Sourcing & Special Order
Finding the specific collection you want: book-matched pairs, discontinued faces and mill orders brought in on request from Spain, Italy and further afield.
Overview
Sourcing & Special Order in Metro Vancouver.
Sometimes the material someone wants isn't the material in front of them. A collection seen in a magazine, a face that's been discontinued, the matching half of a book-matched pair bought last year, a hand-painted panel from a limited series. Those are worth chasing rather than substituting. We work directly with mills in Spain, Italy and further afield, and we'd rather find the right thing than talk you into the one we happen to be holding.
Ask us to source it
Why bother sourcing
The right material beats the available one.
Book-matched pairs kept together
Mirrored pairs are produced together and separate fast. We track them as a set and won't split one across two customers.
Mill orders, not substitutions
If a collection is available to order, we'll bring it in and give you a real lead time rather than steering you at whatever is in the rack.
Discontinued faces traced
Matching an existing surface for an extension or a repair means finding a specific face and often a specific dye lot. Sometimes it exists somewhere in the network; we'll go and look.
An honest no
When something genuinely can't be sourced in a workable timeframe, you'll hear that quickly, along with the closest alternatives worth seeing.
How sourcing works
From a photo to material on the floor.
- 01
Send what you have
A photograph, a collection name, a screenshot, or an offcut from the existing surface. Any of those is usually enough to start.
- 02
We identify it
We work back to the mill and collection, and confirm which formats, thicknesses and finishes it's actually produced in, including whether a custom cut size is possible.
- 03
Price and lead time
A firm quote with a realistic landing date, including the freight, so you can decide whether the wait is worth it.
- 04
Landed and held
When it arrives we check it, tag it to you, and hold it until your fabricator or installer is ready to take delivery.
Who this is for
Sourcing suits you if…
- You've seen a specific slab or tile elsewhere and don't want to be talked into something else.
- You need the matching half of a book-matched pair, or a second batch for a later phase.
- You're matching an existing surface in an extension or a repair.
- You're a designer whose client has specified a collection nobody local carries.
From special orders
What clients say about hard-to-find material.
“We wanted one slab to run up the backsplash and around the island, and Stone Trail found a book-matched pair that made it possible. They tagged both and held them until our shop was ready for them.”
“I specify a lot of porcelain and the hard part is knowing which faces a collection actually runs, and in which formats. These are the only people locally who will walk you through that properly instead of guessing, and it's why my floor tile and my counter finally match.”
“Booked a viewing not really knowing what to expect and it was worth the drive. Full slabs standing up under decent light, so you can actually see the veining before you commit to it. Nobody rushed us.”
Sourcing FAQ
Questions about special orders.
How long does a mill order take?
Typically six to ten weeks door to door depending on the mill and the sailing, sometimes faster if the face is already in a European distributor's stock. You get the real date up front, not an optimistic one.
Can you match something I already have?
Often, yes. Bring an offcut or a good photograph with something for scale. Printed porcelain faces are identifiable, and if the exact face is gone we'll show you the nearest current equivalents side by side.
Is there a deposit?
For a mill order, yes. It's specific material being brought in for you rather than general stock. It comes off the final invoice.
What if it arrives and I don't like it?
That's why we push offcuts and photographs hard before you commit. For a special order we'll get you as close to certainty as possible beforehand, because a bespoke import isn't a returnable item.
Can you get custom sizes?
Several of the mills cut to size on a production order: panels for a specific wall height, for instance, or a non-standard paver. We quote it as a mill order. Anything that needs cutting once it's here goes to your fabricator, not to us.
Is there anything you won't source?
Large-format porcelain is the only material we deal in, so that is the boundary. Within it, tell us what you're after and we'll be straight about whether we're the right people to find it.
More from Stone Trail
The rest of the job.
Slab Supply
Large-format porcelain slabs pressed in Spain and Italy: marble looks, concretes, travertine faces and oxidised metals in 12 and 20 mm, up to 1600×3200 mm.
Explore slab supply →
Tile & Paving Supply
Large-format porcelain floor and wall tile, trim and 20 mm outdoor paving from Italian and Spanish mills, stocked in North Vancouver up to 1600×3200 mm.
Explore tile & paving supply →
Cladding & Facade Supply
Thin 3 and 6 mm porcelain panels for interior cladding and renovation over existing surfaces, plus large-format panels and the mechanical systems used for ventilated facades.
Explore cladding & facade supply →
Trade & Fabricator Supply
Account supply for fabrication shops, dealers and builders: held stock, consistent face matching across repeat orders, and delivery on your production schedule.
Explore trade & fabricator supply →Ask us to source it
Send us the photograph. Worst case we tell you it can't be done and point you at the closest thing that can.