Elm Surfaces

What Elm Surfaces does

Elm Surfaces is a Chicago-based, privately held distributor and curator of premium architectural surface materials, founded in January 2019 by Eugenio Luigi Megna. The company sources and resells a portfolio spanning high-tech porcelain slabs, commercial-grade LVT, handmade ceramic and terracotta tiles, engineered wood flooring, concrete tiles, and engineered porcelain ventilated facades, organized into roughly 20 branded collections (Haze, Tally, Bellissima, Attitude, Boulevard, Michelangelo, Terre Colorate, Gaeta, Soho, and others) sourced primarily from Italian manufacturers. It positions itself as a single-vendor solution for interior and exterior surface specification, targeting the architectural and design community through dedicated A&D sales representatives, a West Loop Chicago showroom, and a sample-driven evaluation workflow on its website.

The business operates a one-time-purchase revenue model for material sales supplemented by professional services covering quality control, logistics coordination, and field support. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set on an FOB basis with the customer responsible for shipping; field tile is sold in full boxes only, and international orders from European sources are non-cancellable and non-returnable with a 25% cancellation fee on approved changes. Go-to-market is field-sales-led, with two A&D sales reps and supporting operations, business development, customer service, showroom, and sample-department functions across a team of approximately nine employees. Customer concentration spans named enterprise projects across hospitality (Hyatt, Nobu, Wolfgang Puck), restaurants, luxury residential (The Bell, The Thompson, BIÂN), retail (Uncommon James), and an automotive dealership (FCA Motor Village, Germany), distributed across at least ten U.S. cities plus Germany.

Name

Elm Surfaces

Legal name

ELM Surfaces

Website

https://elmsurfaces.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Elm Surfaces is a Chicago-based distributor of premium architectural surface materials — porcelain, ceramic, LVT, engineered wood, concrete, and terracotta — curated for the architectural and design community and delivered through dedicated A&D sales representatives and a West Loop showroom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Surface Materials

SIC

Structural Clay Products (3250)

akta.pro primary industry

Masonry & Hardscapes Retail (Brick, Block, Pavers, Stone) (CRAIAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Commercial-Grade & Specialty Surfaces (Concrete/Metal/Glass Countertops) (HSAPAIAK)

Keywords

• Architectural surface materials
• Porcelain tile distribution
• Engineered wood flooring
• Luxury vinyl tile supply
• Commercial interior surfaces

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Surface Materials Sales: One-time purchase model for surface materials including porcelain tiles, ceramic tiles, engineered wood, LVT, and specialty products. Products are sold through direct sales team and architectural/design community referrals. Field tile is sold in full boxes only. International orders (from Europe) are special order with no cancellations or returns allowed.
2. Professional Services: Administering a wide range of services from quality control, logistics coordination, to field support for interior and exterior surface applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Elm Surfaces curates and distributes premium architectural surface materials—including high-tech porcelain slabs, commercial-grade LVT, handmade ceramic and terracotta tiles, engineered wood flooring, concrete-look tiles, Italian-made brick cladding, and engineered porcelain ventilated facades—sourced from world-class international manufacturers. The company supplies the U.S. architecture and design community with a single point of communication for interior and exterior surface applications, complemented by professional services covering quality control, logistics coordination, and field support across commercial, hospitality, retail, and luxury residential projects.

Product overview

Elm Surfaces offers a curated portfolio of architectural surface materials including high-tech porcelain slabs, commercial-grade LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile), handmade ceramic and terracotta tiles, engineered wood flooring, concrete tiles, and specialty products like brick. The portfolio is organized into distinct collections such as the marble-look Bellissima porcelain slab collection, the wood-look Boulevard and Contemporary engineered wood collections, the terrazzo-look Attitude porcelain collection, the handmade ceramic Haze, Tally, Soho, and Mayfair collections, the terracotta Terre Colorate collection, the 3D marble-look Michelangelo collection, the wood-look Suono LVT collection, and specialty products like Elm Brick. The company positions itself as a one-stop solution provider for interior and exterior surface applications, partnering with world-class manufacturers to offer high-end quality products for the architectural and design community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Haze Collection Ceramic tile collection offered in eight shades, ranging from neutrals to vibrant hues, suited for walls, bathrooms, and kitchens in interior design applications.
• Tally Collection Contemporary modular ceramic tile collection with a sophisticated glossy glaze across most of the palette and an elegant matte finish in Milk Foam tone, suitable for continuous surfaces or decorative accents.
• Elm Brick Italian-made brick tile that faithfully reproduces the look and feel of real brick, available in multiple colors to suit a variety of styles.
• Mosaics Collection Mosaic tile collection for decorative architectural applications.
• Kyoto Collection 3" x 12" pure white body double-firing ceramic tile offered in Flat and 3D options with light and dark effects, textures, and frames, targeted at high-end interior design destinations.
• West Town Collection Concrete-look tile available in four distinct shades of gray, with each piece designed to capture the nuanced movement of urban architecture.
• Gaeta Collection Handmade ceramic tile collection available in Grigio, Beige, Bianco, Giada, and Turchese, in sizes 2 x 6, 3 x 8, and 4 x 4 with a glossy finish suitable for back splashes, outdoor surfaces, and walls.
• Casera Collection Handmade ceramic wood-look tile collection with matte finish in 1.75 x 17.5 size, suitable for back splashes, floors, heavy traffic areas, outdoor use, walls, and wet areas.
• Chianti Collection Terracotta tile collection including Biscotto, Avorio, Cotto, and Grigio variants with flat and 3D Gelosia options, 8 x 8 size with matte finish, designed for wall applications.
• Terre Colorate Collection Handmade terracotta tile collection available in Beige, Brown, Dark Grey, and Dark Grey Sealed finishes in multiple sizes (3 x 11, 4 x 16, 6 x 12, 7.5 x 7.5) for back splashes, floors, heavy traffic, outdoor, walls, and wet areas.
• Bellissima Collection Large-format marble-look porcelain slab collection including Statuarietto, Antico Calacatta, Calacatta Oro, Calacatta White, Beleza, Bianca, Nero Marquina, and Pietra Grey variants in 60 x 126 size with Honed and Polished finishes, suitable for counter tops, floors, heavy traffic, outdoor, and walls.
• Contemporary Collection Engineered wood flooring collection with wood-look finish including Calgary and other variants, in sizes 120, 140, 180, 240, and 300 with Naturale UV and Traffic UV finishes, suitable for floors, heavy traffic, and walls.
• Boulevard Collection Engineered wood flooring collection with satin finish including Pennsylvania Maple, Belle Meade Hickory, Lombard Maple, Michigan Hickory, and Mulholland Oak variants, suitable for floors, heavy traffic, and walls.
• Attitude Collection Terrazzo-look porcelain tile collection including White and other color variants in 24 x 24, 24 x 48, and 48 x 48 sizes with Natural and Silky finishes, suitable for floors, heavy traffic, outdoor, walls, and wet areas.
• Soho Collection Handmade ceramic tile collection in Soho Ivory, White, Black, Blue, Emerald, Light, Sage, and Taupe variants, 2 x 10 size with glossy finish for back splashes, outdoor, walls, and wet areas.
• Michelangelo Collection 3D marble-look porcelain wall tile collection including Green Denis, Botticino, Calacatta Viola, Elegant White, River Jade, and Sodalite Blue variants in Large, Regular, and Small sizes, 2 x 16 size with matte finish.
• Suono Collection Wood-look Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) collection with Antimicrobial and Ceramic Bead finish including Navajo and many other variants in 7 x 48 size, suitable for floors, wet areas, and heavy traffic applications.
• Mayfair Collection Ceramic tile collection inspired by London's Mayfair area, including Black, Gris, Indigo, Leaf, Lullaby, Navy, Nuage, Sidewalk, Storm, White, and Station variants in 4 x 12 and 4 x 16 sizes with glossy and matte finishes for back splashes, walls, and wet areas.
• Selhurst Collection Cement-look tile collection including Selhurst Beige, Bianco, Dark Grey, and Grey variants in 12 x 24 and 24 x 24 sizes with Grip and Matte finishes for floors, heavy traffic, outdoor, walls, and wet areas.
• Ghent White Decor Shaped ceramic wall tile in 13 x 40 size suitable for back splashes, walls, and wet areas.
• Quality Control, Logistics Coordination, and Field Support Services Professional services administered alongside product sales, covering quality control, logistics coordination between international manufacturers and U.S. project sites, and on-site field support for interior and exterior surface applications.

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Walker Zanger: Long-established premium tile and stone distributor with designer-focused showrooms across major US metros. Overlaps with Elm on architectural/spec porcelain and stone but operates at significantly larger scale and national footprint.
• Ann Sacks: Kohler-owned luxury tile, stone, and plumbing showroom brand selling to the same architect/designer customer. Comparable premium positioning and curated European-sourced slabs, but with broader product portfolio and owned retail.
• Bedrosians Tile & Stone: Family-owned tile, stone, and mosaic distributor with showrooms across the Western US and national shipping. Overlaps on premium porcelain slabs and engineered surfaces for commercial/hospitality projects.
• Emser Tile: One of the largest US tile and natural stone distributors, serving both residential and commercial channels. Overlaps heavily on porcelain/LVT portfolio and A&D channel but at meaningfully larger scale.

Emerging players

• Clé Tile: Curated designer tile and brick boutique (including zellige and Italian brick) selling direct to designers and homeowners. Overlaps on Italian handmade brick and ceramic, premium positioning, and visual/digital-led marketing.
• Fireclay Tile: Designer-direct ceramic tile maker/retailer popular with architects for made-to-order sizing and sustainability positioning. Comparable premium design-led customer base and direct-to-spec motion.

Direct peers

• Stone Source: Architect-specified distributor of porcelain, ceramic, and natural stone slabs with showrooms in major design markets. Direct match on A&D sales motion and curated European slab assortment.
• Materials Marketing: High-end architectural masonry, stone, and brick distributor serving luxury residential and hospitality projects from Colorado with US-wide delivery. Closely comparable specialty distribution model and project sale size.
• TileBar: Online-first tile and surface retailer actively courting the architecture & design community with sample programs. Closely comparable to Elm Surfaces on customer (designers specifying tile), product mix (porcelain/ceramic), and project-sale motion.

Others

• Cosentino (Dekton/Cosentino): Spanish manufacturer of Dekton ultra-compact surfaces and Silestone quartz sold through certified dealers to the architect/designer community. Comparable premium surfacing brand positioning; competes with Elm's porcelain slab category via its own dealer network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookm.facebook.com/p/Elm-Surfaces-100063924188770
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elm-surfaces
• Instagraminstagram.com/elmsurfaces/?hl=en
• Pinterestpinterest.com/elmsurfaces

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Elm Surfaces