Our Story
New Orleans Tile Co. emerged from the daring vision of its founder, Nick Hasslock. Given his upbringing, the pursuit of artisan New Orleans street tiles was inevitable. Nick’s mother and her ancestors arrived in New Orleans from France on July 4, 1801. His parents also owned a hand-painted pottery business, where Nick spent most of his early years living and working. It was the perfect recipe for one very unique company.
The business’s genesis began when Nick was helping his father sell pottery at the first New Orleans JazzFest since Hurricane Katrina in 2006. He wanted to try his hand at creating some items for the booth, so he made several flat tiles featuring city symbolism such as the fleur-de-lis, pelicans and irises. To his disbelief, they sold out of the tiles. Customers were thrilled by the iconic pieces especially given the strengthened sense of community solidarity after Katrina’s impact.
Word of the tiles quickly began to spread. Nick was soon discovered by the city, including New Orleans’ oldest contractor Boh Brothers, who were intrigued by this reappearance of artisan street tiles that hadn’t been for sale for over 100 years. His first job was located on Chartres Street located in the well-known French Quarter.
To this day, Nick continues to produce these highly durable, true-to-form pieces, providing customers with traditional New Orleans street tiles built to last forever. We can custom design any look and texture to meet your vision whether it is interior, exterior, kitchen, bath, address number, custom plaques, and signage. Please feel free to inquire about any ideas you may have here.