When Yaacov Hemed first came to the United States a decade ago, he learned to build homes from the bottom up, working as a laborer and handyman making minimum wage.

A third generation contractor in Israel, he had to re-learn his trade because the building materials and demands were very different in America (unlike in Israel, there is little demand for houses made of cement).

Hemed's dream was to build magnificent homes, the kind of mansions that would appeal to entertainers, athletes, and masters of the universe. His first dream house, in Cresskill, New Jersey, was a 4-story mansion encompassiong 13,500 square feet with 25-foot high cathedral ceilings and a staircase straight out of Gone with the Wind.

The house, which would sell for over $6 million in a soft real estate market, had seven bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, a library, an office, a billiard room, a great room, a formal dining room, a kitchen with a formal breakfast area, a 15-seat theater, a gymnasium, a recreation area with a wine cellar and bar, and a cabana leading out to an 800-square foot pool circle by a marble floor. An elevator traveled from floor to floor, and an elaborate sound system and radiant heating filled the entire edifice.

Hemed soon realized that it was difficult, if not impossible, to find the kind of decorative tiles he needed to enhance the architectural design of his expensive homes.

"We would do exhaustive searches, looking for the kind of highly crafted tiles these homes demanded, and come away disappointed," he remembered. "As a craftsman building a beautiful home, you don't want to fall short when it comes to adding those touches that will showcase the value of the home."

He turned his frustration into an opportunity. In 2010, he developed his own line of highly original, artisan tiles that could be customized for his clients, as well as for other home builders, interior designers and architects.

His company, Evan Stone Art Decor, features tiles that merge three materials that have rarely before been seen in combination for this use: stone, metal and glass. These custom crafted tiles, offering aesthetic value for floors, walls, backsplashes, and mantels throughout the home, as well as for patios and pools, are now being produced in Hemed's small northern New Jersey factory.

The innovative collection consists of four levels of designs and techniques. These incorporate the use of glass into stone (and may include such elements as silk flowers and sea shells), metal and stone, marble and limestone, and large wall murals made of stone for use in office builidings, hotels and restaurants, as well as homes.

"We believe we're brining something new and refreshing into the industry, and the initial response from the industry has been very positive," said Hemed. "We view what we've created as a collaboration between old world charm and new world design, with the intention of satisfying the eclectic tastes of the most discerning homeowners."

For more information and pictures on Hemed's designs, visit Evan Stone Art Decor.