Catching Up With... Jennifer and Mike Tuttle,
owners of Inhabit
Jennifer and Mike Tuttle’s hip homegoods company, Inhabit, earned big-time buzz in 2006 for its innovative product called Wall Flats. The adhesive wall tiles won Best Eco Product of the Year from Interior Design magazine, and they were seen in ads for Target and at the Sundance Film Festival. Last fall, the company originally known for graphic-patterned bedding and pillows came out with a table lamp (pictured) that homeowners can design themselves. We caught up with the Tuttles for the scoop on going global, green design, and the products that didn’t work out.
Inhabit is really flying high these days.
Yeah, business is good. We tend to work a lot of hours and really care about what we are doing so it’s nice to see some of the efforts paying off. Believe me, there is no such thing as an overnight success. We started tinkering with Inhabit in late 2003 but didn’t stop [Planet 10, the couple’s brand-development venture] until the last half of 2005. We have been working on projects with companies like Neiman Marcus, Crate & Barrel, Quiksilver, W Hotels, Sundance Film Festival, Disney, etc. These are clients that, with Planet 10, were never really a possibility. It wasn’t because we weren’t capable, but if a company is going out of market for creative graphic design and advertising services, it was really hard to get them to consider Indianapolis.
Did you know you would eventually design your own product line?
It was always in the back of our minds. We want to get involved on all levels of a business because it is all so interconnected. It’s just not realistic with someone else’ company. We have that opportunity with Inhabit and we feel our previous experience prepared us well for what we are doing now.
The award from Interior Design magazine was quite an honor. What was your reaction?
Blown away. Come on, we were up against some of the largest companies in the industry. We were honored to be a finalist, and we end up winning. We found out recently that the Wall Flats have been nominated for Product of the Year in Australia by one of the leading design magazines.
It must be gratifying to be acknowledged for eco-friendly practices.
The business of sustainability is the future of business, for sure. It’s more responsible, it’s healthier, and as consumers we must demand it. At Inhabit, our printing process uses a lot of paper. We shred all of our office paper waste and the cardboard waste that our products come in and use it as packing material when shipping to our customers. Our polyester fabrics are made from old soda bottles, and our Wall Flats are made from 100-percent bamboo pulp. As a company we generate very little waste and are looking for ways to incorporate these practices into everything we do. We all need to decrease our footprint on the environment.
Your BuiltBy lamp will let the owner change up the look by rearranging the base’s colored blocks. Were you inspired by being new parents?
We designed this product before we knew we were going to be parents. The idea came from trying to give the consumer some hand in the design process. We felt the ability to customize it to personal tastes or a certain room gave the product some features that not only we would like, but that are not available in the category.
How long does it take to develop an idea from concept to shelf?
About a year to a year and a half.
Do you test products at home?
We do. We just finished a really great installation of the Wall Flats in our living room that is going to be featured on HGTV. It’s hard for us to keep our bed looking good, though, because our two dogs think it’s theirs.
Has anything not worked?
Yeah, all the time. We designed a customizable screen that was made from a simple rubber base into which you would insert 6-foot colored dowel rods. The result was really organic and grass-like. We made a prototype, started looking for manufacturers, and Jennifer gets an e-mail from a company in the U.S. that resells products from other countries, and there it was. It was so similar it was eerie, as well as disappointing. Even though it was a European company, we scratched the idea because it had already been done.
How has your design sensibility changed or evolved since you started the company?
Being in the industry for a while now, we really understand that trends are started on the fringes by smaller companies like Inhabit. The larger retailers follow smaller companies, come to shows where our new lines are being shown, and then adapt these styles into their line. So once the big-box stores start doing something, we have to change what we are doing. You can’t compete with them on price so it really is your design sense and new product innovation that you are selling.
How many entries did you receive for the Great Pillow Design Competition, and how many were viable options?
There were around 600. And we would like to mention, not one from Indiana. This is kind of disappointing. They are all viable on some level but maybe 5 percent could have been right for us.
What design blogs do you read?
As new parents, have you been able to find nursery decor to fit your aesthetic?
Yeah, we have. Our nursery is really cool, and we had a blast doing it. We used FLOR carpet files, Nurseryworks furniture, and mixed in some cool vintage pieces like this great wood snail from Kouvalias. We built a ledge that has grass in it that runs around half the nursery, and used the Wall Flats on one wall. We found a great stroller from a European company called Quinny. We really wanted her to be exposed to great design at a young age.
Any chance of now designing kids accessories?
This is the question we are hearing a lot. We have no plans to right now.
What’s next for you guys?
We are beginning to design a furniture line and are just going to continue to create products that we think fit us and the Inhabit brand. Oh, I think we may actually take a vacation soon. It’s been about five years. We need to learn to cook healthy so we can get off of Seattle Sutton’s.
For a complete list of resources, see the Spring 2008 issue of Indianapolis Monthly Home, on sale at these locations.
