The natural stone products that Thorntree purveys were formed in nature millions of years ago. While we haven't been around nearly that long, founder Stuart Rae is no newcomer - he has accumulated over 40 years of stone knowledge. In the beginning, Stuart and his dad, Clive, set up shop in 1980, shortly after the Rae family arrived in Texas from South Africa (listen to Stuart's accent).
Their first shop was a small office and adjoining warehouse on West 34th Street. From there, they primarily sold slate roof tiles to a small but forward-thinking group of custom home builders. Father and son then went on to calling on architects (from the big book known back then as the Houston Yellow Pages), showing Thorntree's first line of natural slate flooring in five colors, imported from South Africa.
Their first shop was a small office and adjoining warehouse on West 34th Street. From there, they primarily sold slate roof tiles to a small but forward-thinking group of custom home builders. Father and son then went on to calling on architects (from the big book known back then as the Houston Yellow Pages), showing Thorntree's first line of natural slate flooring in five colors, imported from South Africa.
Services
Since the early days as a natural stone company, Thorntree has evolved into a multi-faceted, multi-dimensional entity, supplying some of the most highly celebrated commercial and residential projects throughout the nation with refined glass, hand-painted tiles, and the world's finest porcelain. 40 years later, Thorntree now has three locations, all with full-service showrooms.
Reviews (7)
Amy Hyde
May 04, 2021
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Mark Thompson
Aug 20, 2020
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Lawrence Martinez Jr
Aug 24, 2019
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Chris Ochterbeck
Jun 01, 2019
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Bait and switch! Went to complete the quote they provided to bring the tile to my contractor for the day and all of a sudden it's 4x the price! They responded by saying, "oh yeah, turns out we misquoted you, it's by the tile, not SF. Are you ready to order?" They will rip you off and mess up your construction timeline without hesitation.
T. M.
May 17, 2018
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Deena E.
Sep 25, 2013
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We've used Thorntree for 2 homes in Houston. They designed our beautiful travertine floors in The Woodlands, and did granite counters, and in Cypress they installed a gorgeous granite tops, and slate backsplash. Their suggestions are terrific, and the craftsmanship is superb. They worked within our budget each time, and we were very pleased. Ask for Karen!
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
Mehran F.
Jul 17, 2012
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Amazing customer service by Renee Lawrence. I can not thank her enough.
I started a small yard project for my Chicago Bucktown home. My dear Texan friends would be surprised to learn that our Chicago city lots of 24 by 100 are smaller than don't-mess-with-texas size swimming pools. So our yards are really small.
After visiting a couple of Chicago shops in the design district, and subjecting myself to some snootiness, googled my way through America and found Thorntree in Houston.
I still remember the summer heat of Houston when I first moved to America, and had a pit stop in Houston. The
I started a small yard project for my Chicago Bucktown home. My dear Texan friends would be surprised to learn that our Chicago city lots of 24 by 100 are smaller than don't-mess-with-texas size swimming pools. So our yards are really small.
After visiting a couple of Chicago shops in the design district, and subjecting myself to some snootiness, googled my way through America and found Thorntree in Houston.
I still remember the summer heat of Houston when I first moved to America, and had a pit stop in Houston. The
