about us
not just a tile company
clé is a history lesson, an art gallery, an education resource, a design laboratory, an e-commerce innovator and a creative partner to artists, architects and designers. but more than that, it is the life’s work of a singular visionary whose personal passion changed an industry.
deborah osburn’s decades of unique experience have shaped every aspect of clé’s identity. a trained artist and sculptor, she can trace the exact moment when everything came into focus: a casual visit to a european cathedral. if a religious experience was ever had in a place of worship, this was it. the cathedral itself was unremarkable, yet the deeply coloured mosaics adorning its spire were a revelation. this stunning example of form + function cemented all that was to come.
osburn's lifelong love for tiles is a mirror for her own approach to art, where she views creation as a process of building through layers, experiences and creative collaborations – all from a female point of view. it is this exact process that has made her the foremost expert in all forms of tile and surfaces.
redefining an industry
from the blog and book tile envy, clé launched as a personally curated, first-of-its-kind online showroom, created in the same vein as other industry disruptors: with one person, in a garage, driven by an inexplicable passion. informed by deborah’s deep love for the great fashion houses – who manage to create trends while reinterpreting classic designs for newer generations – clé ushered in an initial american embrace of traditional tile that continues to grow to this day. in a notoriously male-driven industry, clé’s unique feminine perspective – centered around an appreciation for beauty – has shaped how consumers view and use tile.
as the american design world woke to the new paradigm of tile, deborah recommitted clé to sharing and interpreting global tilemaking traditions by sourcing and creating new tiles, in fresh materials, colors and patterns that she believed would fuel future social feeds and challenge expectations. that intrinsic foresight – the ability to craft what will become popular – remains a cornerstone of clé that is unrivaled in the industry. while inspired imitators replicate and repackage parts of clé’s history, clé itself remains resolutely forward-focused.
where tile evolves
beyond an online showroom, clé is a relentless innovator and inventor; to continue to create is a moral imperative. in true deborah osburn style, when a search for the finest glazed tile came up empty, she simply chose to make it herself. in 2019, the clé guild was humbly launched (again, in a garage) as a hub for development and experimentation.
today, the clé guild’s team of ceramicists, scientists and tile artisans test new materials, ideas and processes, producing tile with the use of the world’s most innovative technologies. the guild’s expansion has made it an anchor for clé, ensuring clé’s evolution from celebrating the best of tile to creating the best.
but there was more to do. in 2024, deborah disrupted everything, again, with OUTERclé. her pioneering spirit – and desire to create even more ways to share and develop tile – has blown the literal doors off of traditional and outdated outdoor design limitations.
in the growing world of clé, every day is day one.
