Zellige tiles are beloved by designers for their unique, irregular shape and shimmering glazed surface. Originating in Morocco in the 10thcentury, these tiles are handmade from clay, then glazed and fired. The projects below from the ELLE Decoration archives show how the beauty of these unique tiles can elevate any bathroom.
Contrasting tiles in a Berlin bathroom
Zellige tiles were integral to the design of this traffic light-coloured penthouse in Berlin’s buzzy Kreuzberg neighbourhood. The clients presented designer Kassia Kronenberg with two tiles, one bottle green and the other sunshine yellow. The former was paired with an off-white tile for the bathroom, while the yellow became the defining element of the entire kitchen space. As well as lining the wall above the main run of cabinetry, she also used them to clad the expansive island.
The checkerboard shower room in London
Designer Tiffany Duggan is drawn to the reflective quality of Moroccan zellige tiles and their ability to bounce light around the space, choosing to use them in a recent Notting Hill project. In the bathroom, she paired cherry and cream-coloured tiles in a jaunty checkerboard pattern. The nude cement floor and deep red wall colour ground the scheme.
Tiles are integral to this home in Madrid
The apartment of entrepreneurs Mike Leflore and Danny Mitchell, co-founders of Los Angeles-based Zia Tile, is unsurprisingly an ode to the beauty of ceramic and clay. The space functions as both their home and a space to showcase their brand to clients, with zellige tiles featuring throughout. In the living room, a floor-to-ceiling fireplace is clad in unglazed trapezoid zellige tiles, while the ensuite bathroom features zellige tiles laid out in a gradient, with a palette inspired by the Madrid statue Estatua Ecuestre de Carlos III.
The monochromatic zellige bathroom
The classic black and white checkerboard look gets an elevated, artisanal feel with zellige tiles in this monochrome bathroom. ‘Maroc’ tiles from Ca’Pietra in ‘Bianco’ and Nero’ lend themselves to both the main tiling, as well as a decorative border in the shower room – all that’s needed to finish the space is a touch of greenery.
Craft is key in this Moroccan home
The Marrakesh home of Laurence Leenaert, founder of design brand LRNCE, brims with colourful artwork and decorative objects her and husband Ayoub have collected over the years, along with Laurence’s own designs. The verdant bathroom captures the best of traditional Moroccan craftsmanship. Overlooking the plant-filled internal patio, soft brown tadelakt-plaster walls are paired with shimmering green zellige tiles – the bath is a custom-made piece.
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Pattern-clash tiling in London
In this London home, designer Holly Canham gave a children’s ensuite an Alice in Wonderland feel. The colours of traditional Moroccan guesthouses inspired the ‘Riad’ wall tiles by Harmony, which she placed in a playful checkerboard pattern. Soane Britain’s ‘Scrolling Fern Silhouette’ wallpaper adds another dimension when glimpsed through the open door.
Texture elevates this tonal bathroom
A masterclass in designing an off-white bathroom that delivers texture and nuance, this bathroom quietly impresses. The milky glazed tiles and veined marble flooring add instant texture, while towels from Baina deliver a dash of pattern. The home of designer Amelia Wilde, it is filled with pieces by herself and her husband, a steel fabricator. The elegant bathroom features their custom-designed side table and vanity unit, while the taps are from Brodware.
A deep-blue bathroom in London
This cobalt bathroom is a proper jewel-box moment in this otherwise neutral apartment in Kensington. Designed by To&From design studio, founded by Somya Singh and Bob de Graaf, it features a deep slaked-lime hue that unifies the ceiling, walls, architraves and skirting, while hints of blue in the sofa and artwork tie in with the beautiful zellige tiles that envelop the bathroom.
