Tierra Del Lagarto opened in the spring of 1991. Prior to that, for decades, Linda and Jerry Van Lith lived the corporate life. Moving every few years, they crossed the country again and again, but never forgot the AZ desert where they met. When an opportunity arose to escape the financial world and put down roots, they chose to return to the Valley. All the moves over the years nurtured Linda's creative side; renovating and decorating nearly a dozen homes kept her drawn to the world of interiors. Amazingly, she talked Jerry into opening a store, and Tierra Del Lagarto was born.
Since the beginning they were drawn to rustic, interesting pieces with a good story. Four years in, when their daughter Meg joined the business, they started importing from Indonesia, Morocco, India, Mexico and Turkey. Each year Linda and Meg hand select thousands of pieces that are packed and shipped by container load their 12,000 square foot showroom in north Scottsdale.
Trips today often include one or all of Meg's three children who are staring to amass their own collections of unusual artifacts from around the world!
