Nawal Motawi Designs Tiles That Turn Your Home Into A Work Of Art

Nawal Motawi, founder of Motawi Tileworks in Ann Arbor, Michigan, embodies the entrepreneurial spirit: She had a vision for a business that didn't exist and the determination to create it. Inspired by a mural created by her University of Michigan ceramics professor for a Detroit People Movers station, she says she knew from the moment she saw it that she would make tilework her life's work. "I really wanted to make a mural like that," she says as though it were yesterday.

Nawal did begin her career with Pewabic Pottery in Detroit, fabricators of the tile used in her professor's design and one of the country's oldest, dating back to 1903. Despite success at the company, Nawal says that becoming an entrepreneur was inevitable. "There were things I wanted to be able to do that I wasn’t going to be tapped to do. I hired and trained my replacement and started to build my own business part-time. My parents rented a house and detached garage to start me off making tile the way I wanted. The handmade tile industry didn’t exist—I had to figure out how to be in the business."

Nawal did her research, attending the International Tile and Stone Exposition, talking to presenters, the few Tilemakers she could find and formulating a plan. "The best advice I got was to decide how you want to work with your customers. So I came up with a plan forsampling and figured how to show what I could deliver," she says.

Nawal got her first customer after taking a table at the Ann Arbor Farmers' Market at a cost of just $11! The assignment was to design a fireplace. The result was so well received that the woman's neighbor ordered two different installations. An article on Nawal was published in the local paper and the business took off from there. "I outgrew the garage within three years," she recounts.

Her passion is just as strong today, 20 years later, and very evident in Motawi's distinctive tiles, known for their rich glazes and uniquely American designs, inspired by nature, art and architecture. Their complex beauty and fine craftsmanship enable people to own and enjoy art that won’t go out of style and will last for generations, whether as floor-to-ceiling installations or single pieces of from the vast gift tile collection.

Over the past two decades, Nawal has met the challenge many entrepreneurs face—how to grow a business without compromising the hands-on detail that makes the product a standout. "A lot of creativity goes into how the company runs," she says. "We adopted a few techniques from Toyota production after working with a grad student in industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan. We became a case study—we went from nice artistic people who were a little disorganized to capable people who understand what it takes to get tile done. We still operate as a cottage industry—we make as much in a year as other companies make in a day."

Quite small by mass production company standards, Motawi Tileworks now employs a staff of 30, including 8 artisans to do the intricate glazing work, and makes over 15,000 square feet of tile per year.

TotalHousehold talked with Nawal about topics from her design aesthetic to advice on selecting tile for your home.

TotalHousehold: What are your sources of inspiration?

Nawal Motawi: I'm inspired by art books of fabrics, patterns, posters, Art Nouveau design, Arts and Crafts period graphic work. I still go back to historical tile catalogs and museum exhibits showcasing 20^th century work. I still haven’t covered everything I want to do—our green, yellow and black glazes would look fabulous with art deco motifs.

TH: Are your designs influenced by trends you're seeing?

NM: I don't consider myself trend driven, but we're not unaffected by what's going on in the world. We pay attention to what sells. If a design falls flat in our testing, it's not going to be released. We do test marketing in our shop or on the website. The first focus group is my staff. We have a design and approval charrette of sorts, especially for the gift tile.

If I think it will sell and the staff doesn't, it probably won't get made.

We evolve like musicians. Our color palette has evolved—there are more grays and yellows with black and white. It had been more Arts and Crafts—oaks and greens. Sometimes a fresh coloring, like butter, which is very current, allows us to keep a piece we like in the line.

Nawal’s Tiger Swallowtail design was inspired by singer/songwriter Beth Patterson’s song of the same name. The two butterfly designs—Tiger Swallowtail (left) and a Queen Alexandra Birdwing—will soon be joined by a third butterfly tile, a South American Callicore.

TH: Is the tile backsplash still current?

NM: Absolutely, though the standard 4.25" tile grid look for the backsplash is gone. There's so much variety in marketplace. Tile of all shapes, sizes, materials and finishes is available, but they need to be handled with taste. I love to see an overall statement and not little pictures of fruit or seashells.

In the kitchen, the backsplash is the element that shows—make it look as rich and natural as the other elements. The backsplash needs to harmonize with cabinetry and countertops. It can be focal point, but it doesn't have to be.

TH: How to I start to put together a tile pattern?

NM: That's tricky. Most interior designers don’t have specific experience in tile layout, and very few homeowners can do it on their own. Getting the right design help makes a big difference. Look past your first thought. Our expertise is in taking customers' desires and bringing them to life. We offer layout and installation design. We have two people who work fulltime with clients on design projects. The first meeting is a reconnaissance mission—we discuss things the client likes and work to come up with an estimate, a ballpark price based on square footage (on average, this is $125 per square foot). The timeframe might be 5 to 10 weeks from start to finish including the production of the tiles. We've worked with long-distance clients over the phone and by email, and through showrooms, like the Renaissance Tile & Bath chain and Chelsea Arts Tile Stone.

In terms of choosing a color palette, interiors designers are a great help with color choices, but start by asking yourself what's your dominant color, then next in line—that hierarchy is important.

TH: What are your tips for choosing a tile installer?

NM: Aptitude is more important than length of experience. Ask a friend who's fussy to tell you about an installer they like. People who are combed and kempt are going to be tidy in their work. At the first meeting, they should spend time on measuring and layout—how it's going to sit and map out where cuts are going to be. They should be asking questions, and it's fair to expect someone who can communicate.

Don’t be afraid of hiring someone who wants to charge by "time and materials"—you don’t want someone hurrying through because they underestimated their time on a flat fee estimate.

TH: One of the most special facets of Motawi is the gift tile catalog. In addition to your own designs, you offer designs from Frank Lloyd Wright and Charley Harper who's known for his whimsical, designed treatment of the natural world. How did that come about?

NM: I was exposed to Charley Harper's work some time ago. I thought it would work with our technique—it's charming, fresh and strong, and different than my work. I went searching for the licensing. For Frank Lloyd Wright, the license work came to us—we knew a member of the board of trustees. I had tried to do something evocative of FLW on my own years ago, but the artwork was just not good. There's very something about the way Frank Lloyd Wright puts things together.

Charley Harper's Ladybug, Hare and Cool Cardinal.

TH: How can people use tile as art?

NM: A lot of people enjoy tile as art pieces. For an apartment dweller, when mounted it's nicer than a print. You can create a still life on a display shelf, the way you would frame photographs. Our tiles have a notch in the back for easy hanging, so you can create a collage or salon wall. Placing one on a desk easel is another option—our project manager, Barret Roebuck designed the one we offer. Framing is nice if it's in your budget—that helps a tile "take up" more space. You might have a group that's framed together in a hallway.

TH: How important is being made in the USA for you?

NM: There's no question. It would be unthinkable to not be made here. Our production people are close to our designers since much of our tile is made to order. Design and production are tighly linked.

Backsplash Basics & More: Nawal's Design Ideas

·Use contrasting sizes, and go for big size differences. The relationship between a 6" square and a 2" by 6" border is dead-looking because they're not different enough in size. Try a 1" tile next to 6"; without changing color, you can create a big impact.

·Use small amounts of different tiles to add flecks of color into a monolithic backsplash.

·Try the collage look—different sizes and textures in same color family. It's rich, but not busy in a way that’s irksome.

·Rule breaking opinion: Almost always choose a grout in a darker tone than the tile because you want the tile to stand out, not the grout—when we see that happen, we called them grout-stallations. We're not proponents of white grout. White grout doesn't stay white, nor will light gray. I love black, dark charcoal grey and natural gray (a warm middling gray) grout. We also like TEC brand grout.

At Home With Nawal

Nawal’s Zelda Fireplace. Nawal had moved from a 1920s farmhouse to a ‘50s California-style ranch, and she had Motawi design and install her new floor-to-ceiling fireplace. She required a new aesthetic—a departure from her previous Arts & Crafts-period décor. Her new home’s existing fireplace was a monolithic painted cinderblock that made no statement. She wanted something that was in keeping with the period. Additionally, the fireplace was in a heavy foot traffic area. This was not a fireplace where you’d place two chairs in front to enjoy—the design elements would have to be such that they could be appreciated from afar and from multiple angles. The designers decided to use Zelda design tiles. Nawal loved what could be done with the striping gradation she saw in the samples. They were also well suited for covering a lot of area, as almost 60 square feet of handmade ceramic tile is used on the project. The designers needed something sympathetic, but not overpowering with color. Sixteen different colorway variations of Zelda create the powerful ribboning that is the strength of this design, with matte black field tile acting as the canvas for the art tiles. The project was completed in six weeks. “Wow!” is a typical reaction of guests who see it for the first time. The fireplace matches the design aesthetic of the decades-old home, yet makes a fresh and exciting statement.

Nawal’s Kitchen Backsplash. Nawal had moved from a 1920s farmhouse to a 1950s California-style ranch, and she had Motawi design and install her kitchen backsplash. The kitchen had multiple countertop surfaces, including stainless steel and active granite. They were challenged to create something rich and harmonious—and something that would look good up close. It was a galley kitchen, so there would be no “long view.” They also had to be careful to not compete with the granite. Nawal picked out her decorative tile and knew she wanted a textural feel. The designers provided a solution of playing matte against glossy finishes instead of using color. She chose black and a very small amount of oak color to relate back to the granite. Vertical bands of 2x6 field tile in a random array of matte and glossy black are interspersed with Motawi's 2x6 Shorty tile. The single short stripe of the oak color, found on each Shorty tile, creates just the right amount of movement on the backsplash. A total of 40 square feet of handmade ceramic tile covers the two walls of the backsplash.

For more check out www.motawi.com. You can buy Motawi tiles in the company's online gift tile store, at their Ann Arbor gallery or at showrooms, galleries and gift shops nationwide. If there isn't a showroom in your area, call them at 734-213-0017 and one of their installation designers can assist you.