Thirty-plus years of shared tile love, three California showrooms, and a family legacy still making magic by hand.
The plan was simple: fly to Los Angeles to visit our son at Occidental College, grab some tacos, maybe a sunset. But tile people can’t help themselves. When you’re a few miles from Mission Tile West—Motawi’s longest-running (and exclusive) dealer—you make a beeline for Pasadena.
What started as a quick “hello” turned into a behind-the-scenes tour with Robert Adamson (third generation at Mission Tile West and an Oxy grad himself) and his aunt Tisa. Two steps in, and I was grinning: trays of terracotta, screens drying on racks, and a painter with an impossibly steady hand pulling glaze lines like it was second nature. It was the kind of studio hum that tile folks dream about.
Why Mission Tile West Matters (A Lot)
Mission Tile West isn’t just any dealer—it’s the dealer. Their three California showrooms—Pasadena, Santa Monica, and Costa Mesa—are the only showrooms outside the Tileworks where you can order Motawi architectural tile. That’s a rare, curated arrangement built on trust, craft, and a shared love of doing things the right way.
We’ve been together for more than three decades, and you can feel the history in their galleries: time-softened Craftsman hearths, jewel-toned backsplashes, and concept boards that have guided countless homeowners from “maybe tile?” to “oh wow, Motawi!”
Years ago, when Nawal made the decision to step away from the traditional showroom wholesale model, she did so intentionally. Handmade tile requires care, education, and a certain way of telling the story. But she made one exception: the very first company to carry Motawi tile outside of Ann Arbor. That company was Mission Tile West.
It was a decision rooted in trust and shared standards, and it remains singular. We don't wholesale our tile to other showrooms, and we don't plan to. This partnership is unique by design.
Robert told me early in our visit, “We do a Malibu revival on a red-body terracotta clay, and then we do a revival on a white-body clay. We probably have at least 200 decorative tiles to choose from—people just pick their colors and we make them.” He gestured toward rows of screens and patterns. “These are screened on, and then droppers are used to color them.” Listening to him describe the process felt instantly familiar—careful, methodical, and deeply hands-on in the same way we work every day in Ann Arbor.
A Walk Through the Workrooms
Robert walked us through the brush line, where artists hand paint tiles either with stencils or freehand. “She can do anything you want,” he said proudly. “Give her a picture of anything and she’ll paint it.” Around us, an artist was finishing a platter in Delft blue. “That’s actually one of my favorites,” Robert added.
Then we met Tisa, who’s been with Mission Tile West for over 30 years. She led us to a room stacked with trays of half-painted tiles. “Every year we do a holiday platter—different design each time,” she said. “We make a few hundred and give them to our best clients. Some of them collect them, year after year.” That simple tradition felt like the perfect symbol of Mission Tile West’s spirit—craft, gratitude, and continuity.
Upstairs, we peeked at this year’s limited-edition holiday platters, then ducked into the kiln room where tidy stacks of tiles awaited their turn in the heat. It’s all the honest, incremental labor folks rarely see: cutting, screening, brushing, cleaning—repeat. It’s why handmade tile feels alive.
Showrooms with Distinct Personalities
One thing I loved hearing (and seeing): each Mission Tile West location has its own vibe.
- Pasadena leans Arts & Crafts and Spanish Revival—fireplaces for days, and yes, loads of Motawi.
- Santa Monica mixes eclectic and commercial work—surprising scale, clever juxtapositions.
- Costa Mesa, as Robert laughed, “is the land of white tile.” Modern, beach bright, and streamlined. “We can’t give away the stuff that sells like crazy here in Pasadena,” he said. “Each place has its own story.”
Different neighborhoods, different stories—but one throughline: thoughtful design help and deep technical chops.
Shared Standards, Shared Pride
We traded shop talk about production, quality, and (the unsung hero) packaging. Robert smiled and said, “Your packaging is like a work of art. I don’t think I’ve ever had a Motawi tile break.” I told him how our shipping team babies every piece—cardboard on both faces, counted and checked. When partners notice the invisible stuff, you know you’re aligned.
We also compared lead times (they ebb and flow—ask for the current timing) and swapped fireplace ideas for customers rebuilding after recent wildfires. Tile can be a small piece of healing—something enduring amid change.
Legacy and Continuity
An Adamson family picture under an earlier company name.
Before we left, Tisa reflected on the family’s history: “My parents started it, Robert’s generation is taking over now. We’re lucky to have family who want to keep it going.” You could feel the pride between her words—a kind of gentle stewardship that mirrors how we think about the Tileworks’ own future.
What This Means for You
If you’re in Southern California—and especially if you love Craftsman warmth, Spanish curves, or modern-meets-handmade—Mission Tile West is your place to explore Motawi in person. Touch the glazes. Hold a relief tile against a field color. Stand back and feel the composition click.
Their teams know Motawi—how it’s made, how it installs, how to mix our relief and field tile for depth—and they’ll help you plan something beautiful and buildable.
Plan Your Visit
- Mission Tile West – Pasadena (flagship)
- Mission Tile West – Santa Monica
-
Mission Tile West – Costa Mesa
Pro tip: Bring photos, rough dimensions, and any inspiration you love. You’ll leave with sharper ideas—and likely a few tile crushes.
A Note of Gratitude
To Robert, Tisa, and the whole Mission Tile West crew: thank you for the tour, the stories, and the decades of shared craftsmanship. Here’s to many more hearths, backsplashes, and happy tile nerds. —Greg Anderson
P.S. If you find yourself in Ann Arbor, come visit the Tileworks. We’ll happily return the favor with a tour of our own.
