Good Questions: Best Tile/Marble Store for Low Budgets?

Hello AT,

I'm looking for feedback on the best tile/marble store(s) for those on a very low budget but who want to avoid the big box (Home Depot, Lowes) nightmares. These places are barely okay in the burbs, but the NYC versions are like a trip to hell. No service, poor selection, endless lines and BORING tile selection! Help I'm desperate!

Thanks, JonL

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Dear JonL,

We'd recommend taking a look through our list of all tile shops and off the top of our head we'd say Quality Tile might be your source.

Anyone else??

Comments (15)

if you feel comfortable ordering over the internet, try www.susanjablonmosaics.com. you can order samples and they are beautiful. i just got my shipment of the glass subway tile and it is beautiful!

i second quality tile...

I would suggest the back room at Nemo Tile.

Nemo Tile is great and they have a new showroom with very helpful stff.

I also like Coverings ETC at 138 Spring St.
www.coveringsetc.com
Ask for Romina (though they are more expensive, the stone/marble slabs are amazing and unique).

I really liked Classic Tile on 86th street in Bensonhurst. Decent selection and very helpful staff, reasonable pricing.

If you are really trying to save money, try asking the shops if they have anything left over from other jobs in enough quanity to complete your project. If you are doing a small bath area or a back splash, asometimes you can luck into something that works perfectly.

You may get a bargain on the quality you were looking for or perhaps a better quality tile for the price.

For a real deal, I recommend www.mosaictilesupplies.com We used the 3/4" kaleidoscope glass tiles that are $4/sqft. They come in a variety of colors and patterns but I bought about 5 different colors, a tile grid and tile paper and made my own random patter. It was labor intensive but worth it.

These have been great suggestions (mainly for mosaics), but I'm really looking for a local store I can go to for more traditional 8x8, 12x12 and 18 x 18 ceramic tiles, narble and granite with interesting listellos but again, at bargain prices. Thanks!!

I would suggest a store I just recently went to close in brooklyn - SMC Stone. They had a very big showroom there and I think it would be easy to get to from NYC. they also have a website - smcstone.com

I second the reco for Classic Tile in Brooklyn. We just got our gorgeous indigo blue glass 3x6 subway tiles for our new kitchen backsplash. They look and feel identical to the glass tiles we found in all the Manhattan tile shops, which were all $35/sf and up. We paid only $23/sf at Classic and got MUCH better service when we walked in the door. They have a small but full showroom and the guys behind the counter in the back we very helpful - even though I was a girl shopping solo on the first trip. They even threw in a bag of grout (in the color of my choosing) for free, despite the fact that we didn't have a huge order (only 25sf). Our tiles came in about a week after we placed the order, which is about what we expected with a Manhattan shop as well.

Bella Tile in the East Village 11th and first is very nice.

how much tile do you need? we have really beautiful blue, green hakatai glass leftover from when we redid our bathroom + we were going to sell them on craigslist. If you are interested let me know and I'll send you pricing.

you might want to check out www.mudrastudio.com from brooklyn (unique design, arts & crafts philosophy); available in the city too.

We've been to most of the tile stores in Bklyn/NYC and the hands down winner is Mondial Tiles. The BEST customer service, like having a construction manager/designer on your payroll. Found most of our tile there (did buy a small deco piece at Home Depot--sorry), and they also made our Caesarstone tops. Nicest people, very fair prices!