Born centuries ago in the workshops of Morocco and beloved all over again, zellige brings handmade Moroccan character, light-catching glaze, gentle colour variation and real tactility to modern homes. Discover summer colour ideas, where zellige works best, and how to fit and care for it.
There's a reason zellige keeps turning up in the most beautiful rooms of the moment. Born in the workshops of Fez centuries ago, these small, clay tiles carry a living, light-catching surface that have captured the tile world by storm, and rightfully so.
Our Zellige and Bejmat collection recreates that handmade character with all the practicality of a modern glazed tile: the gentle tonal variation, the softly undulating surface and the glossy, water-like sheen, without the fragility and upkeep of traditional hand-cut ceramics.
What makes zellige special
Authentic zellige is prized for its imperfection. Edges wander a little, the glaze pools and thins, and light bounces off the surface in a way that shifts as you move through the room. That irregularity is what gives a wall depth and soul rather than a flat, uniform finish.
Our ranges are designed to capture exactly that. Expect subtle colour movement from tile to tile and a tactile look across the whole Zellige and Bejmat range. If you love the artisanal feel but want it across a floor as well, it's worth knowing that most zellige-effect tiles are made for walls, splashbacks and feature areas, always check the floor-suitability note on the individual product page before you buy.
Summer colours, from riad blues to sun-warmed terracotta
Summer schemes love zellige because the glaze does half the work, it reflects light and lifts a space instantly. A few directions to consider:
- Cool, calming greens for a garden-room or bathroom that feels like shade on a hot day, try Argilla Verde Gloss, Epoque Zellige Forest or the soft, crackled Crafted Sage Crackle.
- Mediterranean blues for depth and a coastal note, Epoque Zellige Navy or the gentle Lungo Coral Blue.
- Warm terracotta and clay tones that echo a Marrakech courtyard, Epoque Zellige Cotto or the rich Crafted Cola.
- Sunlit yellows and blush pinks for a playful, characterful splashback, Argilla Mustard Gloss and Crafted Rose.
- Crisp, luminous whites and creams that keep things bright and breezy, Epoque Zellige Snow, Argilla White Gloss or Lungo Antique White.
For a bolder, jewel-like moment, the deep red of Epoque Zellige Cherry makes a stunning feature behind a bar or range.
Zellige or Bejmat? Choosing your shape
The two go hand in hand but create different moods. Classic square zellige gives you that tessellated, jewel-box wall, beautiful stacked, brick-bonded or set on the diagonal.
Elongated Bejmat, with its slim rectangular format, reads as more structured and contemporary, and is lovely laid in a herringbone or vertical stack. Browse the full mix of both in the Zellige and Bejmat collection, and explore the Epoque Bejmat tones if you want that longer, linear look.
If you're drawn to zellige, you'll probably also love the neighbouring looks in our Metro & Brick tiles, Mosaic tiles and Textured tiles collections.
Where zellige works best
- Kitchens: a zellige splashback is the easiest way to add craft and colour. See it in context in our Kitchen Tiles collection.
- Bathrooms and showers: the glossy, light-reflective glaze is a delight for wet spaces; or for more explore the Bathroom Tiles and Shower Tiles collections.
- Feature walls: a single zellige wall brings a room to life; for more ideas and tile types see our Wall Tiles.
- Garden rooms and summer entertaining spaces: pair a warm zellige with natural materials like terracotta or marble for a relaxed, sun-drenched feel.
To finish edges neatly and frame a feature, our matching pencil mouldings and the wider Tile Mouldings collection give a considered, built-in look.
Fitting and finishing: getting the handmade look right
Zellige rewards a little care at installation, the irregularity, the almost chipped edges that makes it beautiful also means it behaves differently to a flat, rectified tile.
- Adhesive. Use a good-quality tile adhesive suited to your surface and tile type; browse our adhesives. For a neat, even bed, our spacers and levelling systems help keep gently uneven tiles in check.
- Grout. A tight joint keeps the focus on the tile. Choosing your grout colour changes the whole effect, a tonal grout softens the look, while a contrast grout sharpens the geometry. Our Technical Tile Advice blog has more on picking the right grout.
- Silicone. Finish internal corners and wet-area junctions with a colour-matched silicone rather than grout, so the joint can flex.
- A note on brick-bond. Because glazed tiles can bow very slightly during firing, a big 50% offset can leave noticeable lippage. A smaller stagger (around a third) keeps a brick-bond layout looking crisp, our team is always happy to advise.
Keeping it beautiful
Glazed zellige-effect tiles are wonderfully low-maintenance. A gentle, pH-neutral clean keeps the surface shining, see our cleaning and maintenance range, and if you're using any complementary natural-stone or crackle-glaze pieces, our tile sealants will protect them. As a rule, skip anything harsh, abrasive or acidic.
See it and feel it before you buy
Zellige is all about texture and the way it catches the light, so it's a tile that really deserves to be seen in the flesh. Order samples directly on the product page through our Sample Service, or come and run your hand across our displays of it at our Fulham showroom in south-west London or our Melmerby showroom near Ripon. If you'd like a hand choosing colours or working out quantities, just get in touch, we've been helping people get it right since 1989.
Ready to bring a little Moroccan sunshine into your home this summer? Explore the full Zellige and Bejmat collection, or browse the latest New Arrivals for more ideas.