Celebrating 25 Years
August 29, 2019
Celebrating 25 years of Ambiente
OUR STORY
We love the community we've created in Seattle. To celebrate our 25th year of Ambiente, we're sharing our story of the past quarter of a century!
THE DREAM
Udo & Carla began their journey in Munich, Germany. Without any solid plans, they made the move to the U.S. and road tripped across the country.
Settling in Seattle, Udo's career in tile began when he bought a $200 beat-up Dodge van from a sketchy character, presumably skipping town. Udo laid tile for over a year before starting his own contracting company.
Carla & Udo decided to follow their dream of owning their own business and opened their first tile showroom in 1994. It started with one small showroom in Ravenna, with Carla working the front desk and Udo running installation services. In 1999, Ambiente expanded to the Greenlake location, the whole business operating from a back room with just one shared computer.
Around the time Ambiente opened its second location, the business started to cultivate factory-direct relationships with high quality tile producers. This included exclusive relationships with Oceanside and Villeroy & Boch. With better prices and high-quality products, Ambiente purchased Lynnwood Tile and built a state-of-the-art showroom in Bellevue in 2006.
Following the crash of 2008, it was time for a new business model. Ambiente focused on project work and cultivating relationships with designers and architects. Today our Capitol Hill showroom is a fully equipped resource library with the option to order samples online. The space has a PNW vibe and the location allows our designers the freedom to visit clients wherever is most convenient.
Over the years, we've made strong friendships in the design and tile industry. Out of our small office of nine, six of us have worked at Ambiente for over 15 years. We've loved working with you through the years and look forward to 25 more years of Ambiente!
