deco. The proceeds are donated to rescue organizations that save dogs. These organizations are in desperate need of money and volunteers to carry out their important mission. They not only rescue dogs from bad (sometimes deadly) situations, but provide food, shelter, Vet care and much much more!

We have also created a dealer package for point of sale purchase with signage to promote the cause.

To see more and learn more about BonTon visit us on Facebook or on the web at BonTondesigns.com

If you love dogs and want to help please pass on the message to your friends and family, post it on your social networking sites or simply purchase a deco.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.

When in doubt....Diversify

As they say, “when times are tough……..” ya, ya, we have heard that stuff a few too many times! The truth is that the creative and resourceful are the ones that get ahead in tough times.

BonTon Designs continues to push the creative envelope by diversifying. Our new product line, “Complements by BonTon”, brings a new look to the kitchen & bath accessories market. The line has been created due to the demand of clients looking for something different. Sure, it is easy enough to go out and find a good selection of draw/cabinet pulls, switch plate covers and soap dishes, but how cool is it to have one (or several) that are designed to match.

Case and point. A recent client is doing an extensive bathroom renovation and doesn’t want to accessorize with the same old thing. They ask us for ideas and the idea is born. The custom “Rosie” soap dish we designed was such a big hit it led to a matching corner shelf too! Why stop there? To round out the line custom light switch plate covers, drawer pulls and even a toe rest (to shave your legs in the shower) have been designed.

The cherry on top is the added value to the sale. Mary, the owner of BonTon, says “you can easily add $400 to $900 to a sale by simply adding a few accessories”. “Once the client is committed, they are very open to adding to overall project, and at that point what is a few hundred more dollars”.

In these times give new things a try. Sure, we must stick to those things that made us successful in the first place but remember variety is the spice of life!

Fashionable Tile...The BonTon Way!

It is not often that ceramic tile is mentioned in the same sentence as a fashion item. The design guru’s at BonTon Designs LLC somehow found a way to make this happen. BonTon Handbags are the latest creation that brings fashion sense to the tile industry. “I love fashion and tile” said Mary Anderson, owner and founder of BonTon Designs Handmade Tile, “I just needed an outlet to bring the two together. Handbags seemed like a natural”.

These beautiful handbags are ALL handmade with ceramic tile from BonTon Designs. They are hip, cool and functional too! They come in a variety of shapes and any of BonTon’s 30+ glaze options. No matter what your style, BonTon has a handbag for you.

The word is getting around. Surfaces, the #1 floor covering event where thousands of industry professionals have the opportunity to see the newest and most innovative products in the flooring industry, will be featuring BonTon Handbags prominently. The show, February 2-4 2010 in Las Vegas, will be using BonTon Handbags as key part of their marketing campaign for the show. To see more about Surfaces visit http://www.surfaces.com/attendee/show-information.aspx.

To learn more about BonTon Designs visit www.bontondesigns.com. You may also see us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/pages/Golden-Valley-MN/BonTon-Handmade-Tile/89650528325?ref=ts.

Contact BonTon at info@bontondesigns.com or 612.201.0563 to get more information, or to custom order your handbag today.

Making it in today's economy

Hello BonTon Bloggers,

What does it take to make it in today’s economy? After all, so many large, international companies have either closed down or scaled back. So how does your typical tile manufacture/showroom/distributor make it?

One thing we have going for us at BonTon is that we have partner showrooms in many of the major markets in the U.S. This gives us an opportunity to see what’s happening in different geographical areas and emerging trends. While we understand what sells in Manhattan may not be the same thing that moves in South Texas, we can identify trends and what’s working.

So what is working out there? Let me throw out a few ideas.
Tile Stimulus Program: Home Carpet One- Chicago IL- This showroom partner, owned and operated by Joel Schreier (www.homecarpet1.com), had a big sale this weekend offering a nice discount for one day only. The BonTon hot line was ringing and sales were made. Moral: create excitement; give your customers a reason to buy NOW!

Social Marketing: I know, for most of us on the “other” side of 40 this may be an uncomfortable topic. However, the progressive showroom partners out there are embracing this medium. When you consider the cost involved with spreading you companies name to an almost unlimited consumer base…..well it’s fantastic. So many of these sites are FREE and very easy to navigate. Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogger, Word Press are just a few to choose from. Why pick just one? Several social marketing outlets really maximize your exposure on the web.

Make Some Lemonade: Okay, so you’re not all that busy right now. If you’re in it for the long-haul it may be time to make some lemonade. We have heard from showrooms from coast to coast about “special projects” in the works while traffic is slow. It makes sense. Why not take this time to improve the look and feel of your showroom, or clean out old (and many times out dated) displays and samples. These changes don’t have to be expensive. Here are a few ideas.
Paint – no cheaper way to instantly change the look and feel of your showroom.

Weeding: Take a look at your least profitable lines, it could be time to give them the boot. Weeding out the dogs will also give your showroom a cleaner look and direct more attention to your profitable lines.
Refresh – With fall approaching and the housing market improving, now may be the time to introduce your customers to a few new lines. Negotiate with these prospective new vendors. Create a win-win agreement, after all they want exposure you want some new looks! Just try to find lines that are not down the street because as we all know your showroom must be unique.
Back to School: Having a professional well-trained sales team makes a HUGE difference. Now is the time to invest in your employees and it doesn’t have to cost much. Many vendors will hold product training with you staff at no charge. In addition training re-invigorates sales people and many times opens their eyes to new opportunities in your showroom.

Be Creative: Let’s be honest, the old boring “Labor Day Sale” or “Fall Blow-out” sales are as clichéd as the blow-up dinosaurs on the local car dealership. Use buzz words from current events like “Tile Stimulus Program” or “Remodeling Bail-Out”. Consumers identify with these slogans and they’re fun. Potential customers are bombarded with advertisements on TV, Radio, Print and web. The best way to capture their attention is to get out side that BOX. Try something fun and new. Who knows you might attract a few sales?


These are only a few ideas for you and I am sure there are dozens more. We would love to hear from you about other fun and creative ways to jump start business in this economy.

Hope to hear from you soon, and be kind to your tile!

Kurt Anderson
BonTon Designs LLC
www.bontondesigns.com
612.201.0563