shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileWashington · United States

in south Puget Sound, off Steilacoom

Ketron Island

— — an island that keeps its own quiet.

— 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 private island in south Puget Sound, off Steilacoom, served by the same Pierce County ferry that runs to Anderson and McNeil. Around 230 acres of forest and beach with a permanent population in the low double digits. No shops, no commercial dock, no through-roads. The ferry brings residents and the occasional caretaker; the rest of the day belongs to the trees.

from the studio

— bring it home

Ketron Island, 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 Ketron Island

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

Ketron Island sits in south Puget Sound off the town of Steilacoom in Pierce County, Washington. The island covers roughly 230 acres, or 0.93 square kilometres, with a permanent population in the low double digits as recorded in recent census counts. It is privately owned in parcels with no commercial development, no public retail, and no public road network. Access is by the Pierce County ferry from Steilacoom, which also serves Anderson Island and the federal McNeil Island reserve.

— informed by Wikipedia, Pierce County (Ferry Service)

— the silence

There is no general store, no restaurant, and no through-road on Ketron. Residents bring supplies on the ferry; deliveries are arranged with the dock. The interior is second-growth Douglas fir and madrone with a shoreline of mixed gravel and clay beach. The ferry crossing from Steilacoom takes about ten minutes; the schedule prioritises Anderson Island and treats Ketron as a flag stop for known residents. Outside the dock, traffic is rare and the soundscape is wind, water, and the occasional outboard motor.

— informed by Pierce County (Ferry Service)

— the visit

Casual visitors are not the norm. The Pierce County ferry runs from Steilacoom several times daily, but most departures continue to Anderson Island; the Ketron stop is by request and treated as residents-only in practice. There are no public trails, no campgrounds, and no public beach access; the entire island sits in private hands. The closest publicly accessible counterpart is Anderson Island, which carries Jacobs Point Park and a small store at the ferry landing.

— informed by Pierce County (Ferry Service)

— where

United States · Pierce County, Washington

— position

47.1525° N · 122.6797° 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.

3 km E

Steilacoom

ferry town

4 km S

Anderson Island

neighbouring island

3 km N

McNeil Island

neighbouring island

6 km SE

DuPont

town

Ketron Island

Steilacoom

Anderson Island

McNeil Island

DuPont

— common questions

What people ask.

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

— about the place

In south Puget Sound, off Steilacoom in Pierce County, Washington. The island covers roughly 230 acres and sits on the Pierce County ferry route between Steilacoom, Anderson Island, and the McNeil Island reserve.

The permanent population sits in the low double digits in recent census counts. The island is privately owned in parcels with no commercial development, and the population fluctuates with seasonal residents.

By the Pierce County ferry from Steilacoom. The crossing takes about ten minutes, though the Ketron stop is treated as a flag stop for known residents rather than a general public landing.

No. Ketron has no general store, no restaurant, and no public retail. Residents bring supplies across on the ferry and arrange deliveries through the dock.

Not in any practical sense. There are no public trails, no campgrounds, and no public beach. The land is privately held in parcels and visits are by invitation of a resident only.

Forest quiet, a tiny census-recorded population, and the Pierce County ferry. It briefly entered national news in August 2018 when a stolen Horizon Air Q400 was deliberately crashed into the island's south end.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. Anyone who lives in Steilacoom, Lakewood, or DuPont knows Ketron's silhouette across the water. A Small or Medium reads as a quiet local landmark rather than a tourist scene.

The deep greens and soft blue-grey water suit Pacific Northwest interiors, Mountain-modern rooms, and warm Minimalist spaces. The piece settles against fir, cedar, and natural wool.

Yes. PNW design leans on local water, evergreen, and cloud-soft light. The Voynich treatment carries that palette without falling back on stock-photo Cascades imagery.

A single Large tile suits most consoles. Above a sofa the 4-tile Mural carries the shoreline; the 9-tile Mural reads as a window onto the south Sound.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both handle steam and splash. The Glossy finish stays in dry rooms behind glass or framed.

A microfibre cloth and water. The colour lives in the ceramic surface; household cleaners and abrasives are not needed and should be avoided.

Yes. The Voynich treatment of Ketron Island is made in-house by the studio and is not licensed from any third party.

— if this one stayed with you