Life & Work with Terese Quartier of Castle Rock

Today we’d like to introduce you to Terese Quartier.

Hi Terese, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Terese Quartier was born and raised in Summit County, CO and with a degree in French language and literature, she moved to France in 2007 to teach English for a year. There she met Jean-Michel Quartier, who had started his career in landscaping in the Loire Valley, internationally known for its gardens. They fell in love, spent a year apart with Terese living in the USA and Jean-Michel in France. In 2009, Terese moved back to France and they got married in 2010, Terese working as an English teacher and Jean-Michel growing as a landscaper and starting landscape design. After the birth of their son in 2014, they decided to try living in USA and moved back to Colorado in 2015. Terese taught French in Parker while Jean-Michel focused on landscape design. They welcomed their daughter in 2019. After a personal loss and the pandemic, Terese left teaching in 2021. In 2024, Jean-Michel decided it was time to open his own design firm and now they are growing Quartier’s Designs, a landscape design only company, making designing more accessible and helping homeowners navigate working with contractors to budget and phase their dream yards on their time.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Struggles have been many, with Terese having to change from a language teacher to an insurance agent, late-term pregnancy loss in 2020, loss of Jean-Michel’s mother in France in 2020 and having to attend the funeral virtually were all bumps in the road.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Jean-Michel, the designer, is an amazing listener and works hard to make sure that the outdoor oases he designs are tailored to his clients lifestyles and dreams. By being a freelance designer, he does not have to answer to a contractor seeking to upsell or profit, but rather focus on what the client truly wants and needs. Terese, a theater geek in high school and college, gets to use her drama skills in marketing and connecting with clients

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Look for those who authentically want to connect with you. If someone is too “salesy” they are usually only concerned with their profit, rather than helping their mentees grow. Trust in those who tell you honestly when something is a good or bad idea- they are looking out for your best interest. We’ve had success with BNI and local Chamber of Commerce events as well as good word of mouth. Basically, by being professional and passionate about what you do in life, it makes it easy to network!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.quartiers-design.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19jhoNt4GQ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Image Credits
All images created or taken by Jean-Michel Quartier