After my last review, the owner of the company (Steve C.) reached out to me directly. I've changed my previous review because it is quite clear that Steve truly cares about the customer experience at his company. He looked into my previous issue and conducted the type of root cause analysis that proves he is vested in creating a positive customer CULTURE! So while my experience could have been better, I'm glad to know that anyone else who goes in should have a good experience. And if you don't, I highly suggest reaching out to Steve. He truly will make a difference in a positive way. Thank you, Steve! read more

I do a lot of tile work and used to go to Home Depot because I liked the prices, but I finally realized that for not much more, I could get much better quality and would be way better off in the long run, as I could get more for my rental units. The service is very good here, but it's the "WOW" factor that I find is more important. read more

I cannot thank Kayla enough for helping me in the remodel of two of my bathrooms! She is truly an artist and knew immediately what I wanted and helped me to achieve it--from the tile in the showers, the shower trim, and the floors. She is also a genius at choosing exactly the right grout. Kayla was always there to answer any questions along the way. It was as if I had a partner in helping me to finally have the bathrooms that I always dreamt of. It also helps that she is genuinely a lovely person! Maxine read more

Rude and terrible customer service. I've been here 3 times and have bought tile from three different vendors in the area. The only reason I came back is because they have a small piece of tile I need, but I regret walking in each time. Not only do you have to always wait about 10-30 minutes to be "helped" but when someone is available they are not happy, rude and short tempered. It must be a common trait and requirement for their sales people because I've been in three times and each person was the same way. Even the receptionist is unfriendly..... save yourselves grief and take your business somewhere else! read more

The manager was very rude, not very helpful, would not give breakdown of estimated costs despite me having measurements, major attitude. The sales lady (the one with huge ears with 2 little boys with snot running down their nose) I spoke with, gave me one estimate for installing an under layer for engineered hardwood of 8800.00 not including installing the actual floor. Had gotten other estimates for less than (1500.00) that to do the entire under lay and hardwood install including 4 stairs. No thanks, I went to another store with much better prices and who left their kids at home, what a RUDE business and a RIP OFF ..!!!!!!! read more

After my first less then stellar review, the owner cared enough to respond, so I went back. I have had two really good experiences there since. I found the tile I wanted in SF. CTD ordered it, loaded it into my car and all was well. 5 star experience. I went back to purchase acid wash and sealer. A careful explanation given me by personnel in the warehouse allowed me to see this was not a DIY project. Another 5 star experience. I am a happy customer and am grateful for the knowledge of all involved. I found someone (actually standing behind me during the "not a DIY" conversation to seal my tile, and my project was completed beautifully. I'll come back for my kitchen remodel. read more

Really beautiful showroom, however, we found our salesperson to be very condescending. It was a big let down.

Not a good experience here: The customer service is stuck up, unfriendly, and completely un-helpful post sale. I bought tile to cover my entire bathroom wall and floors (wet room), and when we found out that metal scuff marks did not come off (post intallation, of course), I contacted them for a removal solution. Since my money was already spent and non-refundable, they did not care to help find a solution to my problem. I have tried 2 dozen diff products on the marks, in vain. I have had to post a sign in my bathroom "metal scuffs tile", maybe I should add: "don't shop at Ceramic Tile Design". Next time, I'll go elsewhere for my tile needs. read more

Really appreciated the customer service! I want to thank CTD for helping Excel Construction and our client when we were trying to match an uncommon tile size and finish. While CTD did not have the tile that we needed (because it is not in style and no longer made by any manufacturer), our design consultant David M. took the time to search their inventory for something that might work for us, and when we couldn't find anything "close enough", he and the receptionist spent the extra minutes to put us in touch with a local discontinued tile supplier and ultimately solved our problem. Thank you again for the great reception and customer service and I am looking forward to working with CTD again in the future. read more

Not impressed. Basically, I was informed that my business was not as critical as people who were present in the store. I was trying to pay for my order over the phone as it was created the day before by my contractor. (Who was physically in the store to do this.) He's stopping in as I write this to try to pick up the order. We'll see what happens. How is my order any less important if it's already been created AND I'm a paying customer? Will never do business there again. read more

Ceramic Tile Design has a great selection of specialized tile and a resourceful and informative staff. Sabrina, in particular, was quite helpful. She also worked with me to find a superior metal edging to our tile layout (much better than what you can find at Home Depot). read more

Somehow my review did not appear last time. Makes me wonder if these guys are paying Yelp to not post negative comments. I cannot agree to so many positive reviews. We went to the store about 2 weeks ago. There were 4 ladies sitting there, not even a single one got up to say Hi or to help. We had to specifically ask for help, and even then it took them 10 minutes to finish whatever they were doing which seemed more important than attending to a customer. The lady who helped us was just no interested and had an attitude which was hard to believe. The story does not end here, then we told here we were looking for about 900 sq ft which is really big order. Then their pricing was about $18/sq ft for crema marfil marble. We asked for the best price, we were told that they can give 10% discount but we have to pay freight as it is coming from LA. We were shocked again. We just walked out of the store, and decided never to go there. We ultimately bought the tile at Dal tile just a mile away from this store for approx $10/sq ft almost half price than this store. Not sure whether people who are buying here understand that there are better choices out there. read more

I just saw the comment below by the owner/manager. Let me respond here: This is not a competitor, but a client, i.e., me. Your previous comment suggested that your voice mail was down and other excuses: Here your message that you chose to replace with this one - I am sorry to say, I'm even more disappointed as you are trying to fool people on Yelp. I won't get into the detail as the review says it all, but consciously trying to call a customer a competitor with sour grapes - no, sir! Here you message again that you edited away - what kind of business practice! Hi, Apparently there has been a problem with our voice mail service and phone messaging menu as Diane did not receive them or most of them. We found this happening with a few other employees as well. Our system is an old one and we are in the process of purchasing an entirely new system. thanks, Steve Cerami Pres/CEO read more

We stopped by to look at tile and get ideas and was taken back by a man employee rudely telling us to "sign in". We had never been to the this tile store before and didn't understand. He didn't give us a reason why we had to sign in. He was very ill-mannered and unfriendly. After we signed in we waited and waited and was never got helped. The man crossed our name out on the sheet and put the sheet on the bottom leaving a blank sheet on top. He told us he didn't think we needed help. We will not be going back. read more

CTD has a great selection of tile, which we really appreciated for the tile accent work we're doing on our remodel. Daniel Gasperoni, the showroom manager, was great, too. Really helpful, professional and responsive. Thanks for the great product and service. read more

In case you haven't noticed, no one stocks anything any more. You go into a lighting store, you pick out some lights, they're like, yeah we can order it, 4 - 6 weeks. Gee. Isn't that what the Internet is for? At Ceramic Tile Design, they have it. Or they can get it for you. Fast. I picked out my tile for my new bathroom on a Thursday - by Tuesday it was delivered. Oops, I didn't order the right amount. No problem. By next Thursday, I had more tile. It's a beautiful showcase of a place, putting some of those San Francisco places to shame. And the service is impeccable. This is the kind of place that will survive this downturn because they know what to do serve their customers. read more

Tile can be one of the most critical aspects of design and construction. As a designer and project manager, I rely on Heidi Stauffer's expertise to ensure the highest quality and competitive pricing for our projects. Her ability to respond promptly and professionally in a fast paced, highly competitive industry allows us the timely delivery of a unique and successful finished product to our clients. Diane Ramsey read more

We received fantastic friendly and very helpful service here when shopping for tile for our fireplace. Their selection is massive - prepare to be overwhelmed by choice! They gave us 10 samples to take home without requiring a deposit. When we finally choose a tile, we snagged the last box of the slate tile we chose. We tried make do with one box by altering the design, but it did not pan out and unfortunately we needed more. When we called back the next day to order it they said they DID have it in stock - crates and crates of it, apparently. Phew! Misinformed salesperson aside, we had a fantastic experience with Ceramic Tile Design and will definitely be back when we finally redo the bathroom. read more

Poor customer service. Arrived at 3:05 for a pick up and they said the warehouse was closed today at three. Told me there was only one person in the warehouse though I saw two. Would not let me pick up despite it being a small and simple order. No apologies. read more

Went in to browse and get some advice on various designs. After 20 minutes I walked up to someone working there and started asking her a question. She was very rude telling me she was helping other customers although there were none in sight. She then combatively asked me if I had signed the sign-in sheet. I smiled and told her I did not know there was a sign-in sheet. She said it is right there on the table as you walk in, as if I would have to be a moron to have missed it or must be lying. I promptly walked past the sign in sheet and out the door. read more

Excellent customer service by Laura. Even on her day off, Aleisha called with the pricing needed. Follow up, ideas, consulting are all excellent. Thanks so much. read more

I had written a feedback email to the manager of this store and they did write me back and seemed eager to discuss my experience and said they were working on this issue of wait times. It was nice to get a response and to know they want to try to fix the situation. I did go in at a later time and had very short waiting times and good service. read more

I love this place! Cyndi Burkey is beyond the best. Actually everyone I have worked with there has been unbelievably helpful. Cyndi is totally professional, helpful,patient,fun,creative and a phenomenal problem solver. I am working on a large commercial job that changes every 10 minutes it seems. She just keeps on top of it with a big smile. The quality and selection of tile is also amazing. I highly recommend this showroom. read more

I've had a relationship with CTD for several years. As a Bath and Kitchen design and build contractor, I rely on the expert help and direction from the crew at CTD. I've worked with Therese, Laura, Valaria, etc. In both the San Rafael and SF location. Beyond the average tile store, CTD had in house product talks and demonstrations. I can't recommend them enough and have been vary loyal to where I get my tile, stone and supplies. They represent some of the best manufactures from this country and overseas. From hand made ceramics to beautiful sleek glass tiles. Weekends are pretty busy so keep that in mind. Best to call for a appointment if your project needs attention and time to work out. read more

I love Christine at Ceramic Tile Design. Great ideas, fun to work with, great service including hand holding for the novice DIYer. I also love the entire place. It's a wonderful gallery with great coffee and they support fundraising for helping to fight breast cancer as a bonus. I suggest that you take pictures of the area you plan to tile and grout. Consider if it is outdoor or indoor in the case of floors because you need to consider slipping, sealant and grout options. Show the pictures to Christine and let her give you feedback and the benefit of her experience. And did I mention they have great coffee. read more

I went in earlier this week to get a sample of a recommended Subway Tile. The woman who helped me was lovely, gave me a quote and a tile to take home. I was a little surprised by the cost of a simple subway tile. So, I went back today to ask for an alternative at a lower price point. It is a subway tile - nothing fancy. They connected me with a Sales person who was useless. She told me that the price point I was given was very good. What made me angry was that she never asked or tried to work with me AT ALL. She was slightly dismissive. So, I told her that would take my business elsewhere- which I did. Found a lovelier tile at Italics down the street....for half of the price. I can NOT recommend this business at all. read more

They are slow to respond, and gave us the impression that we should be grateful to wait in line at their store. Daniel Gasperoni took over 48 hrs to respond to my email. Then when we showed up in the store to order their tiles, Sabrina told us they were busy and we would need to wait. And we waited. Then we called a competitor, who actually beat the price by about 20%. So we walked out, Sabrina did not seem to care when we left. These guys obviously do not need anymore business. read more

(upgraded to four star review) Update: I am pleased to say that after hearing of my situation, management (Alecia) at Ceramic Tile Design in San Rafael stepped in and single handedly saved the day and allowed my project to get back on track. Upon receiving my tile at their warehouse, she had a truck (thank you driver) immediately head over the bridge to deliver the tile to my door step. I really appreciated the sense of urgency and her timely communication that kept me apprised of what they would do and when in order to resolve the problem. I'm upgrading my rating because this does demonstrate that they care about customer experience and satisfaction. Thank you. (one star review) Extremely disappointed and still waiting for resolution. If you look at all my other reviews, you can probably tell that I do not like to give bad reviews, however in this case I feel compelled to do so. The showroom is nice and has a good selection, this is what attracted me, but beyond that I have had nothing but frustration. I placed my first order and was told it would take five weeks to receive. I was nervous about that timeline since I have my contractor and electrician set for specific dates but was given the expectation that this length of time was conservative. As a result, I went for it but asked that Ceramic Tile Design just give me a status update so that we can ensure that things were moving along within the expected time frame. At 3 and a half weeks I call for a status update and finally hear that my order will probably take a couple weeks longer than expected. Wonder when they were thinking of telling me. They let me cancel that order and shift to another product which they assured me was in stock and would be available for pick up this coming weekend. Well guess what, I call on Wednesday and they tell me that this new product will now not be available for me to pick up. I seriously think that they would have let me show up Saturday without letting me know. I live in SF, so it is just enough of a pain to drive over. I'd like to see a little bit more initiative to communicate from these folks, a little more accuracy in their time estimates and/or perhaps be more candid as to what is possible or not so that I can make alternative plans. Now, my project will take at least three unnecessary additional weeks - thank you very much. And please don't tell me there was a misunderstanding. The urgency was known, I was even told that the product would be available Wednesday for pickup but since I couldn't make it over during the week I said I would pick it up Saturday, a whole three days later. read more

You will not find a more diverse selection of tile, more kind and approachable team of design consultants, and an exquisitely displayed showroom in Marin than at Ceramic Tile Design. As a Project Manager I've witnessed literally hundreds of projects go from ideas to completed pieces of art through this company. My clients always report how satisfied they are with tiles chosen for installation, as well as how pleased they are with the staff at CTD. The employees, on every level, genuinely show great care and follow through with each project. In addition the warehouse staff are very helpful and have a very warming sense of humor. The showroom and warehouse can be very busy at times; but if you enter CTD with a tad of patience and tolerance, you will find that your tiling visions can become reality with this company. read more

Very good people. They will go out of their way to help. Great show room. 5 stare from me. j.shelhart - Larkspur

The selection is incredible and quality amazing. You might find cheaper, but you won't find better. Besides, the owner and staff are awesome, knowledgable people who really want their customers to be happy. What more can you ask for? read more

Can you give less than one Star???? When we built our new home, I wanted to insure that we purchased a kitchen countertop that was pretty indestructible because I knew that we would be renting the property occasionally on VRBO. I purchased all of my countertops and tile at Ceramic Tile Design (CTD) in San Rafael, CA. I worked with a very nice employee there by the name of Daniel who is apparently no longer with CTD. I was particularly interested in the "Ice Stone" product in the "White Pearl". Ice stone is a recycled Glass and Cement product made by a privately owned company in New York. It apparently has a 10 Year warranty. I explicitly told Daniel that I was looking for a countertop product that could withstand heat, stains, and other hardships due to the fact that we would be renting the house occasionally. He assured me that the product would hold up to heat, stains, etc. and that it was very durable. I bought the product from CTD, and my contractor delivered it to North Coast Tile and Stone, in Sonoma County where it was bullnosed, sealed, the sink cut-out and installed into our house. Fast forward about 6 months after installation. The countertop where we normally prepare food is showing signs of acid pitting in the stone and an area near the sink is now darkened in color. I first reached out to Ceramic Tile Design where I was informed that Daniel no longer worked for them and to contact the Ice Stone Dealer Rep which I did. I told him what was going on and sent him pictures of the countertop at his request. He suggested I reach out to the installer North Coast Tile and Stone to see whether they could come look at it thinking that it wasn't properly sealed. North coast tile said that they didn't normally work with that product and wanted to get in touch with the Ice Stone company directly. I then received an email from the same ice stone representative who I had spoken to originally (a guy named Ryan Bloom) who wrote me a long email, copying the North Coast Tile and stone people and basically said that I needed to review their "Care and Maintenance" guide and their warranty to determine how I should think about maintenance of the product with a company like "Fox Marble" in their restoration division. He then went on to say that the product was as hearty as Granite and that it was basically user error that caused the etching of the stone. Basically a "Good Luck" email...you are on your own...we have no culpability. This is after he encouraged me to speak directly to the installers because he was sure that the product wasn't sealed correctly in the first place. As a multiple high end homeowner of many properties over many years where I have utilized marble, silestone, tile, and limestone...I have NEVER had problems like I have with this "icestone". Just a warning to any prospective buyers of this product...it does not hold up, the company does not take any responsibility in insuring that the product holds up, the company is not helpful to purchasers of the product and wouldn't even come out and personally take a look at my countertops after I spent over $10,000 on these kitchen countertops. BUYER BEWARE! read more

CTD was very busy when my wife and I came in to research tile options for our fireplace. We had to wait a little while, but Darryl was terrific in helping us choose some tile options and price out our choices. A little pricey, but worth it. read more

They had a nice selection of tiles, but no one could be bothered to help me. There was no receptionist when I walked in, and I found the sign in sheet and waited for quite some time until someone saw me. That associate was nice but when getting me a quote, tried to pass me on to another associate in front of me in a rather demeaning manner. Walked out of there wondering what had gone on. I also had some questions on the tiles for the bathroom but he never asked nor had the time to show me. Anyways, beautiful selection but based on other reviews and my experience today, think my husband and I will go elsewhere for our major rebuild. read more

Cyndi at CTD is wonderful! From the minute I walked into the showroom she expressed interest in helping me out. She pulled tons of samples and ideas for me and really helped me shape a beautiful design for our 2 bathrooms. Can't say enough good things about Cyndi and my experience! Thanks, Cyndi! read more

So this review pains me a bit as a general contractor...... Because on one hand, I have received some good service, and advice, from this business... On the other hand their advice ruined a stainless steel tile backsplash installation, and I cannot let that go... They recommended a product, a *very* expensive product, Bostik Tru Color Grout, as if they had used it before in this application, when they had not... I took them at their word, and the result was a scratched a scuffed (ruined) stainless steel tile backsplash. After having the problem, I returned to tell them about it, and received the big "blow off" and got the phone number of the Bostik rep., which was never returned... You know the line... We warrantee replacement cost only, blah, blah... The gory details: I went in there thinking I would get some non-sanded "regular grout", but the representative said that I should really be looking at the Bostik Tru Color Grout because of all its wonderful attributes - which read like a fairy tail. Of course this material is $70/9lb container vs. ~$20/10lb bag, so which do you think they would rather sell? I joked that $200 worth of grout should apply itself... The reality is two fold: 1) Bostik Tru Color Grout contains silica (as the aggregate) and this material is very abrasive, and therefore any material that is not ceramic or glass is going to get scratched like crazy creating a dull, hazy tile installation - that is what happened to me. Stainless Steel tile, and other softer stone material-travertine, etc. get ruined by this material. It is like using 150 grit sand paper on a glossy surface... 2) The concept of urethane grout is really a way of saying glue mixed grout, so it is not like regular grouts. And I quote from the bucket "Intial Cleaning: Immediately clean the surface of the tile to remove excess grout and haze using a damp spong (not wet, rung nearly dry). Do not attempt to re-clean any urethane haze from the surface of the tile after initial cleaning. Leave the sponge completely flat on the surface of the tile to prevent removal of grout from the joints." I just finished laying 1500 sq. ft. of tile, and have done thousands of sq. feet of tile in my experience. The problem is that the grout from the bucket is very "fluid" once applied, and in this state it is not possible to clean excess grout or haze before it is dry, without disturbing the initial application. This means that one must wait for it to dry. When it is dry, it is a *nightmare* to remove, because it is like removing dried epoxy glue! My guess is that this "haze" is commonplace, and that most users do not notice it because the main use for this product is on a bathroom / shower floor, and the sheen is not noticed. I now have an entire backsplash - ~600 2x2 tiles that have to be hand scraped individually, because their patterns alternate, to remove the haze... And the scratched tiles are impossible to fix without ripping everything out and starting over. Shame on CTD for recommending this product without ever really using it for this application, blowing me off when I expressed my dissatisfaction, and shame on Bostik for not clearly articulating: 1) the best (only) applications for their product, and 2) that the haze is something that will have to be dealt with in high visibility applications - i.e. it is impossible to avoid... I will be looking for avenues to post this to reference to Bostik Tru Color Grout, as I feel they are even more to blame, because, like a super expensive Pinto, this product is fatally flawed for many applications... read more

Amazing Help with GREAT customer service i must say !. The wait is hectic at times but i preferably schedule an appointment with a designer. UNLIKE some of you guys that wrote BAD reviews, Its called "patience" you just have to be able to tolerate and understand that just like EVERYONE else they are busy with a client and give those people the same amount of time as if you were the one being helped. If you guys don't like the wait time then schedule a appointment next time instead of bashing on them ! this place is the best tile stop anywhere. I highly recommend this place for any future Kitchen, Porch, Bathroom Projects you may have. read more

We were very disappointed (and surprised) to have had had such a bad experience with Ceramic Tile Design. We opted to go with a high end tile shop for our tile backsplash, knowing we would pay a higher price but expecting great quality and service in return. After coordinating the date for our tile installation, the tile finally arrived and it was the completely wrong tile. While they said they were sorry, they would not expedite the correct tile being ordered/delivered, which caused us significant problems with our whole project and timeline. They offered no compensation for all the problems this created, which was really surprising. We were really extremely disappointed with them. read more

Earlier this year I worked on my Kitchen renovation and am currently working on renovating my master bathroom. Ryan, Sabrina, Cyndi and team have been so wonderful to work with. They are true professionals. They have been incredibly helpful during the selection and design process. I would highly recommend them for any project large or small! read more

Sabrina at Ceramic Tile Design is the best! Her knowledge and expertise in tile design, along with her pleasant and helpful attitude made the daunting task of choosing the perfect tile for my kitchen a really pleasant experience. I will definitely go to her for future projects as she was awesome to work with! read more