Catalina Tiles and Fiesta Dinnerware

Two of my mother's sisters have wonderful collections of the original Fiesta Dinnerware pottery. I have always expressed an interest in Fiesta; last year when we moved the older sister and her husband to a nursing home, she told me to take her Fiesta collection. The younger sister has since given me a few serving pieces as she is still using the dinnerware.

I am eager to display the collection in my new kitchen; however, much of it is cobalt blue and turquoise (which I have nowhere in my house). I've been trying to think about ways I could use cobalt and turquoise somewhere in my kitchen so that the Fiesta Dinnerware will make sense.

Well, when we were on Catalina Island, on Carl's high school reunion cruise, we found a potter who has specialized in reproducing the original tiles which decorated the seawall and other structures in the town of Avalon as well as many residences. She was asked to assist in the Avalon renovation effort and has found a market for continuing the production of these tiles.

She has created a floral collection (3 of which are pictured above) and Carl and I immediately knew we wanted to use them in the backsplash in our kitchen -- the flowers are cobalt, yellow, tangerine, and several shades of purple. In addition, she mixes her own colors so she said to send her pictures of any of the Fiesta pieces for which we need a matching color of tile.

We are SO excited: we can incorporate Carl's heritage (as he spent some of his "ill-spent youth") on Catalina Island); an historic restoration; a unique design; and the colors we need and want in our kitchen.