Thattil Tiles

Out here in Kanjikode, things move at their own pace. Thattil Tiles is located at number 47, Chullimada, and we’ve been part of this landscape for quite some time. It’s a practical sort of place. We don’t have a lot of bells and whistles. When you walk in, you’re basically walking into a warehouse filled with ceramic and porcelain. There’s usually a truck parked out front getting loaded or unloaded because that’s the main part of our day. My hands are usually a bit dirty from handling the material, and that’s just part of the job. We don’t wear suits here. We wear boots and old clothes because tiles are heavy and messy. People from all over the area come by when they are building a new house or maybe just fixing a leaky bathroom. We show them what we have, tell them how many boxes are left, and that’s about it. Sometimes we sit down and have a tea while we figure out the measurements. It’s not a high-pressure environment. If we don’t have what you want, we just say so. We try to keep the floors swept, but with all the boots coming in and out, it’s a constant battle. We like the quiet life here in Chullimada. It’s hard work, but it’s honest. We open early and stay until the sun starts going down. That’s our routine and we’re used to it.