What is the deal with Zellige tile? I don’t understand it, but it seems to be the latest trend.

I was in SoHo the other day in a famous restaurant called Le Botaniste that features vegetarian food. They had Zellige tile on the walls.

What is Zellige tile? It’s a handmade Moroccan tile. (To be honest, I’m not sure that it’s always handmade and I’m also not sure that it’s always made in Morocco.) Either way, it caters to designers who love old, distressed handmade looks.

The one thing I don’t like about Zellige tile is that when you come to the edge of a wall, including corners, the individual pieces don’t come together very nicely. I think it looks a little rough and awkward. You could certainly add a wood molding to clean it up a bit.

There is a long history of handmade and imperfect tiles. Saltillo tiles are big, clunky Mexican tiles—often baked in the sun with dirt and bugs in them.

A more successful version of handmade tiles came out of England. The English handmade tile tradition features beautiful colors and irregular surfaces. They even make bullnoses with them now so you can easily finish the tiles against the wall.

I think the English handmade look is here to stay. I’m not as sure about Zellige tile. You be the judge.

If you have any questions about tile, give us a call at (401) 324-9215 or come visit our Middletown showroom. We’re happy to provide you free advice.