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General Questions
Sorry, not at present.
Yes... and also no.
At my discretion, I will consider bespoke requests. They may include:
- turning a tile design into a trivet, or vice versa,
- getting fabric printed, or a glass splasback made
- altering scale and colourway to suit your decor.
I make a non-refundable charge for all of these services - please contact me for a quote.
However: Custom / bespoke orders are always non returnable.
In practice, this means that if you don't like the end result, you will not be able to return the item for a refund or replacement.
This is because custom orders are time consuming and, frankly, a bit of a PITA.
Colour and pattern are very subjective at the best of times. Your ipad screen, and my professional colour-calibrated monitor, are unlikely to agree on what "pea green" really looks like.
As standard, many of my pieces will be sent gift wrapped in tissue with a pretty millefiori seal.
If you'd like a small gift card included in the package, with a personalised message, I'm really happy to do this as a courtesy -please add a note at checkout.
Tiles and other utilitarian items won't be gift wrapped - if you'd like them to be, please ask!
My design tools include a professional colour-calibrated monitor which means that, in general, the colours I see on screen are reasonably accurate.
Unfortunately, this is NOT true for your average laptop, ipad, tablet or phone screen.
I often include video snippets in listings as I find video in daylight is a better guide to what an item looks like "in the flesh".
If you are concerned about whether a tile or other item will "go" with your decor, please buy a sample, or ask to see video.
Bear in mind too, that for technical reasons, items produced in one week will look subtly (or even markedly) different from those produced a month later. So please don't assume that a sample tile ordered in June will be absolutely identical to a batch I make in September.
Specifications, designs, colourways and availability are subject to change without any notice or obligation on my part. However if you want something and can't see it listed, please contact me.
Sometimes. Please contact me with an idea of what you're after and let's talk :)
Sorry, no.
Quite apart from copyright considerations, my policy is only to use my own designs.
Orders & Delivery
Most items will normally be made and posted within five working days.
(If you're buying tiles, see the FAQ below, "How long will my tiles take to arrive?")
Goods will be sent to the address given by you in your order (I can't refund or replace items that are sent to the address you've given, if it turns out to be wrong. So PLEASE check it's the correct one!)
My standard UK shipping is Royal Mail Second Class Tracked for small items, and tracked parcel courier for larger packages. A mobile number may be required.
Most domestic (UK) services aim to get your parcel to you in 3-5 business days (including Saturdays). Obviously some times of year (and some situations!) are more of a lottery.
Occasionally I can't get hold of something I need to make your order. If I know there's likely to be a problem or a delay, I will email to let you know.
Fired Ink tiles: as these have to be fired and dispatched separately, the timescales are longer. Please expect to wait 3-5 weeks for your tiles to be dispatched.
Urgent / Rush orders. If you need something urgently, by all means ask if it's possible. But don't get your hopes up!
Yes - several times per week. Mostly USA, but also Canada, Europe and Australia / New Zealand. Singapore and Hong Kong less frequent but still perfectly possible.
However international shipping is not cheap - especially at the moment. Recent price rises have meant I’ve had to stop offering free international delivery, at least for now.
For international orders I calculate shipping based on the weight and size of the parcel. Please go to check-out to get a quote; as a rough guide, international delivery starts at £6.
Customs hold-ups and charges. Overseas orders can occasionally be subject to very lengthy delays in customs that I have absolutely no control over.
Your order may also attract local import duties and taxes that I know nothing about, and am not responsible for.
If you are worried, please check with your local tax / import duty authorities BEFORE ORDERING.
Shipping upgrades are available on some orders. However, bear in mind that they will make the shipping faster and more secure, but the making time remains the same.
See my full returns policy here:
Some countries do charge import duty and / or tax on shipments from the UK.
The shipment value at which duty starts to be applied, and the charge, varies enormously. It also changes regularly, and (in my experience) is inconsistently applied.
In other words, some large, expensive parcels get through without any additions, and some small, inexpensive shipments don't.
I ship to more than 180 different states, countries and territories and, to be honest, I can't keep up with the import arrangments for them all.
So all shipments are sent 'duty unpaid'.
This means if a shipment ends up with fees to pay on import, it's down to the recipient to pay them.
If you choose not to pay the duty, the parcel may be destroyed, or it may be returned to me (sometimes with hefty charges added).
For this reason, parcels that are not delivered, are returned to me, or are destroyed because of unpaid duties or taxes, are non refundable.
If this worries you, please investigate your local tax and import duty arrangments BEFORE placing your order.
Tile Questions
Unfortunately I don't offer free samples of my tiles - there's too much demand and it would be cripplingly expensive for a small business.
But if you buy samples and they don't work for your project, I'm completely happy to refund the purchase price of the tile/s you return as not required. (P&P charges are non-refundable).
If getting samples is going to take too long or be too costly, I can often send short bits of video of the tile in daylight (usually outside the studio door). A bit of video like this often makes decisions about colour and design easier! If you'd like me to do this, please ask.
Unfortunately not at present.
As a tiny studio, we don't have the printing capabilities to make sure that a paper version is a good colour match for the actual tile.
I quite often find a bit of video in daylight is a good way to envisage the actual colours - you may find there's a bit of video on the tile listing. If not, just ask!
But it's worth bearing in mind that the way we perceive colour is hugely influenced by the lighting in a room, which is why I'd always recommend getting a sample - you can prop it up in the room and see how it looks in sunlight, bright indirect daylight, electric light and evening light etc. Tiles also bounce light around in ways that paper won't, which adds another dimension.
Lastly, if you order a sample and don't end up using it, I offer a full refund (P&P is not refundable).
As our tiles are made to order, there are two factors that affect how long they take to arrive on your doorstep.
1 Making time
2 Shipping time
For DoodlePippin tiles, which are made here in our Reigate studio, our normal making time is 2-3 days.
For Fired Ink tiles, making time is between 10 and 25 working days. This is because Fired Ink tiles have to be re-fired in Somerset, and how long that takes depends on what else is in front of them in the queue!
Once the tiles are made and packed up, shipping time can vary a lot.
But as a rough guide, our standard shipping will normally get tiles to a UK destination in 2-4 working days. Highlands and Islands (UK) may take slightly longer.
Northern Ireland may be 5-6 days.
Ireland (Republic of) varies but may be 5-10 days.
Europe varies a lot, both by country and by area, but can be as quick as 4-5 working days, up to two or three weeks.
USA standard shipping is often 10-15 days, but if you're in a rush, a shipping upgrade (eg to FedEx Priority) can get tiles to most parts of the US in just 2-4 days.
Canada tends to take slightly longer but 10-15 days is still a reasonable estimate.
Australia can be anywhere from 10 days to 25 days or more.
Please bear in mind that once your tiles are on their way, their journey and the day / time they are delivered is out of our control. If you have given us a contact phone number during the ordering process (or afterward) this will make it MUCH more likely that your tiles will be delivered swiftly and safely.
Taxes and Duties on Import
All countries treat imports differently and it's impossible for us to keep track of the charges that may be imposed.
As a rough guide the US allows shipments up to around $800 to be imported without further taxes or duties.
Canada's import threshold is much lower.
European countries all seem to have different regulations. Most EU countries will impose some sort of tax or VAT on a UK import.
Shipment paperwork is almost always electronically filled in when we book your parcel for shipment. The paperwork will include the value of the goods, their commodity code and the cost of the shipping.
If you are worried that your shipment might come with extra tax to pay, please investigate before you order.
Orders that are returned to us because a buyer refuses to pay legitimate duties are non-refundable. This is mainly because we often have to pay a hefty fee to have the undelivered parcel shipped back to us.
More info here:
Sometimes. Contact me with your requirements and I'll work it out.
Quantity discounts start at 25+ tiles.
As a general rule, DoodlePippin (heat printed) tiles have bigger discounts (up to 30% on the largest orders).
Fired Ink tiles are more expensive, have smaller discounts, and take longer to make.
Yes! They're normal ceramic tiles and can be cut with any normal tile cutter.
I've used both the 'score and snap' version and wet tile cutters with excellent results.
The only thing to bear in mind is that cutting doesn't always go to plan, and having some spares in case of breakages is a good idea.
This is particularly true of Fired Ink tiles, and tiles where there are several different designs that make up the entire design (eg Large Scale Ocean Shoal).
Fired Ink tiles are often made of porcelain and are therefore harder - and harder to cut. They also take weeks from order to delivery - so if you break a crucial one during cutting, you'll have a wait of several weeks before you can complete your project.
The DoodlePippin finish tiles are normal wall tiles and cut easily, so breakages are rare.
BUT if you have a complex design, Sod's Law states that you will break the one design that you don't have a duplicate for! Which means you'll end up with a delay, and also possibly a slightly different colour replacement (as tile colours do change between batches).
Yes.
The design is the same on whichever tile size you choose.
Yes.
This is because colours - and even design details - can change between batches, due to the processes I use.
If you buy sixty tiles in January, and need another sixty in March, the two sets won't be identical, and they may even be markedly different.
Technically yes. But there are probably better options; click here for more details.
Possibly. Send me some details about your company and clients, and let's talk.
Click here for information on tile trim and borders
Yes. And no.
Although I'm (naturally!) an expert in my own designs and colourways, I am not an interior designer. So all I can do is suggest what might work, or has worked in the past.
I've used this experience to create a fairly comprehensive free guide that covers design ideas, what works and what might not, choosing designs and colours, tiling, cutting and grouting advice and lots of other practical information - it's here - Using Pattern Tiles Effectively.
If you've had a look through that and still have questions, please do ask. Bear in mind that, although I'm naturally helpful and friendly, I'm also fairly busy.
Contact me and I'll suggest what I can!
Millefiori and Workshop Questions
