Architessa is a new trade name for Architectural Ceramics launched in early 2021. It arose from Betty Sullivan securing a majority women-owned status in Architectural Ceramics, founded in 1985, which she joined in 1990 and started running in 2001. Betty envisioned a name that embodies its origins, desired social impact, and prominence in the A&D industry both locally and digitally.
The etymology of Architessa stems from "Archit," meaning "worshiped" in many countries and is also an abbreviation for "Architecture." "Tessa" is a nod to women, alluding to "Contessa," because mothers hold the oral narrative of the world, and "Tessera" is the Latin root for a mosaic tile.
Architessa, founded on four integral Core Values, operates nationally with locations in the Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Atlanta metro areas. Commercial representatives cover the country virtually and by visit.
We offer our products and services to the homeowner, commercial, and trade communities all over the country. Our extensive training program creates Architessans - tile lovers and experts who design timeless spaces that evoke emotion. Our Learning Center provides you with in-depth information about tile design and application.
Architessa sustainably sources tile materials allowing you to achieve elevated spaces that consciously evoke your desired emotion. We promise to responsibly serve and guide you with our Architessan design philosophy.
We believe that producing, sourcing, and providing surface coverings should be done correctly by prioritizing character, community, genuine results, and innovation. People of character can be trusted. Trust is essential to healthy relationships with co-workers, clients, and partners. Building and nurturing community creates real meaning to our work. Focusing on results that matter promotes alignment of purpose, maximum effectiveness, and minimal waste. Staying competitive and making forward progress requires an innovation mindset.
Tile has a lot of facets — It's art. Tile is inexpensive and pricey all at the same time. It's technical and from the earth, making it natural. Architessa's innate responsibility to the planet and its communities extends beyond the visual. The history of materials, designs, patterns, and colors evoke emotion at the deepest level. Emotional, artistic, and financial goals are individual, and each project is unique with its process. The journey only begins with selection. We are Architessans, tile lovers and experts, who walk alongside you, realizing the vision you have in mind.
Architessa is proud of the community of hardworking, dedicated and caring people it employs. What we do wouldn’t be possible if not for the time and effort that everyone puts in, not just in their workday, but volunteering in the community too.
Family. Faith. Writer. Making a difference. Creative. Loves quality time and traveling to new places to meet the locals.
David Benson is DCTileguy, a faithful believer, a husband, a father of 3, and lover of all Natural Stone!
Design Focused Tile O.G. He loves Mexico, beaches and martinis.
David has been with Architessa for 11 years and enjoys using his experiences and expertise to better serve his clients. When he's not at work, you can find him at home with his wife, 2 year old son, and (soon to be) newborn daughter.
Jon is part of the commercial sales team. He is an avid sports fan and enjoys being outdoors. Jon is a proud father and husband who loves spending time with his family.
Kymberlee Braselton is a creative innovator discovering new ways to collaborate with the A&D world. When she's not playing with tile, you'll find her exploring the outdoors with her twins.
Brittany has a yellow lab named Klondike who loves going on hikes. In her spare time, she enjoys being with family and dirt-biking on the weekends.
Joey’s exceptional knowledge of the tile industry and interior design are the predominant forces for his success with Architessa. His personalized attention and dedication to each project results in the highest level of quality and client satisfaction.
Jill Fedie is a designer by trade with a true passion for the industry & all the "tile toys" we offer. When not "playing with tile" she can be found out with friends, cooking something new, or on the yoga mat.
Chris Hill has committed the last 10 years with the inside commercial sales team to build a culture of inclusion, collaboration, and responsibility. He enjoys playing competitive soccer with a rec league in Baltimore.
Jake Mathew leaves no stone unturned and is solutions oriented and driven here in commercial sales. Outside of work, he's a tech junkie who loves guitars, cars, and making folks laugh.
Dad. Tile Connoisseur. Shutterbug. Gym Rat. Wayfarer.
Joe is a results-oriented member of our team who takes customer advocacy with the upmost importance. When he's not working he's busy being a family man with his beautiful wife and amazing 4 year old son.
Tia Maxie is determined to win and doesn’t take no for an answer. She is fun-loving, energetic and magnetic. Her children call her the best mom in the universe!
Andy began in the tile industry working with his brothers as a setter. On the weekends you can find him hiking in the mountains or relaxing on the beach with his girlfriend and his dog Bubba.
Lisa is an "experience junkie" at heart. While her days consist of helping MB clients, her nights and weekends are spent traveling with her husband and kids in their RV.
Matthew Ohan inside and out is a "carefree type" person. When he is not providing samples and pricing to our clients for our Atlanta branch, you can find him spending as much time as possible with his family.
Phil is a creative and passionate sales professional. He has over 20 years of commercial interior architectural design experience. He finds rejuvenation through the outdoors.
Xavier was born and raised in Montgomery County and really enjoys his work at Architessa. He is a father of two high energy boys. Loves TV shows, movies and sports (especially baseball!) Health is wealth.
When not managing projects for the commercial team, Christy enjoys being creative. Anything from painting to crocheting to interior design. You can find her bingeing The Office with her husband, daughter and cats.
Interior Design degree-holder Kristen worked for several design firms before working at Architessa the past 17 years. She enjoys traveling with her husband to Europe where she finds design inspiration.
With 30+ years of experience in the kitchen & bath industry, Stacey is a wealth of knowledge. She is a beach baby at heart and shares this affinity with her five grandchildren.
Emily King finds the fun in every project she does. Large or small! When she isn't helping you design your home, you can see her snuggling up to her cat Puma and eating tacos.
Marie turned her passion for interior design and art into a career. Traveling the world and daily nature walks with her family are just a few sources for her design inspiration.
Victor is a young professional with a bachelors degree in physical education. Outside of the office you can find him hiking, at the gym, or going to nice restaurants.
With a bachelors in illustration, Colleen has an eye for color and shape, and will dig down to the tiniest details in a design. When is is not in the showroom, she relaxes by painting and baking bread (which her cat always tries to snag a bite from)!
Eric Garcia loves to perform! When he is not working at Architessa Vienna, you can find him on the local community theatre stage or performing arts center.
Donna Halloran has been in the Real Estate/Construction Industry for 20+ years. She loves guiding her clients to make beautiful choices. In her spare time she loves hiking, reading, and shopping.
Marianna loves working with clients spending a lot of time designing beautiful areas in their homes. When she is not in the showroom she does yoga, reads a lot and cooks delicious meals for her family!
JT Christensen loves using natural material with dramatic variation in his projects. He has a feisty schnauzer named Yoshi and is an avid contemporary art museum goer.
Desiree McCrorey is a DMV native with an eclectic design sense - loving to mix textures, styles and patterns. When she is not in the showroom, you can find her with her two rottweiler fur babies, Thor and Phoenix.
Judi Simon brings her California roots, perspective and vast design experience to her work at Architessa. Between family, friends and work, she's always on the go!
Retired swimmer, foodie, and dog mom –Alexandra brings energy and a smile to any situation she’s in. When she’s not helping you create a unique space, you can find her throwing down heavy weights in her neighborhood CrossFit box.
There is no project too large or too small for Jo-Jo. She is vibrant, very committed to her clients and is a force to be reckoned with. With an eye for fashion, you'll never catch her in the same outfit twice!
Eliza Chan when not managing the Architessa customer service team and working to put smiles on her client's faces, she is traveling and exploring different countries.
Denise is an Army Veteran that has been with Architessa for over 10 years. Very dependable and always there when you need her.
With 20+ years experience in the design/flooring industry, Kimberly has seen it all. She is usually watching scary movies or the Washington Capitals with her fur-babies and spending quality time at local vineyards with her husband.
Courtney James is a "creative type" through and through. When she is not managing the Architessa marketing team, you can find her on the local community theatre stage or buried in a sketchbook.
Austin is a passionate marketer and photographer. Outside of the office, you can find him at local car meets, hiking a mountain, at the gym, or gaming.
Bonnie Perry is the charitable type who gives to those in need. When not working as AP Specialist at Architessa she enjoys museums, volunteering and watching Lifetime movie marathons.
Alexia is a lover of all things art. Fitting to her role in the marketing team, she strives to incorporate creativity into all things produced.
Yassin Tucker loves everything Faith, Family, Fashion and Formula. She can be found dabbling in any of the 4 “F’s” outside of her role as a controller and manager of the Accounting department.
Anthony Vincente is the patient type and loves to help others. When not collecting money for Architessa he enjoys traveling, shopping and watching good movies.
JJ Wang is an ace accountant at Architessa. He is always eager to assist clients with any questions about their orders.
Ernest Carlton is the type of person who enjoys interacting with coworkers and clients alike. He also enjoys seeing projects in person when making our clients' deliveries.
When I'm outside the workplace, you can find me hanging out with my friends, talking about sports, or playing games. You can also spot me at the library doing some college work, reading a book or simply just watching Netflix.
Laura oversees all product selections and purchasing. As a mother of 3 girls, she spends her free time running kids to dance classes and lessons.
Kris Conti has decades of experience working in the tile industry. She is a strong believer in the power of positive thinking.
Milton Guevara likes working in the warehouse serving customers. During the week he is going to our showrooms making sure he meets their samples needs.
JK is a hard worker who takes pride in everything he does. When he's not leading the night crew, he can be found rooting for the Green Bay Packers!
Jose is a very helpful person. When he's not at the service desk, he's assisting the customers in the warehouse.
Chuck Poole is perfectionist with a "can do, will do" attitude. When he is not leading his team in the Warehouse, he can be found outside enjoying the sun!
Lauren loves hanging out with her pup Theo and spending as much time outdoors as possible.
Howard Williams is a fun, happy, loving person. When he's not at work, you can catch him home playing videogames or spending time with friends and family.
Tavon is a self-motivated, hard working guy. When he's not working, he's at home spending time with his family.
Architessa CEO, Betty Sullivan, founded Washington Cares in 2005 to provide disaster relief for Hurricane Katrina victims.
During this relief effort we assisted over 400 dispersed people in finding new jobs and housing in the DC Metro Area. Our desire is to help in emergency situations with assistance that includes clothing, first aid kits, food, water, blankets and cleaning supplies.
Washington Cares is a non-profit, 100% volunteer based supported by donations and Architessa. Washington Cares is a faith based organization that delights in serving the community just as our Savior served. Washington Cares also has an ongoing recovery support system that helps displaced families relocate and start over with new jobs. Please let us know how we can serve you!
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