2024 - any color you like, as long as it’s black…
Adapt or perish, as the saying goes. As we close 2023 that saying has been our subtle background noise. While the past few years have been some of our biggest, that trend has come to an end in the past year. So after trying about everything we could think of to turn that trend around again, there comes a time to change course entirely and adapt to the new environment.
Thankfully we are small so we can change course quickly. It's something we have had to do a few times in our 15 years of making Slate-ish. Who its not as easy for is our customers. Colors, shapes, and installation method changes can be difficult. When you find something you like and then it's no longer available it can be frustrating. It happens to almost everything I like, so I've learned tricks like buying multiples of clothes and storing them away for when the current one is worn out.
Unfortunately that doesn't really work for wall tiles. So instead we have been posting from the rooftops and to everyone who will listen that big changes are coming. In the hope that our customers' plans can have time to adapt as well.
So what's changing, you ask? Here's the list.
1. All current colors are discontinued as of NOV 30th 2023.
2. Loose tile will be offered in 3 colors
RAW - This is material straight off the splitter. Colored by customers on site.
CARBON - This is the blackest matte black coloring possible on the RAW material.
SOOT - The OG Slate-ish. Solid black material with a more flaked textured split face.
3. Loose tiles will be sold as all thin or all thick. This lets customers pick how deep the relief is.
4. Corners are now by the individual lineal foot instead of 8 at a time.
5. The suggested loose tile adhesive is FRP mastic. We will offer tinted mastic. No more need to paint the wall dark before installation, and no more dripping caulking guns.
6. Cases are 10 sqft of thin or 4 sqft of thick. You can more easily hit the exact amount you need.
7. Shipping is going to be the actual shipping charge for your location and quantity, via UPS Ground. For most it will be less, for a few it's more.
8. Planks are 36" long and on an interlocking 1/4" MDF backer. Designed for commercial use and fast installation. 4 week lead time. 10 sqft cases. Install with a brad nailer and optional construction adhesive or sound isolation caulk.
9. RAW and CARBON loose tile and corners ship 1-2 business day from order. SOOT loose tile and corners have a 4 week lead time. The SOOT raw material is from new sheets not scrap like RAW and CARBON.
10. Samples are thin loose tile pieces. You get all three loose tile colors per pack. $2 for all three + actual shipping. RAW has extra tile for test coloring on site.
11. We try to take care of our customers. So we are keeping at the ready everything we need to make the existing colors until NOV 3O, 2024. Any customer who has ordered (samples or tile) can still get the existing colors of loose tile for one year by emailing us directly. There will be a long lead time for these after last call orders. But if there is a project you had been planning it can still happen as long as it's within the next 12 months. After this time next year we will no longer keep on hand anything to produce the current pallette.
This is a huge pivot, we know. We want to thank all of our customers for their support in helping us grow to this point. There are specific reasons behind each change we are making. Some are improvements, some are business necessities. Slate-ish is growing up and moving out of the house (and into commercial spaces). We hope these changes will give us the best chance to survive and grow in the future. Look for videos illustrating coloring on site. There are a lot of cool ways to color that were not possible for us to do commercially. Coloring has been one of the most challenging aspects of our production. Not the actual coloring part but how to do samples, pallettes, inventory etc. So for a bit we are going to copy Henry Ford, "Any color you want as long as its black".
If you have any questions please let us know.