shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileWashington

in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, above Leavenworth

The Enchantments turquoise tarns

— — granite holding a turquoise it borrowed from a glacier.

— 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 basin of bare granite and small turquoise lakes above Leavenworth, on the east side of the Cascades. The color comes from rock flour the Snow Creek Glacier still grinds out and washes down into Inspiration, Perfection, and the smaller tarns. In late September the larches around the lakes turn the kind of yellow that only larches turn. Permits are limited; most people see the basin once. from the studio

from the studio

— bring it home

The Enchantments turquoise tarns, 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 The Enchantments turquoise tarns

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

The Enchantments are a chain of alpine tarns in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, west of Leavenworth, Washington. The Core Enchantment Zone sits around 7,000 feet between Aasgard Pass and Lake Viviane, with Inspiration Lake, Perfection Lake, Sprite Lake, and Leprechaun Lake strung between bare granite slabs. The thru-hike from Stuart Lake Trailhead to Snow Lakes Trailhead is about 18 miles with roughly 4,500 feet of gain, and most parties take two to three days under an overnight permit.

— informed by U.S. Forest Service, Wikipedia

— the colour

The turquoise is rock flour — extremely fine particles of granite still being ground out by the Snow Creek Glacier on the northeast wall above Lake Viviane. Meltwater carries the particles down through the chain, and they scatter the shorter wavelengths of sunlight so the lakes read as turquoise. The same effect colors Lago di Sorapis in the Dolomites and Lake Pukaki in New Zealand. The shade is strongest in late summer when the glacier is shedding and the basin sits still in the afternoon.

— informed by USGS

— the season

Overnight permits for the Core Enchantment Zone are issued by the Forest Service through a lottery on Recreation.gov each February for the May 15 to October 31 season, and only a small number are drawn. Larch turn peaks in the last week of September and the first week of October, when the western larches around the lakes go gold for about ten days before dropping. Snow can return any time after mid-October and the upper basin freezes hard by November.

— informed by Recreation.gov

— where

United States · Chelan County, Washington

— within

Alpine Lakes Wilderness

— elevation

2,200 m · 7,200 ft

— position

47.4736° N · 120.8047° 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 W

Colchuck Lake

alpine lake

2 km NW

Aasgard Pass

mountain pass

20 km E

Leavenworth

Bavarian-themed town

The Enchantments turquoise tarns

Colchuck Lake

Aasgard Pass

Leavenworth

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about The Enchantments turquoise tarns — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

In the Alpine Lakes Wilderness of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, west of Leavenworth in Chelan County, Washington. The Core Enchantment Zone sits at about 7,000 feet on the east side of the Cascade crest.

Rock flour from the Snow Creek Glacier suspends in the meltwater and scatters short wavelengths of light, so the lakes read turquoise. The same effect colors Lago di Sorapis in Italy and Lake Pukaki in New Zealand.

Yes for overnight stays from May 15 to October 31. Permits are issued by lottery on Recreation.gov each February. Day hiking does not need a permit but is still strictly self-registered at the trailhead.

Usually the last week of September into the first week of October. The window lasts about ten days before the needles drop. Permit demand for that window is the highest of the year by a wide margin.

About 18 miles from Stuart Lake Trailhead over Aasgard Pass and down to Snow Lakes Trailhead, with roughly 4,500 feet of gain. Most parties take two or three days; strong hikers do it in one.

Around a dozen named tarns including Inspiration, Perfection, Sprite, Leprechaun, Viviane, Crystal, and Gnome Tarn, plus the larger Colchuck Lake on the approach. Names were given by climbers in the 1950s and 1960s.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The permit lottery and the larch window make the trip a memory most hikers carry for years. A Medium or Large with a handwritten note from the studio lands well for that recipient.

The granite-and-turquoise palette reads well in alpine modern, Pacific Northwest modern, and warm minimalist rooms. It sits comfortably with raw wood, wool, and slate.

Yes. Biophilic design leans on real water tones and stone texture, and the turquoise here is a documented natural color rather than a designer swatch. It anchors a room without competing with plants.

A Large above a console, a four-tile Mural above a sofa, or a nine-tile Mural for a feature wall. The basin reads best at Mural scale where the lakes and larches both have room.

Yes, with Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and handle steam. Glossy is meant for dry-wall display only.

Microfibre cloth and water. The color is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, not painted on top, so it will not lift with normal cleaning.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.