Hidden Gem: Terre Interview
Hi Curt & Emilie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
We were renovating our sun porch off of our living room and needed flooring. We were really inspired by reclaimed French terracotta tiles, but we couldn’t find much that matched the look of it here in the States. We love the texture and organic and raw feel it brings to a space. A friend of ours in Morocco heard we were looking for terracotta tiles and she introduced us to raw terracotta tile, which had the very same elements as the old reclaimed tile we were pining after. One thing led to another, we saw a gap in the market and decided to import this beautiful handmade tile to make it accessible here. We love that each tile is distinct with its handmade markings, and we love how it brings a warmth and lived-in feel to any room.
Additionally, Covid caused us to reevaluate what we think is really important in our lives. As part of that journey, we realized what’s important to us and wanted to create a brand that’s focused on empowering people to help them deepen their relationships in the places that matter most to them – their homes. The mood, aesthetic, design, and function of a home can do a lot to either diminish or enhance people’s ability to flourish in their own homes. We believe Terre can play a part in helping people achieve more grounded and relational-focused lifestyles.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Lots of things had to be learned (and still learning) to create and run your own business. Which is part of the fun – despite it being stressful at times. But we signed up for the stress. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. And that’s okay. We have enjoyed the challenges and learning how to overcome obstacles we had no idea what we were going to do when we first encountered them. And that’s just the name of the game. You know what you want to achieve and then figure out how to get there.
One of the two biggest challenges we’ve faced so far is vetting our manufacturers and QA processes. In general, things move slower in Morocco than they do in the States. Coupled with manufacturing times that can take a few months – it took a lot of patience to find products that we loved and thought others would enjoy here in the States. We also had to implement QA processes to ensure we were getting quality products from the manufacturers we work with.
The other challenge happened right before we were about to receive our first shipment at a US Port. We had been working with a third-party fulfillment center for almost a year to help store our product and fulfill it to our customers.
Well, right before our first container was supposed to hit the States, that 3PL communicated they could no longer work with us. So we were scrambling to find another place to store our tile and help us with fulfilling customer orders. Thankfully, through a connection of ours, we found another warehouse/3PL. And it has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The 3PL we are working with now is amazing and we are grateful we get to have them as a partner.
As you know, we’re big fans of Terre. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Terre Tile is an online tile store that sources handmade terracotta tile. All our tile has been crafted by artisans who have been apprenticed in skills handed down through generations.
Aside from the fact we carry styles of tile very few other companies offer online, what makes us different is our commitment to providing excellent service and products that empower our customers to flourish in their homes. We offer handmade tiles that will give any new or old space a lived-in, old-world feel that is unique and one of a kind.
We are proud of this because this is what life is about. No two people’s stories are the same and we love that the tile we offer mirrors this reality. Especially because, over time, unglazed tile will develop a patina that takes on different characteristics based on the area the tiles are set in.
The terracotta tiles capture our story and how we live around them. Memories get imprinted into the tile to show life was lived here and to show something familiar but also different.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
We have a small but powerful collection of tiles available. With the tiles, we currently offer there are about 3 dozen different patterns you can create using tiles. Please reach out if anyone needs help seeing all the possibilities.
Also, we love working with homeowners and designers near the twin cities – since that’s where we are based. We’re always looking for new settings where we can photograph our tile installed and would love to collaborate with anyone willing to do so.
