Shelves and Tile: Ideas for This Tried-and-True Combination
There are many places to put your belongings in your home. But if you’re a collector or have aesthetically pleasing keepsakes, you probably want to show them off rather than hide them away in storage. That’s where shelves come in!
Shelves are perfect for any room, whether they hold books and knick-knacks in a common space or dishes in the kitchen. And whether you’re partial to built-in shelves, floating shelves, or bracket shelving, the best way to accent shelves is with tile.
Built-in Shelves
You can use tile in many fun ways to make built-in shelves pop. This nook by DIYer Nida Rehman uses Natural White 2″x6″ Zellige tile.
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The alcove looks beautifully gray when paired with similar-colored paint and dark accessories. Nida got much of these shelves’ contents at an estate sale, where she bought a handful of antique books and hand sketches to display, some as old as the 1700s.
White Tile, Floating Shelves
Perhaps one of the most popular interior design shelf ideas as of late is the floating shelf. And nothing pairs better with a light wooden floating shelf than a 2″6″ Zellige tile in Natural White.
Light wood floating shelves surround the stove in this expansive custom kitchen by Alejandra Mora of Dallas-based BuildTX Solutions.
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The Zellige tile oven backsplash matches perfectly with the counters and the rest of the walls, while the light wood enhances the floors, kitchen island and oven hood.
In another one of Alejandra’s kitchens, she uses light wood floating shelves in the corner of the kitchen.
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Here, they match the tall cabinets, while the same white Zellige tile compliments the countertops.
Jeana Costa McDonough, who’s fixing up her 100-year-old house, put in her floating shelves above her dishwasher, plus at the edge of the room, where the countertop dining area meets the kitchen.
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Most of the kitchen walls are decorated with Natural White 2″6″ Zellige tile.
DIYer Chelsea McLemore also installed a floating shelf in the corner of her kitchen, surrounded by 2″6″ Natural White Zellige tile, and learned a few things while doing it.
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In the Instagram video above, Chelsea recommends soaking the tiles and patting them dry before installing them since mortar won’t adhere to soaking tiles. Also, make sure your first row of tiles is level, and when stacking tiles, use the highest point of the bottom tile to line up each ascending row.
Finally, blogger El Peterson uses floating shelves and Natural White 2″6″ Zellige tile for her coffee bar.
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The neutral color of the coffee syrups perfectly matches the counter and shelves’ gold picture frames, brown vases and white mugs.
Terracotta Tile, Floating Shelves
Sticking with the trend of floating shelves, Emily Tartaglia used light wooden wall hangings with 2-by-6-inch 2″x6″ unglazed Natural Terracotta Zellige tile.
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When the warm brown of the shelves and matte tile mix with the same tones used in the countertops and dishware, the result is a captivating kitchen with a calming desert vibe.
Bracket Shelves
Bracket shelves are a timeless option, especially when paired with 4″ square Natural White Zellige tiles.
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The wooden shelf, gold brackets, and seemingly earthenware pottery enhance this naturally rustic kitchen by Karen Walsh Gillingham.
Ready to make your own tile-and-shelf magic? Shop all our incredible Zellige tiles here! You can also check out our Instagram page for even more inspiration!
