Tuscany in Your Backyard

The Ozark Mountain Granite & Tile Co. in Galleria d’Italia in Ozark has a sink-less sink and an acre of tiles, and that’s just the beginning of this vast Italian-inspired showroom.

THE SHOP: Ozark Mountain Granite & Tile Co., 6001 N. 21st St., Ozark, 417-581-4600. (Mon.–Fri., 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Sat., 10 a.m.–4 p.m.)

ATMOSPHERE: Anyone who has a preconceived notion of how a tile store should look will be knocked out of his or her socks when entering Ozark Mountain Granite & Tile Co. Take one step inside the large, antique doors, and you will feel like you’ve been whisked away to Italy. Warm colors, antique stone floors and beautiful wrought iron balconies make you feel like you’re walking through a courtyard in another country. The feeling is deliberate as owners Denny and Jane Hush fell in love with Italy and wanted to bring it home with them from their last trip.

KEY PEOPLE: Denny and Jane opened 15 years ago with a two
person shop and expanded it through the years to their current 38,000-square-foot showroom, complete with three courtyards and a café-style kitchen. This is a family business with the Hushes’s son, John, as the operations manager and their daughter, Sarah, as an estimator.

WHAT YOU’LL FIND: Probably the most accurate question is, “what won’t you find?” Within this showroom lies an acre of tiles in exotic materials such as bamboo and stainless steel. But the store doesn’t just carry tiles; it has sinks, countertops, cabinets, furniture and everything you need to make your house cozy, inviting and uniquely your own. Visions of remodeling filled my head, as I drooled over some natural stone tiles that looked like little glittering sugar cubes. At $27.45 per square foot, I decided they’d made a great accent to plain tile, but I wasn’t even finished looking at the first showroom. I soon found out there were many more to come.

Granite and natural stone are the specialties here and can be found in all shapes, sizes and colors. Feel free to walk outside and browse the large selection stacked on the north side of the store. If you need a quick lesson in Earth science, any of the staff is happy to help. They actually gave me a cheat sheet explaining the differences between all the stones. Since all their slabs of stone are natural, interesting differences can be found in all of them, making it hard to choose one.

My favorite item in the showroom was located in the ladies’ restroom. A sink that was designed by Denny is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. By grinding an impression into a single slab of granite, a “sink-less” sink is created. It’s hard to explain, so it’s just something you have to see to believe. This incredible creation, called a Pietra Piana Preparation Sink, costs $450 plus faucet and stone. So for about $800 to $1,000, you can have a sink that everyone will be talking about.

There are also less invasive ways to update your home at Ozark Granite & Tile. It has lovely Italian pottery dishes by Vietri in rich colors. I loved the Rosso mug, a large cone-shaped coffee mug that fit perfectly in my hand and was priced at $32. The store also has delicate hand-blown wine glasses from Italy that looked heavy, but felt light when I picked them up. At $43 a stem, they were a bit pricey but looked great on the table with the pottery dishes.

Of course you’ll want new lighting to show off your new tiles or dishes, and the handmade pieces by Storybook Lighting are the perfect answer. Made of warm, patinaed metal paired with glass, they cast the perfect glow in any room. Check out the Knight Series wall lanterns on the walls of the front piazza priced at $370 each.

The other shops at Galleria D’Italia:

Baravetré Custom Cabinetry
6001 N. 21st St,, Ozark, 417-581-4600. (Mon.–Fri., 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Sat., 10 a.m.–4 p.m.)
Custom wood cabinetry pairs well with tile for a warm feeling in the kitchen. Check out their amazing furniture of hand-painted walnut. I loved a wine alcove that features cozy seating for two, wine storage, a tasting table and shelves for glassware and accessories. At $10,800 it’s an investment but cheaper than digging a wine cellar.

Cozy Creek Trading Company
5997 N. 21st St., Ozark, 417-581-5900. (Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m.)
Want your house to have the warm feeling of a log cabin? Then this is the place to shop. Rough wood furnishings, leather pillows, real bearskin rugs and warm wool blankets help you create your own cabin in the city. Check out their slate slab oil lamps priced at $30 or Wood Wick Candles at $18.00.

JAG Architectural Elements
6003 N. 21st St., Ozark, 417-582-2211. (Mon.–Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m.)
Finding the perfect windows and doors for your home is almost as important as finding the right home. JAG offers windows, doors, custom molding, and accessories in designs not found in the big chain stores. I loved the antique copper window frames that had been removed from the historic McAlphin House in Manhattan and made into mirrors. Prices started at $550 for a medium sized mirror. Custom-made crown moldings created in-house can match any design you already have.