Where to find distinctive tiles in Southsea
Taking a stroll through Southsea this week, I popped into one of its more recent additions and had a warm welcome from Helen of Tiled, a boutique tile shop on Marmion Road, Southsea.
Why boutique? Because this charming shop is no tile warehouse where you wander around dazed, confused and overwhelmed (I speak from experience). Helen offers a very personal service and a range of beautiful and unique tiles that stand out for their colour and quality.
She says: “I’m a huge advocate for decorative tiles. They can really make a statement in any room. Many of my customers choose ornate tiles to make a feature in one area, then use plainer ones for the rest of the room. It draws the eye and, if you choose a distinctive colour or pattern, it adds character to what can often be a functional room. Kitchens and bathrooms deserve to be beautiful spaces.”
Tiled opened in Southsea in April, but Helen had already been trading on Hayling Island for over two years. She was mulling on a move when a customer told her that she offered something really different, which spurred her on to take the risk. Helen declares that the move to Southsea was the best decision she could have made.
“Since we moved the business has flourished. The abundance of period homes in Southsea means there’s more demand, and people here seem more adventurous and creative. Plus we have a great location opposite Waitrose and everyone who comes in has been so friendly.”
The growing success of the business is no doubt also down to Helen’s own warm, friendly manner, attention to detail and her creative flair. She’s happy to offer advice and to make suggestions – or even whole mood boards – and tells me that customers often arrive with no idea what they want, or perplexed by the choices available, and leave feeling excited.
While I’m in the shop one delighted customer pops into show her photos of her recently tiled bathroom, while a customer from her Hayling Island days places another order.
“I love it when people come back in to show me the finished results,” she says.
For a relatively small shop, there’s an impressive range on display and nothing beats seeing the product there in front of you. While I’m especially taken with some pretty pink patterned tiles, I know that in a few months I’ll need some plainer ‘indoor-outdoor’ floor tiles to blur the boundary between my kitchen and garden. And of course, Tiled stocks these too. Noted.
Those pink tiles though…
Tiled is the local stockist for Ca’Pietra and stocks a wide range of other tiles to suit all budgets and tastes.
You can find the shop at 45 Marmion Road, Southsea PO5 2AT
