Shore homes have always had their own distinct look. Meant to feel like a retreat away from the everyday bustle of a primary home, these beach town properties require a specific design knowledge of the best materials to use. Enter Coast Tile & Marble Supply—started in 1965 by Joseph Eisele, then passed down to his four sons and now moving into the third generation. With a focus on personal service and teamwork, you will always be dealing with an owner, either directly or as part of a team. As the tile industry evolved from offering only a few types back in the ’60s, so has the company—expanding to a range of products including porcelain, marble,  mosaics and even luxury vinyl, hardwood and fireplaces. Coast Tile & Marble Supply works with builders, architects, designers and homeowners for everything from kitchen and bath design to entire homes, especially those in the Shore communities.  

House & Home spoke with Mike Eisele Jr., head of the design team, about which products and trends have left a lasting impact on Shore homes and which ones are newly emerging.

How do trends and styles differ in Shore homes?
Clients love neutral tones. Whites and grays are remaining very popular, and they lean toward porcelain over marble because it requires less  maintenance. For the true Shore vibe, blue tones are huge to achieve the ocean feel. We’ve been introducing textured 3D geometric tiles, often creating designs that resembled crashing ocean waves. The industry has come so far in terms of unique mosaics, where it really feels like you’re looking over the ocean.

Some of the newest things taking hold are large tile slabs—as large as 5 by 10 feet. It looks like one full slab with no grout joints, and the veins in the tile can be matched, so they flow across the wall. Full slabs like this used to only be available  in marble, but now there is a porcelain option that cuts the price in half or more. We have one of the largest selections in the area, offering an extensive variety of color schemes. It makes your bathroom look like something you’d see on a high-end design show on HGTV.

Has the pandemic shifted any design requests as a result of people spending more time in their Shore home?
We’ve never seen an influx of people flocking to the Shore line like this. Remote work capabilities meant people could work from their Shore  home, and we have seen a change in color tones, toward warmer colors and away from colder whites and grays. They want it to feel homier. Another interesting aspect is the increase of people from New York coming to the  Shore bringing a different taste than people who come from Pennsylvania, for example. We’ve added products in our showroom that have gold and unique metals to represent those styles and tastes because we want to cater to everyone’s design preferences.

Why is it important to work with a designer who understands the specific elements of a Shore home?
For a majority of clients, their Shore home is their second home, so they’ve been through a design process before and know what to expect, but that doesn’t mean it’s not unique and exciting. For their second home, they want to express themselves through their design. We provide a unique and diverse product line—products they can’t find elsewhere—and  put them together to make the home feel like a getaway through the theme, patterns and  color scheme of the design.

How are you managing consultations under coronavirus protocols?
We are offering both virtual and in-person consultations. In advance of these consultations, we want to prepare as much as possible, so we ask clients to send us inspiration photos, home style, color schemes, etc. This all guides us in terms of what products to show them once we get to the consultation. Once they decide to move forward, we do recommend coming in for a short meeting to confirm choices because some colors never truly capture through the phone screen.

What else stands out about your business and its philosophy?
We truly focus on the service end. We’re not looking to compete with the box stores—we want it to be a more unique experience. The process of designing and renovating  your home is fun and exciting. It’s an opportunity for people to show their personality and we provide the guidance to turn a boring space into a showpiece that makes them happy every time they walk into it. We go the extra mile, sketching designs or using renderings to help clients visualize the finished space. Once the project is underway, we’re involved until it’s completed. We understand that this is a big project—both expensive and time consuming—and we provide generations of expertise that is unmatched. Our goal is to turn a client’s house into a home.

Coast Tile & Marble Supply
Egg Harbor Township, N.J. | (609) 646-9346 | CoastTile.net

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 21, Issue 5 (Spring 2021). 
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