When the city of Doral celebrated its 20th anniversary, the top 20 businesses that have been in Doral since the beginning were recognized and voted on by the community. One of them was Casa Linda Tiles, which has become something of a household name in the city.
Casa Linda traces its roots back to a father’s bold decision to venture into the marble business in the United States. Then called Mediterranean Exports, the company was founded in the Doral area in 1973 by Stephen Musolino, an Italian importer who thought there was an opportunity to introduce Italian marble to American consumers.
“He found a property in what is now Doral,” says Steve Musolino, son of Stephen and the current owner. “At that time, it was just horses, cows, and some warehouses that were very inexpensive for Dade County – which is important in our industry, because we have a lot of heavy, bulky products that don’t need fancy warehousing for it to be competitive.”
Steve’s father, equipped with bilingual skills, traveled back and forth from Modena, Italy to Miami, bringing marble for wholesale distribution to different outlets in the U.S. He soon expanded the business to include ceramic tiles imported from factories in Italy and Spain. As the business flourished, Steve’s father started opening offices across the U.S. and Canada and locked down agency agreements with his European factories. In 1986, Steve ventured into the family business, encouraged by his father to create a retail arm by launching Casa Linda – Spanish for Beautiful House. “I was fresh out of my two years college and he [motivated me] the same way he taught me how to swim – he pushed me into the pool.” Casa Linda soon became a trusted name among homeowners, designers, contractors, and architects, says Steve. “These are people that I’ve helped decorate their homes, and they’ve seen my sign driving by for all these years.”
After taking over the business from his father, Steve transformed Casa Linda Tiles into a comprehensive design center, offering a curated selection of home decor products under one roof. This strategic move not only enhanced the customer experience but also contributed to the growth of the city of Doral. The warehouse has since expanded to become a one-stop shop to include all home décor needs. “Someone comes to look for furniture, they stumble upon tile, and someone comes from tile, they end up with a cabinet. For that reason, I really put my heart and soul into getting this done,” says Steve.
One of Steve’s inspirations for creating a full design center came, again, from his father. “He multiplied himself and we all know a good way to make money is by multiplying yourself,” he says. After completing construction in 2015 to redevelop the site into a full design center, Casa Linda Tiles has remained resilient, being one of the longest standing retail stores in Doral. “Today I’m proud to say that is an active design center called the Doral Décor Center. The building was finished after my father passed away, but I’m sure he’d be proud that we finished his vision and maintained the business.”
