Infinite Color Possibilities
From our first tests of coloring Slate-ish there have always been more colors we wanted to offer than we could practically make happen. What started as 6 evolved to 20 then dropped slowly back to our existing 10. Some dropped from loss of color suppliers, others from lack of demand. The one constant has been that it flops between dark colors and light colors as to what is in demand month to month. The joke keeps proving itself, whatever color we make more of will not sell, whatever has low stock will sell. Henry Ford had the right idea:
The logistics behind producing and supporting a wide color pallete are not a small issue to overcome. Just producing, packaging and shipping samples becomes a significant part of our work load. More colors also doesn't mean more sales. Often it has shown to mean less sales. We get a lot of requests for other colors; a different shade of grey, or white, or even black. None of these are difficult to do, but custom coloring gets expensive and logistically challenging. In reality the cost for us to custom color would likely be more than most of our customer’s projects. Most of this is the shipping back and forth, as well as the set ups for us to do each custom color. The coloring itself is actually the easy part, so now anyone can create a custom color.
There are a lot of changes coming as we adapt our business to the post pandemic world. The direct to consumer model that worked so well before and during the pandemic is broken (it took us way too long to admit that it wasn't something we could fix). So we are taking the gains in production capacity and efficiency we made during the boom years and adding a Retailer Program as well as pivoting to commercial architectural customers. It's a big change and as such we have to modify what we offer to adapt to the changes in the market.
Beginning in 2024 our loose tiles are only going to be offered in a sealed, ready to color format. The seal coats prepare the tile surface to more evenly accept the paint color. There will be three seal coats to choose from: clear, dark and light. Precut Mitered Corners will be available in all three seal coats as well as upcoming outlet covers. Each seal coat serves a different purpose for specific top coat colors. Almost any paint works to color Slate-ish. Sample sets of seal coats will be available so you can test before deciding.
Clear is just a clear sealer and is the same as our current Graphite 2.0. Its good for mid-tones and colors like our current colors: Sand, Concrete, Bone, and Shadow.
The Dark sealer is like our current Asphalt. It’s really only good for when you want a black or maybe some washes over a black base. But Black is very popular so the dark base makes it easier to get that right shade of black without a lot of coats.
The light is our Flint. Sounds weird that we would use silver as our base for whites but it works. One of the main issues with a light base is getting the dark tile below hidden without a lot of coats, which flattens out the texture. Our silver light base has almost zero thickness but is able to completely block the dark material. It creates a good base for bright colors, whites, and translucent shimmer colors.
Look for video shorts going over a few of the different ways we have found to color Slate-ish soon. There are certainly a lot we haven't thought of. Some folks might not have the eye, or desire to do coloring. So we are creating an opportunity for those with the desire and entrepreneurial spirit to start their own coloring and installation business. Who knows, maybe after your install you end up starting a business doing it for others. It's a great way to make some extra money and have fun while doing it. Look for more information on this as we wrap up 2023.
Planks will be available in all colors, and a whole lot more. They are technically a commercial product but we will still make them available to DIY customers. They are all made to order, and as such have a 4 week lead time and a minimum order of 50sqft.
Thanks for all of your support in the past. If you have samples already your last chance to purchase loose tile is Dec 2. The last ship day of 2023 is Dec 10th. All colors of Loose Tile are on steep discount until Cyber Monday. If you don't have samples yet jump on it, there are a limited number left, and when they are gone that's it. If you’re interested in carrying Slate-ish in your brick and mortar location fill out this form. And if you are chomping at the bit to color your own Slate-ish be sure to sign up for our coloring course preview list.