The idea for Inglenook's thin brick tiles began over a decade ago when Inglenook Tile co-owner, Julie Good-Kruger, decided she needed bricks in the front foyer of her 1790's mill. That year, Julie and her daughter, Emily, had visited the Wright's Ferry museum, a historic home in Columbia, PA. There, Julie admired the soft gleam of the waxed bricks in the home's entryway and knew that she wanted bricks in the same herringbone pattern in her own home. The Kruger's home, however, had utilities under the sub-floor of the foyer and could not be dropped further, making full-sized antique bricks infeasible.

Thus began the search for historic-looking brick veneer.

Years later, after much search and inquiry, Julie had yet to find a thin brick that matched her rigorous standards for authentic look and durability. Frustrated that they could not find a suitable brick veneer and tired of living with sub-floor of the mill's entryway for six years, Julie and Emily decided they would make the antique brick flooring tiles themselves. Julie's background as an artist and her love for antiques and historic architecture guided them through the process, and, finally, a brick veneer that truly replicated the look of antique bricks was born.

After making and installing the brick tiles in their historic mill, Julie finally had her herringbone brick foyer. She also had the idea for a business. Surely, others shared her high standards for a brick veneer and would jump at the opportunity to have authentic-looking antique brick tile in their homes.

In 2003, Julie and Emily incorporated as Inglenook Tile Design and set out to sell their brick tiles to offset the cost of Emily's college expenses. Shortly thereafter, Julie left her design job in the collectibles industry and began devoting her life full-time to Inglenook Tile. In the past 5 years, Inglenook Tile has transformed into thriving business and continues to expand based on Julie and Emily's commitment to historic homes and timeless building materials.

OUR PRODUCTS:
Today, Inglenook Tile offers range of antique brick and tile styles, each unique and handcrafted. With the help of veterans from the Veteran's Administration Work Restoration program, we make every tile by hand using antiqued molds. The tiles then dry on racks and fire to over 2250 degrees Fahrenheit in one of our kilns to create a vitrified, durable product.

Tested by the Tile Council of America, Inglenook tiles have a rupture strength that exceeds the American national standard for flooring by four times. The tiles have also passed freeze and thaw lab tests without damage.

The result is the perfect brick tile, combining durability and strength with unsurpassed aesthetics, to transform your space into an historic treasure. To find out more about Inglenook Tile's product line, visit our Product Catalog, take a look at our photo gallery, and contact us for your free tile sample.

ABOUT THE OWNERS:

JULIE GOOD-KRUGER Julie Good-Kruger and her husband, Tim Kruger, started a collectibles business directly out of college, imagining that it would pay for graduate school. Instead, they operated and grew the business for over 20 years, then sold it to the Boyds Collection Ltd. in 2000. Julie stayed with the business for 4 years, in design and product development. Over the last 25 years, Julie has been a freelance designer for companies like Silvestri, Ashton-Drake Galleries and the Danbury Mint. She has been featured in numerous magazine articles and on covers, and has appeared on live HSN and QVC shows. She has been a guest artist at annual Disney conventions and her design work has earned her many international awards. EMILY KRUGER Emily Kruger is a recent graduate of Yale University where she received a B.A. in Environmental Engineering and in East Asian Studies (China). This fall, she will move to Boston and begin working as an associate for the Boston Consulting Group-and continue helping out with Inglenook Tile from Massachusetts. In the future, she hopes to pursue an M.B.A.