Chic Tile

We remodeled our home, kitchen, laundry and 3 bathroom 10 years ago before Unilocal and got wonderful tile that you cannot find anywhere else. If you are into high end products that other people don’t have this place is great. We just had a burst water pipe that damaged our downstairs bathroom and laundry room and got a 1′ x 2′ grey porcelain granite type tile that nobody else has it looks great. Staggered like brick it looks out of this world. If you want something that is more than boring track home stuff that is cheap and you get high end tile that is worth more than what you pay for, this place is great.

There are so many tile choices available that it can be overwhelming to make a selection. That’s why I like shopping at Chic Tile. The store has a nice variety of tiles and the sample boards show creative combinations. Helene helped me select the tile for all of my bathrooms. When I described the other elements in the room, she quickly grasped the «look» that I wanted to achieve. She has a good eye and gives great design advice. I am really pleased with how my bathrooms turned out.

This place has a pretty good selection of tiles and it’s fun to check out. HOWEVER, they claim to not know the manufacturer of any of their tiles and say «it’s just how we get it from our distributor». That seems shady to me. For example, I took a sample home and loved it. Thankfully the name of the tile is embossed on the back of the sample so I was able to google it. But no one at chic tile can speak for the quality or name of the tile. I refuse to buy a product from someone who can’t answer ANY questions about it! I asked for a quote on one of the tiles (including tax and shipping cost) and the lady just threw some numbers out from the top of her head. So unprofessional and SO WEIRD!

I am sorry to have to write this review because I do think this showroom has one of the best displays and selection of quality tiles.
On my first visit to Chic Tile, after wandering around for a good 15′ without seeing or hearing from a single employee, I came upon the owner (?) and another customer who asked her a simple question about a particular tile. What I saw was the salesperson, in response, treat this older woman extremely rudely. She did not seem at all concerned that I overheard her awful customer service. This *smart potential customer quickly and quietly exited the store, I’m certain never to return. I put this out of my mind thinking maybe there was some history.
On my second visit, the same salesperson was quite rude and curt with me when I asked for a sample to take home. Okay, maybe it was late in the day and she had had a bad day. I know, I shouldn’t have returned, but I really liked their tiles.
Visit #3: This time she insulted me blatantly. She essentially accused me of stealing ideas from her showroom! Since they don’t allow borrowing of any samples, I took photos of some colors of a particular type of tile next to one I brought from my own home. In a very hostile tone I was told I ‘could not take pictures of her inventory!’ I am a bit slow to judge people, but this time I finally got the picture! I suppose visitors to her store must regularly photograph her tiles and then buy them elsewhere!
This place is like the coveted Soup Café in the Seinfeld episode, where, if you are not their type of customer or you don’t follow their unwritten rules, you will be quickly dispensed with by way of hostility, insults and accusations.
«No Tile for YOU!»
In case you still want to go there to buy tile just make sure you:
1. don’t ask an uninformed question about tiles: ie. can I get this in a different color? (experts/​designers are the only ones welcome here)
2. don’t try too hard to match the right tile by holding several different versions of it next to a tile from your home and taking picture
3, don’t dare ask for a sample!
Oh yes, I forgot, if salespeople are nasty to you and/​or another customer on your first visit, don’t return. It took me three times to learn but I certainly will not come back.

This was my 7^th stop in a search to match a main shower tile which we fell in love with but which didn’t come with quarter rounds (as a side note I would highly recommend purchasing tile that has matching tile components to avoid this frustrating quest). So imagine my relief and excitement when I walk into Chic Tile and the first thing I find is a tile that looks almost EXACTLY like ours! I must have looked like a crazy woman holding my tile up to theirs in different angles and lighting locations to confirm their perfect match.
The sales lady was quick to come by and I started telling her my situation, but my smile quickly disappeared as she curtly said that the vendor would not sell me just the quarter round because they didn’t want to run out of stock for their customers who purchased their main tile. I was confused — of the 6 other places I had been to, I had not heard of this requirement. And when I asked if maybe there was another type of tile that we could just purchase quarter rounds from, her reply was that she thought most of the other vendors had this restriction as well. After asking some more probing questions I got the feeling that either she was making this requirement up or that she didn’t want to go through the hassle of putting in such a small order. It was also like pulling teeth to get her to divulge another option that would maybe help my predicament.
As a result, customer service gets them a 1-​star, but I thought they did have a «chic» and modern tile selection which was the reason I had them on the «go-​to list» in the first place, hence the 2-​star rating (their prices were a bit on the higher side, so no bonus stars there). We actually have a lot more tile work left on our house, but I wouldn’t go back (if just on principle), because other tile shops like Bullnose Tile, Fireclay, and All Natural Stone have great customer service as well as good prices.

Selection — Personal intimate design — Family business
The first time I came to Chic Tile, I was amazed of how well the store was rich in choices, colors and displays where very well arranged. I had a suspicion that it was a family business and it is.
But let me tell you the best thing about this business is not only the amount of choices they have, but the personal design they have. There is nothing around like it. Meaning that, where they differentiate is crafty design between different type of tile shape colors and feel. There is no way I would design that in a lifetime, whoa, I was amazed by Helene’s listening and understanding about what I was looking for, her design was out of this world, with in a few minute she became so personal and understanding that her design was intimate and personal. I did mention a few tiles that I like and she politely mention that they would not work together. No, art school can help you with this! She gave me a quote, but at that time, I loved so much the design that I was ready the order right away, well I did check a few places for prices but I could not for the life of me go elsewhere given the fact that, this is a family business and she touched me with her design. Actually their prices were not on sale but very competitive from start. I did have to wait a few minute to get helped but the wait was worth it as I talked to designers rather than sales people. I would say that you will be back if they help design a Kitchen or Bathroom as I did.
To finish, I would say that they will make a design that you will not found at your neighbor, this is how they differentiate them-​self from their cookie cutter competition around the block, that I first visited…

Very good selection and excellent customer service.

As an interior designer, this is one of my favorite tile stores on the Peninsula to buy tile and a wonderful resource for my clients. They have unusual, high quality products, a lot of european tiles, and always up to date with current trends in the industry. They are very professional, helpful and friendly. I have been going to this store since 2006 and have always received consistently excellent service. The prices are very reasonable for the quality.

My husband and I just love this store. We purchased all types of tiles for our kitchen last year and were very happy and pleased with the results. Turned out wonderful. The tiles are so excellent with a huge selection to pick from. We now are remodeling our master bathroom and also have selected wonderful tiles. The service is wonderful with the nicest ladies around. They certainly go out of their way to help.
Update: 07÷18÷15
Since my last write up: Now we are remodeling our bathrooms. Adding their tiles and flooring purchased from Chic. They have been so helpful and very kind towards us over the years. Still getting wonderful compliments about the tiles, we installed years ago from them.

Nice tile selection and show room. Someone greeted me right away and offered to help.

Service — none. I walked around the store and no one asked me if i needed help. Keep in mind it was only me, and another couple who was talking to Sales Lady #1.
Price — They have nice stuff, but it is overpriced. You can find same brand and comparable design elsewhere.
Layout of store — This is the area they are better than other stores/​warehouses — their products are nicely colored sorted and placed on acrylic panels to easily go through.
Summary: I would not go there and buy stuff, no service and overpriced.
Don’t go next door to the plumbing store, the store’s service is even worse. They don’t deserve my business.

I have been in this showroom several times in the last couple of weeks and each time, although I have samples of cabinets with me, the person at the front is distant, does not even aknowledge that someone has walked in to the showroom. When a simple hello or good afternoon is too much to deliver, I wonder how they attract customers. I have heard from many people that they are rude, and a lot of people just use their showroom to get ideas and not buy anything due to poor customer service.

Wonderful store!
Amazing choice!
They have everything you could wish for!
I was able to find exactly what I was looking for, my order was processed most efficiently. The tiles were received in perfect condition, on the precise estimated delivery date which was a real relief!
Thanks to Joelle and Helen, very professional staff, my bathroom remodeling went finally quite smoothly!

I’ve been looking for tiles for a long time and was surprised by the nice selection at Chic Tiles. They have gorgeous and unusual high quality tiles and reasonable pricing. They have beautiful porcelain and natural stone and are competitively priced. I was quickly able to find several tiles that were quite lovely and would work in my house. Don’t waste your time going anywhere else.
Be careful of the location – it’s one block from Whipple. The numbers change in San Carlos and if you are in San Carlos, continue on Industrial heading South.

Very professional and friendly.
The showroom has tons of stuff and the sales team is very customer service oriented and have great ideas to remodel your bathroom. They have classic and contemporary tiles for every budget and taste.
The store is right next to a plumbing store and in fact, inside, there is a door that connects from the plumbing store to the tile store, or the other way around, if you wish. They are not the same business, but share a common door. Parking is plenty and easy because they have their lot as well as plenty of street parking.
I strongly recommend this place for your tile needs. This place has a higher level of customer service so check it out.

Decent selection of contemporary tile, nicely displayed, fair prices. Located next to the fixtures and faucets showroom so it’s convenient to go to both in one trip.
I was there on a weekend and the salesperson was swamped with questions from homeowners. Try to catch them on a weekday, or better yet, browse for what you like and then have your interior designer or architect do all the coordination.

Don’t you hate it when places that in theory want your business aren’t open on the weekends? At least Chic Tile is open limited hours — until 3pm — on Saturdays. (No Sunday hours, alas.)
The sales people were distant at first, but helped us nail down a few missing prices on unmarked items, and even found us a really affordable plain subway tile ($ 3 – 4 per square foot) when asked.