Old Port Specialty Tile: Fit to be Tiled
The team (left to right): Joe Capozza III, Jeanna Capozza, Joseph Capozza, Katie Capozza, Tia Capozza, Theresa Rosmus, Delanie Gleason-Hart, Lindsay Jolin, and Diana Viles.
The team will bring your project to life from concept to reality.
Combining cool shades of glass mosaic with wave-patterned porcelain tile yields a beautiful backsplash inspired by the coast of Maine.
A sampling of locally crafted and nautical-themed decorative tiles.
Using cutting-edge technology and skilled craftsmanship, even the finest details can be achieved in glass and stone mosaics as seen here in this fine tilework.
Tile showroom meets art gallery at Old Port Specialty Tile.
Using cutting-edge technology and skilled craftsmanship, even the finest details can be achieved in glass and stone mosaics as seen here in this fine tilework.
SHOP TALK – June 2014
by Veronique McAree | Photography Amanda Kowalski
Located on Middle Street, minutes from the heart of Portland’s shopping district, is Old Port Specialty Tile, home to one of the finest collections of unique ceramic, glass, and stone tile in Maine. It’s become a go-to destination for interior designers, homeowners, and DIYers looking to transform surfaces, kitchens, bathrooms, and more one tile at a time.
Beyond offering a vast array of materials, colors and textures, the team, including managers Katie Capozza and Theresa Rosmus, works hard to simplify the dizzying process of tiling, from concept and design to technical drawings and installation, ensuring their clients’ needs are creatively met.
As customers peruse and touch all manner of tile swatches and displays, the team helps them pull a design together, editing and re-editing to create a custom look.
The team’s mission is to help create spaces as unique as the people who live there. Unique often translates to custom work. Take the customer who wanted to pay homage to an old family camp before it was renovated. Using a photo, the team reproduced the camp onto beautiful hand-painted tiles to serve as a backsplash (and constant memory) in the new home.
What’s more: the small operation has a rich history—built on a foundation as solid as the tile they sell. Its sister company, Capozza Tile and Floor Covering Center, was founded by Katie Capozza’s grandfather in 1974.
Today her father, along with fourth-generation Capozzas (Katie’s siblings), run the larger business. Old Port Specialty Tile, now 14 years old, is the niche boutique alternative to its sister company (and big box retailers) thanks to their artisan lines and handmade tiles.
Pratt and Larson, Island Stone, and Walker Zanger are just some of the companies showcased. As Katie Capozza describes, “We gravitate toward collections that are classic yet with a twist, as well as the harder-to-find, more trend-forward lines. And if we don’t have what you are looking for, we can certainly find it.”
With interesting collections come interesting projects. Show up with a fabric swatch and the team will partner with manufacturers to replicate it on tile. Is it a mosaic project you have in mind? Last year, they created a mosaic mural for a Percent for the Arts project in a local school. A commercial job brought them to the Regency Hotel to work wonders in a few suites, while some requests come in the form of tiling dog showers. No problem. Old Port Specialty Tile is up to the task, specialty painted dog-paw tiles and all.
While there’s something to be said for simple, basic utilitarianism, what makes a house feel like home is the style and personality that you infuse into it. And you’ll find loads of personality and style at Old Port Specialty Tile. Go for a visit and see for yourself.
Visit Old Port Specialty Tile at 59 Middle Street in Portland or online at oldporttile.com.