Concepts for utilizing zellige tiles: Otto Tiles & Design’s ‘Vibrant Mosaic’ zellige tiles clad the wall of the toilet at an 18th-century Somerset barn remodeled by Polly Ashman. In addition to offering an acceptable and sensible floor, the tiles choose up on the show of ceramics above and the cast-iron tub in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Oval Room Blue’, which has brassware from The Water Monopoly. The ‘Mussel Shell’ wall mild is from Porta Romana
Sarah Griggs
Zellige tiles are a type of buzzwords or phrases that come up repeatedly when folks speak about interiors. In brief, zellige (pronounced zell-idge) is a kind of tiling that originated in Morocco, through which handcrafted tiles had been constructed from a particular mix of native clay after which glazed and fired, leading to a floor with varied irregularities that give every tile a novel look. That number of tone, flatness, depth and shade is ideal for lending character to no matter area is being tiled – therefore zellige’s reputation.
Traditionally, zellige’s etymology has been traced again to zelij, a method of North African mosaic work present in Islamic artwork. The truth that Islam forbids depictions of Allah or Muhammad signifies that sample and ornamental arts maintain a excessive standing inside Arab aesthetics, and zelij was simply one in every of some ways of adorning mosques or different necessary buildings. Typically, the hand-made tiles can be made in lozenge or star shapes and fitted collectively into elaborate, tesselating patterned schemes in numerous colors, with an emphasis on blues, whites and greens (although you’re extra prone to discover them in easy squares in modern Western houses).
For the very best examples of zellige, the Alhambra in Granada can’t be overwhelmed; nor can the madrasas – the Islamic faculties – of Fes and Meknes in Morocco. That stated, you’re as prone to discover modern zellige in a stylish French farmhouse or the toilet of a Manhattan condo as you’re in North Africa, which isn’t any unhealthy factor and proof of the massive, big reputation of the model. In 2019, they had been even utilized in Hermès’ showcase of their new homeware assortment on the Salone del Cell in Milan, through which stunning plates, vases and trays had been set within the midst of astonishing pavilions adorned with 150,000 imported Moroccan zellige tiles; these shimmering partitions in wealthy hues of blue, purple, yellow and inexperienced set the design world’s hearts a-flutter.
You should buy zellige tiles from any variety of retailers within the UK and overseas, together with Bert & Might, Zellige Tiles, Terrazzo Tiles and Habibi Interiors. It’s value retaining in thoughts that real zellige has sure necessities to be described as such. The tiles needs to be hand-made, glazed, and will comprise solely clay, with out lime or iron in them. They’ll look imperfect, and doubtless fairly shiny, too. Instal them with none gaps between tiles; the grouting needs to be invisible.
As for learn how to enhance with them, there are all kinds of concepts you’ll be able to steal from the Home & Backyard archive, together with a spread of artistic makes use of by our Prime 100 designers. Have a look…
Concepts for utilizing zellige tiles
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Kensington Leverne1/20 Pale zellige tiles have been used to clad the pantry off the kitchen on this Chelsea townhouse revived by Nomad Developments proprietor Jack Simpson. They mirror the sunshine, making the windowless area really feel significantly brighter, and add an attention-grabbing texture that contrasts with the material of the under-counter curtains.
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James McDonald2/20 Within the top-floor toilet of an Edwardian home up to date by Kate Guinness, turquoise zellige tiles from Mosaic Manufacturing facility present a shimmering, jewel-like backdrop for a conceit unit painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Brinjal’ and topped with richly veined Calacatta Rosata marble.
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Christopher Horwood3/20 Zellige tiles from Emery & Cie add texture to the toilet of a transformed coach home in Hackney adorned by Evelina Mamedovaite, which is fitted with traditional sanitaryware from The Water Monopoly. A bathe curtain in Howe at 36 Bourne Avenue’s ‘Cypress’ and a basin skirt in Rose Uniacke velvet deliver richness and softness to the light-filled area.
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Owen Gale4/20 Jewelry designer Sandra Barrio von Hurter's kitchen is a kaleidoscopic room that finest reveals the Spanish influences in the home. ‘It’s the room we knew we’d spend most time in,’ says Sandra, ‘so we spent the longest ensuring we obtained the design proper’. This concerned staying up till 2am the night time earlier than the tiles had been put up to make sure the sample was appropriate for the combo of inexperienced, yellow and pale pink zellige tiles.
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Chris Horwood5/20 Host Dwelling founder Sophie Warburton's kitchen is a serene room, picked out in inexperienced and impartial tones. The backsplash tiles are zellige tiles in a colourway referred to as ‘Pastel Sand’.
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Michael Sinclair6/20 The lavatory of inside designer Pandora Taylor's home is tiled in zellige tiles from Mosaic Del Sur. Unusually, she has used elongated tiles in a herringbone sample, whereas the most typical instance of zellige tiles is sq..
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Owen Gale7/20 Essentially the most outstanding function of the toilet of Angus and Charlotte Buchanan's home is the pair of tiled ‘cabins’, the one on the left housing the bathe, and the one on the appropriate the toilet. They’re tiled in handmade Moroccan zellige tiles in pink and white.
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Owen Gale8/20 Angelica Squire completely lined her bathe with deep blue zellige tiles, creating a beautiful cocooning impact.
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Paul Massey9/20 On this Nicola Harding-designed Nineteenth-century London home, Farrow & Ball’s ‘Setting Plaster’ paint picks up on pink tiles by Emery & Cie within the toilet. Howe’s ‘Mark Chair’ is roofed in inexperienced towelling cloth.
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Simon Brown10/20 Within the toilet of Kerri Lipsitz’s London house, the pale tiles are Emery et Cie’s zellige tiles in ‘No. 2 Blanc’.
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Rachael Smith11/20 On this transformed cart shed by Caroline Riddell, the visitor home of a bigger house in Berkshire, the ground tiles within the kitchen are reclaimed terracotta from Bert & Might, however these behind the sink are zellige by Emery and Cie in color 36. The paint is ‘Consuming Room Crimson’ from Farrow & Ball.
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Paul Massey12/20 The chimneypiece on this renovated Georgian home is roofed in peacock-blue zellige tiles by Emery & Cie, making a putting focus for the room.
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Rachel Whiting13/20 The homeowners of this London home referred to as on inside designer Beata Heuman to create a household house filled with enjoyable, distinctive design and punchy colors. It makes for a extremely authentic area, unapologetically theatrical and oozing vitality. ‘The homeowners are each artists. They’ve fairly wild tastes and so they love sturdy colors,’ says Beata. The navy zellige tiles on the wall create a darkish, dramatic background for the distinctive toilet furnishings, together with an opulent, free-standing tub copied from a Twenties design that Beata noticed in an previous journal.
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Paul Massey14/20 Take inspiration from this design by Todhunter Earle for a chalet in Chamonix, the place tub and bathe underneath the eaves are enlivened by iridescent tiles by French firm Emery & Cie.
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Paul Massey15/20 Fantastic yellow zellige tiles by Emery & Cie make this moist room-style bathe a sunny area.
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Jake Curtis16/20 One among our favorite inside design corporations, Retrouvius, makes use of as a lot salvaged materials of their areas as potential. On this kitchen, they used inexperienced zellige tiles from Emery & Cie.
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17/20 Covetable blue zellige tiles make an attention-grabbing splashback on this white and wooden kitchen by Retrouvius, whereas the color of the tiles is picked up on the ground.
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Ngoc Minh Ngo18/20 The primary toilet on this Californian newbuild with interiors by David Bentheim has uncommon herringbone zellige tiles organized to type stripes of color – white and mustard and gray.
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Paul Massey19/20 Vibrant inexperienced zellige tiles by Emery & Cie make for a shimmering backdrop to this nation home toilet in France.
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Sean Myers20/20 These deep blue zellige tiles add depth and color to an industrial kitchen by Rachel Chudley.
