For the third year in a row, H.J. Martin and Son has won a residential installation award from Floor Covering Installer magazine and their annual Installation Awards. This marks the sixth year of the past eight the company has won an award in either the commercial or residential categories. 

The Installation Awards honor the most creative installers and interesting installations in a range of flooring categories. For the 2021 submission, H.J. Martin and Son submitted a ceramic tile shower install with 3-D tile. 

There were four residential flooring installers who worked on the project including Randy McArdle, Michael Holler, Chad Sternard, and Daniel Vasquez-Ortega. Interior Designer Lisa Hooyman from the H.J. Martin and Son Neenah location worked closely with Designer Stephanie Pacocha and builder Hartwood Homes to design and purchase the material for the shower, and other tile installations throughout the home. 

This particular shower features a classic and chic black and white scheme, but with an eye-catching twist. 

“Anybody that knows anything about tile will have a gist as to the challenges that come along with three-dimensional tile,” said Hooyman in an interview with FCI.

The black accent wall of the shower features a 3-D boomerang-shaped tile, which was installed with a fine grout line. Initially, the goal was to install it without grout for a more seamless look. Instead, a black grout was selected to match the tile, and only a trained eye will know that the lines even exist. Considering the weight of the black tiles, a fine grout line was difficult to achieve and still maintain a crisp and clean look.

While the back black wall is the main feature, the white tile on the remaining walls of the shower cannot be overlooked. The elongated subway tiles with a wavy zellige texture were installed vertically on the walls and base of the built-in bench, which is unique for showers. Additionally, a hexagonal black tile was used for the flooring and black accents were selected to frame the shower. H.J. Martin and Son also installed the glass shower door, which was done after photos were taken. 

The FCI Installation Awards are meaningful to the H.J. Martin and Son team, as they are voted on by peers in the construction industry. 

“It is a true honor to see our team so highly regarded year after year,” said CEO and President, Edward Martin. “Our crews are so talented and they deserve this recognition for always showing up to do the most intricate projects and doing them so well.”

Hooyman was interviewed by FCI about the project, to hear all she had to share, watch the video below. 

Previous individual winners of the Floor Covering Installer Installation Awards from H.J. Martin and Son are installers, Josh Carlson, in 2019 and 2020 for his work on two Master Bathroom Shower projects; Rob Pomeroy, in 2017 for his work at Camera Corner Connecting Point in Green Bay, Wis.; John Lancor, in 2016 for his work on the Fox Valley Hematology and Oncology Center in Appleton, Wis.; and Nick Mooren, in 2014 for his work at the Madison (Wis.) Central Public Library. Two prior team winners were in 2019, on the Florence Middle/High School Addition and Remodel in Florence, Wis., and in 2020 on the HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital Pediatric Emergency Center in Green Bay, Wis.