shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileCanada

on the western shore of Lake Ontario, between Hamilton and Toronto

Burlington

— — the lake the city walks beside.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand

— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines

— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall

— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround

— a note from the studio

“A small city on the western lip of Lake Ontario, where the Niagara Escarpment runs down into the lake and the Royal Botanical Gardens spread north along the bay. Spencer Smith Park follows the water for about a kilometre of low stone wall and old maples at the foot of Brant Street. The Skyway Bridge holds the western horizon.

from the studio

— bring it home

Burlington, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Burlington

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

Burlington sits at the western end of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Halton, between Hamilton to the west and the western edge of the Greater Toronto Area. The city covers about 187 square kilometres and had a population near 187,000 at the 2021 Canadian census. The Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, runs through its northern edge, and the Royal Botanical Gardens, Canada's largest botanical garden, straddles the boundary the city shares with Hamilton at the head of the lake.

— informed by Wikipedia — Burlington, Ontario, Royal Botanical Gardens

— the water

The lakefront defines the city. Spencer Smith Park runs roughly a kilometre along the water at the foot of Brant Street, ending at the pier that reaches out toward the bay. The Burlington Skyway, a steel-arch bridge completed in 1958, carries the Queen Elizabeth Way across the canal where Lake Ontario meets Hamilton Harbour. A twin span was added in 1985. The harbour itself was once heavy industry; over the last three decades it has shifted toward parkland, sailing clubs, and the Waterfront Trail.

— informed by Wikipedia — Burlington Bay James N. Allan Skyway

— the season

Late summer holds the lake longest. Spencer Smith Park stays warm into October, and the Sound of Music Festival fills the lakefront over a long weekend in mid-June, drawing crowds well into six figures most years and making it one of the largest free music festivals in Canada. Winter pushes ice along the breakwater, and the Royal Botanical Gardens' Hendrie Park stays open through the cold months for the witch-hazel and the early snowdrops. April brings the first sails back onto the bay.

— informed by Sound of Music Festival

— where

Canada · Burlington, Halton Region, Ontario

— elevation

99 m · 325 ft

— position

43.3255° N · 79.7990° W

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

12 km W

Hamilton

city

13 km E

Oakville

town

5 km W

Royal Botanical Gardens

botanical garden

10 km E

Bronte Creek Provincial Park

provincial park

Burlington

Hamilton

Oakville

Royal Botanical Gardens

Bronte Creek Provincial Park

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Burlington — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

On the western shore of Lake Ontario in the province of Ontario, between Hamilton to the west and Oakville to the east. It is part of the Regional Municipality of Halton and the western edge of the Greater Toronto Area.

The Royal Botanical Gardens, the long stretch of accessible lakefront at Spencer Smith Park, and the Burlington Skyway over Hamilton Harbour. The Niagara Escarpment runs through the northern half of the city.

The city covers about 187 square kilometres and had a population of roughly 187,000 at the 2021 census. It anchors the western end of Lake Ontario together with neighbouring Hamilton.

Canada's largest botanical garden, spread across roughly 1,100 hectares between Burlington and Hamilton at the head of Lake Ontario. It holds the world's largest lilac collection and stays open through every season.

A steel-arch bridge completed in 1958, carrying the Queen Elizabeth Way over the canal that connects Lake Ontario to Hamilton Harbour. A twin parallel span was added in 1985 to handle increased traffic.

Mid-June every year. It runs along the Spencer Smith Park lakefront over a long weekend and draws crowds well into six figures, making it one of the largest free music festivals in Canada.

— about the piece in your home

It has carried well for customers who grew up walking the Spencer Smith pier or who keep family in Aldershot or Roseland. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio is often the right shape.

The lakefront blues and stone-greys sit comfortably in Coastal-modern, Lakehouse, and Transitional rooms. The piece pairs with pale oak, linen, and brushed nickel without competing for the eye.

The Great Lakes lakehouse aesthetic has held steady through several seasonal cycles, anchored on weathered wood, soft blues, and stone. The tile reads as a permanent piece inside that palette.

A single Large reads well above a console or sideboard. Above a full sofa, a four-tile Mural carries the wall; a nine-tile Mural suits long walls in great rooms and lake-house common areas.

Yes, with the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and suited to vertical installations in showers, backsplashes, and powder rooms.

A soft microfibre cloth and water are all the surface needs. No solvents, no abrasives. The colour lives in the surface and will not lift with normal cleaning.

Yes. Every piece is original work by Reid Wender, hand-finished in our Knoxville studio. We do not license images in or out.

— if this one stayed with you