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Zellige tiles: the Moroccan tile's history and how to decorate with them
Zellige tiles are one of those buzzwords or phrases that arise time and again when people talk about interiors. In short, zellige (pronounced zell-idge) is a type of tiling that originated in Morocco, in which handcrafted tiles were made from a special blend of local clay and then glazed and fired, resulting in a surface with various irregularities that give each tile a unique look. That variety of tone, flatness, depth and shade is perfect for lending character to whatever space is being tiled – hence zellige’s popularity.
Historically, zellige’s etymology has been traced back to zelij, a style of North African mosaic work found in Islamic art. The fact that Islam forbids depictions of Allah or Muhammad means that pattern and decorative arts hold a high status within Arab aesthetics, and zelij was just one of many ways of adorning mosques or other important buildings. Often, the hand-made tiles would be made in lozenge or star shapes and fitted together into elaborate, tesselating patterned schemes in different colours, with an emphasis on blues, whites and greens (though you’re more likely to find them in simple squares in contemporary Western homes).
For the best examples of zellige, the Alhambra in Granada can’t be beaten; nor can the madrasas – the Islamic schools – of Fes and Meknes in Morocco. That said, you’re as likely to find contemporary zellige in a trendy French farmhouse or the bathroom of a Manhattan apartment as you are in North Africa, which is no bad thing and evidence of the huge, huge popularity of the style. In 2019, they were even used in Hermès’ showcase of their new homeware collection at the Salone del Mobile in Milan, in which beautiful plates, vases and trays were set in the midst of astonishing pavilions decorated with 150,000 imported Moroccan zellige tiles; those shimmering walls in rich hues of blue, purple, yellow and green set the design world’s hearts a-flutter.
You can buy zellige tiles from any number of outlets in the UK and abroad, including Bert & May, Zellige Tiles, Terrazzo Tiles and Habibi Interiors. It’s worth keeping in mind that genuine zellige has certain requirements to be described as such. The tiles should be hand-made, glazed, and should comprise only clay, without lime or iron in them. They will look imperfect, and probably quite shiny, too. Instal them without any gaps between tiles; the grouting should be invisible.
As for how to decorate with them, there are all sorts of ideas you can steal from the House & Garden archive, including a range of creative uses by our Top 100 designers. Take a look…
Ideas for using zellige tiles
Kensington Leverne1/20Pale zellige tiles have been used to clad the pantry off the kitchen in this Chelsea townhouse revived by Nomad Developments owner Jack Simpson. They reflect the light, making the windowless space feel considerably brighter, and add an interesting texture that contrasts with the fabric of the under-counter curtains.
James McDonald2/20In the top-floor bathroom of an Edwardian house updated by Kate Guinness, turquoise zellige tiles from Mosaic Factory provide a shimmering, jewel-like backdrop for a vanity unit painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Brinjal’ and topped with richly veined Calacatta Rosata marble.
Christopher Horwood3/20Zellige tiles from Emery & Cie add texture to the bathroom of a converted coach house in Hackney decorated by Evelina Mamedovaite, which is fitted with classic sanitaryware from The Water Monopoly. A shower curtain in Howe at 36 Bourne Street’s ‘Cypress’ and a basin skirt in Rose Uniacke velvet bring richness and softness to the light-filled space.
Owen Gale4/20Jewellery designer Sandra Barrio von Hurter's kitchen is a kaleidoscopic room that best shows the Spanish influences in the house. ‘It’s the room we knew we’d spend most time in,’ says Sandra, ‘so we spent the longest making sure we got the design right’. This involved staying up until 2am the night before the tiles were put up to ensure the pattern was correct for the mix of green, yellow and pale pink zellige tiles.
Chris Horwood5/20Host Home founder Sophie Warburton's kitchen is a serene room, picked out in green and neutral tones. The backsplash tiles are zellige tiles in a colourway called ‘Pastel Sand’.
Michael Sinclair6/20The bathroom of interior designer Pandora Taylor's house is tiled in zellige tiles from Mosaic Del Sur. Unusually, she has used elongated tiles in a herringbone pattern, whereas the most common example of zellige tiles is square.
Owen Gale7/20The most prominent feature of the bathroom of Angus and Charlotte Buchanan's house is the pair of tiled ‘cabins’, the one on the left housing the shower, and the one on the right the loo. They are tiled in handmade Moroccan zellige tiles in pink and white.
Owen Gale8/20Angelica Squire entirely lined her shower with deep blue zellige tiles, creating a wonderful cocooning effect.
Paul Massey9/20In this Nicola Harding-designed 19th-century London house, Farrow & Ball’s ‘Setting Plaster’ paint picks up on pink tiles by Emery & Cie in the bathroom. Howe’s ‘Mark Chair’ is covered in green towelling fabric.
Simon Brown10/20In the bathroom of Kerri Lipsitz’s London home, the pale tiles are Emery et Cie’s zellige tiles in ‘No. 2 Blanc’.
Rachael Smith11/20In this converted cart shed by Caroline Riddell, the guest house of a larger home in Berkshire, the floor tiles in the kitchen are reclaimed terracotta from Bert & May, but those behind the sink are zellige by Emery and Cie in colour 36. The paint is ‘Eating Room Red’ from Farrow & Ball.
Paul Massey12/20The chimneypiece in this renovated Georgian house is covered in peacock-blue zellige tiles by Emery & Cie, making a striking focal point for the room.
Rachel Whiting13/20The owners of this London house called on interior designer Beata Heuman to create a family home full of fun, distinctive design and punchy colours. It makes for a highly original space, unapologetically theatrical and oozing energy. ‘The owners are both artists. They have quite wild tastes and they love strong colours,’ says Beata. The navy zellige tiles on the wall create a dark, dramatic background for the unique bathroom furnishings, including an opulent, free-standing bath copied from a 1920s design that Beata spotted in an old magazine.
Paul Massey14/20Take inspiration from this design by Todhunter Earle for a chalet in Chamonix, where bath and shower under the eaves are enlivened by iridescent tiles by French company Emery & Cie.
Paul Massey15/20Wonderful yellow zellige tiles by Emery & Cie make this wet room-style shower a sunny space.
Jake Curtis16/20One of our favourite interior design companies, Retrouvius, uses as much salvaged material in their spaces as possible. In this kitchen, they used green zellige tiles from Emery & Cie.
17/20Covetable blue zellige tiles make an eye-catching splashback in this white and wood kitchen by Retrouvius, while the colour of the tiles is picked up on the floor.
Ngoc Minh Ngo18/20The main bathroom in this Californian newbuild with interiors by David Bentheim has unusual herringbone zellige tiles arranged to form stripes of colour – white and mustard and grey.
Paul Massey19/20Vibrant green zellige tiles by Emery & Cie make for a shimmering backdrop to this country house bathroom in France.
Sean Myers20/20These deep blue zellige tiles add depth and colour to an industrial kitchen by Rachel Chudley.
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