Glass Oasis

Even though it dates back thousands of years, there’s nothing like glistening glass to transform a bleak bathroom. Five entrepreneurial friends have been championing glass tiles since launching Oceanside Glasstile a decade ago. But the Carlsbad company doesn’t just manufacture tiles--it recycles mountains of beer, juice and sauce bottles in the process. “[Recycling] is a great rallying point for us,” says Sean Gildea, 34, president of the eco-conscious business.

Every two weeks or so, 50 tons of crushed glass from neighborhood recycling programs arrive at the factory, ready to be transformed into squares of art. After a night in the furnace, the molten substance is then scooped into molds and cooled. Jon Stokesbary, an Oceanside Glasstile founding partner, designs the prototypes; he’s a ceramic and glass artist from South Laguna who often exhibits at the Laguna Beach Art Festival.

The finished product, which retails for about $20 to $30 per square foot, sparkles like ripples in a pond. Tessera tiles, one of four lines, are particularly popular in bathrooms, Gildea says. The tiny squares, available in colors such as Midori (light sage green) and Moonstone (ultra-pale blue), can be laid out in mosaics. The Casa California line’s 4-inch squares are embossed with oceanic motifs such as conch shells and starfish, and are available in clear or amber, with or without iridescent finish.

Gildea notes that the tiles are sturdier than homeowners might expect. “People think of glass and they tend to picture something fragile, but our product is very durable,” he says, adding that the breaking strength of Oceanside’s tiles is about two to three times that of ceramic tiles. “Just be careful if you happen to be using a hammer nearby.”

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Oceanside Glasstile, 2293 Cosmos Court, Carlsbad; (760) 929-4000; www.glasstile.com.