Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Martine. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Martine, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

Temescal’s upcycled furniture collection was created from a contradiction around me that I could no longer overlook.

Working in design and manufacturing, I am surrounded by beautiful materials: hardwoods, leather, custom handcrafted tile, and at the same time watching so much of it become waste after the installation of a project. Dead-stock hides, architectural tiles, wood from deconstructed homes, and iconic built projects’ materials being tossed away; Perfect materials, discarded simply because they no longer fit a production plan.
I have always valued objects with history. So instead of seeing leftovers, I saw potential.

The first upcycled table started as an experiment:

What if I designed around what already existed?

I sourced reclaimed wood and dead-stock materials and let them guide the form. The process felt slower and more intentional, as if I was uncovering something rather than manufacturing it. The imperfections gave the pieces depth and authenticity you cannot replicate with new materials.

I knew it was worth pursuing for two reasons.

Creatively, the work felt more honest. The materials already carried story and character.
Strategically, it made sense. Sustainability is not a trend, it’s a long-term shift in how one thinks and operates in the world.

Designing from reclaimed and dead-stock sources naturally creates limited, small-batch pieces with built-in scarcity and meaning.
Temescal’s upcycled tables became my way of proving that responsible design doesn’t limit creativity: it elevates it.

Martine, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a designer and creative operations founder working at the intersection of aesthetics, sustainability, and production. My background is in product design and manufacturing, which means I do not just design objects or interiors – I understand how they are sourced, built, and executed responsibly.

I founded Temescal Creative, an elevated interior design studio serving clients across the United States. While we create refined, highly considered residential spaces, our upcycled furniture collection – including our reclaimed tables – emerged as a solution to the material overage I repeatedly witnessed at the completion of projects. Instead of allowing excess wood, tile, and leather to become waste, we began transforming those materials into small-batch, design-forward pieces that extend the life of what already exists.

I also launched La Lune, a vintage-inspired women’s watch brand reviving the elegance of pre-digital timepiece design in intentional, limited runs. And through American Lacing, my leather goods manufacturing business, I maintain hands-on oversight of sourcing, craftsmanship, and ethical production systems.

Across each of my businesses, the focus is longevity: creating pieces meant to be kept, repaired, and passed down.

What sets me apart is the combination of creative vision and operational depth. I design with both emotion and infrastructure in mind, ensuring that beauty, responsibility, and execution are aligned from concept to completion.

I’m most proud of building brands that prove sustainability and strong design are not mutually exclusive – they strengthen each other.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the most defining pivots in my career happened when the leather manufacturer producing my watch straps for nearly 20 years decided to retire and sell their building. Their capabilities were essential to my brand, and without them, production as I knew it would end.
Instead of outsourcing elsewhere, I made the decision to bring the factory into my own facility and vertically integrate manufacturing myself.

That shift moved me from being solely a designer to becoming a manufacturer. In the process, I discovered I loved helping other brands bring their products to life just as much as building my own. That evolution led to the creation of American Lacing, my U.S.-based leather goods manufacturing company.

Eventually, I closed my long-running jewelry brand to focus fully on manufacturing and consulting, which then led to founding Temescal Creative.
What began as a necessary operational change became the most transformative pivot of my career. Seven years later, it remains the decision that reshaped everything – and strengthened every business I’ve built since.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to prove that beautiful and thoughtful design alongside responsible production can, and should, coexist.

Everything I build is rooted in longevity. Whether it’s an interior, a piece of furniture, a watch, or a leather good, my goal is to create objects that are meant to be kept, repaired, and passed down – not replaced.

I’m driven by the belief that the most sustainable product is one you never want to throw away.
At a larger level, I want to shift how people think about value. Instead of chasing speed, trend cycles, and overproduction, I focus on intentional sourcing, small-batch manufacturing, and materials with history. I’m interested in depth over volume, permanence over novelty.

My creative journey is ultimately about stewardship – of materials, of craftsmanship, and of the systems behind what we make. If my work can help redefine success in design as something measured by integrity and endurance rather than scale alone, then I’m doing what I set out to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.temescalcreative.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/temescal_creative/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TemescalCreativeDesign/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martineilana/
• Other:
  https://americanlacing.com/
  https://lalunelove.com/

Image Credits

Marta Xochilt Perez Photography