Meet Damla Turgut

We had the good fortune of connecting with Damla Turgut and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Damla, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
What was your thought process to starting your own business? I began my career training as a lawyer. I studied law in Turkey, practicing for three years before moving to London to continue my education in a specialist financial sector. After I graduated in London, I was going to interview after interview and hearing the same answers from all the biggest global law firms – everyone was cutting back and reducing their team size and I should apply again in 7 months. The last interviewer, who was a very senior and wise man, told me that I should take a break and reassess my options. So, I did and in December 2013 I returned home to Turkey. At the time, Turkey was in the middle of a big economic crisis and a lot of foreign investors were pulling out of the country due the high political and economic risks.

My family is in the publishing business. Things were not going well for them either, so my father decided to change industry. Our neighbors own a ceramic factory in Turkey. Thanks to them, my father set up an export company to sell their tiles. I saw an opportunity as I knew my father would not be able to succeed without some help as he did not speak English and had no experience in the export business. After just a few weeks I went to Nairobi for trade show. After my experience in the world of corporate law, I loved the contrasting life of traveling, selling and working for myself. The only problem was what I was selling… the tiles were dull and plain.

I saw a niche in the market, and I decided to create my own tiles in the patterns and colors that inspired me, selling to a new worldwide market who were led by a more fashion-forward style. My brother and I established Otto Tiles in 2014 in Turkey and I moved back to London in 2015 and founded Otto Tiles & Design.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Otto Tiles & Design offers an exclusive and diverse range of signature encaustic cement, authentic Moroccan zellige and bejmat and luxurious marble tiles for private residential and commercial interiors. Our designs are created in-house and are hand crafted using traditional methods and from a mix of natural and sustainable materials. Our ranges blend contemporary fashion-forward designs and an artisanal aesthetic and as a company we’re committed to sustainability, prioritizing environmental responsibility without compromising on quality or style.

It’s all the above which set us apart. A lot of our competitors work with printed ceramic tiles or machine-made styles which don’t imbue the same character or quality as our tiles. I saw a gap in the market, and I worked hard to fill it and whilst I still find it difficult to see copies of my work, I try to remember that it’s because we stand out and are doing something different and doing it well.

I am very passionate about what I do, and I love discovering a unique shape, pattern or material. I want to offer something different, something exciting, that’s what drives me, to be a market leader in bespoke handmade high-quality tiles.

When I see a completed project for the first time, be it a restaurant or bar or a residential project and I see our tiles, it gives me amazing satisfaction. I’m always proud to have been a part of the team that made it possible. The experience of working with award-winning interior designers and architects from all around the world continually motivates me. I particularly love to be involved in projects that require the creation of new designs or the challenge of uniquely specified products that no one else can do. Receiving a phone call from a client or a designer saying that they love with Otto Tiles makes all the hard work worthwhile and drives to keep pushing onwards to be the most successful that I can be.

In terms of challenges, there have been many, some economical and out of my control and some frustrating ones such as dealing with gender imbalance.

The tile business can, at certain times and places, be a man’s world. I have not met a female factory owner and dealing with producers is a major part of my job. There is also the installation end of the business, on construction sites, which is still a very male dominated area. Many men in Turkey objectify women. I have experienced this from many producers. Some of them did not take me seriously and would not work with me because I am a female – some event went so far as to refuse to shake my hand. When I was establishing Otto Tiles in Turkey, a lot of my clients were mostly men. It was incredibly difficult to open-up a conversation with them wider than that of the project and tiles as I am not a man, and they simply refused to engage with me. My clients in the UK were generally women from the design sector, so the issues I faced in Turkey very different. Let’s see what challenges the US has to offer. So far one of the biggest challenges has been getting to grips with the size of the US all the different states.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am new in Miami but I have my favourite spots already so here we go. I would firstly take them to Miami Beach, which is a 5 mins walk from where I live. We would run along the beach with my dog and jump in the sea. Afterwards, we would go to Pura Vida for a nice breakfast which is located in the Design District. Before lunch we would visit the Institute of Contemporary Art. I would bring them to Iron Side Pizza which is next to our new Otto &Tiles & Design Miami showroom. Other museums that I love in Miami include, The Bass and Rubell. Places I like to eat include The Pastis in Wynwood and a small sushi restaurant called Katana. We would go to Soho Beach House early in the morning to get a space along the pool and have a brunch in Betsy on Sunday with a champagne listening live the piano recital.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my family who have always been supportive of my vision. My parents instilled in me a dedicated and determined work ethic and I’m so grateful for that because at times, along the way, it’s been challenging but they have always believed in me and reminded me of what is possible. When I moved back to London and opened my UK showroom, not only did they come and visit, but they also came and helped me install the tiles!
My partner Gavin of course also needs to be mentioned. As a psychiatrist in the UK’s NHS, he could not leave his work nor us, so he flies twice a week to work in London and then flies back to Miami to be with us.
It was not an easy decision to uproot our family and our life in the UK to come to Miami and establish Otto Tiles & Design here in the US and Gavin has been supportive at every step.

My business in the UK and Turkey is very successful and I’m incredibly grateful for all the people who have helped to build it with me. My colleagues from the Turkey office, London office and Miami office… everyone has been very excited and helpful during our setting-up period. My amazing directors, Eda, Fidem and Altug, I can not do this without them. Its an amazing feeling to trust your colleagues, and be able to leave the hard work to them in order to focus on the US market.

Website: www.ottotiles.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ottotiles/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ottotiles/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OttoTilesDesign

Image Credits
Brand imagery please credit Otto Tiles & Design. Project images have credits in the image titles but are listed here: Project – @overdale_house. Photo credit Darren Chung Project – Vaughan Design & Development. Photo credit Chris Snook Project- Maison La Plage, Dubai by First Within Project- Kukina Le Jardin restaurant by Erdem Hanza