Vibrant Contrast with White Zellige Tile
With its unique look and rustic charm, it’s no surprise that zellige tile is popping up all over the US in all sorts of different homes and settings. Zellige tile has moved far beyond trend and is now among the most popular glazed tiles for home renos. Leading much of that charge is white zellige tile, which perfectly merges the neutrality of white with the idiosyncrasies of terracotta craftsmanship.
White Zellige in Amazing Settings
Though white zellige tile is often used to offset darker colors in a given space, it’s not too often that we’re privileged to see white zellige interacting with one of the darker shades of zellige.
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Though multiple contrasting zellige tiles are more common in their home country of Morocco, here in the US, where zellige is still relatively new, most applications of zellige only feature one color. Lately, we’ve noticed an uptick in people using contrasting colors of zellige stateside, and we’re always excited to highlight this exciting method! In this bathroom, the designer rebuilt the shower using a blend of our Natural White and Blush zellige, both of which are in 4×4. In this space, the rustic charm of zellige is on full display, the bathroom becoming a unique nod to the Old World roots of zellige. The ruddy hues present in the Blush are brought out alongside the Natural White zellige, while the Blush draws the tannish ivory color out of the White brilliantly. The contrast between these two tiles is utterly unique and really must be seen to be believed.
In a slightly more familiar turn, one twist on a classic has been making waves in the zellige scene:
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We’re absolutely in love with the classic checkerboard look, and seeing our zellige being used to create an exciting new version of it is something to be celebrated. Checkerboard tile has a long history, and thanks to the resurgence of mid-century style, it’s returning to homes of all different styles. As we highlighted in a previous blog, checkerboard zellige tile is an infinitely interesting take on the classic pattern, as no two zellige tiles are exactly the same. Though this may seem an odd choice for a pattern that seemingly relies on uniformity, the zellige doesn’t vary so much in color that it weakens the stark contrast of the black and white. In fact, the interplay between the differing colors and textures present in the zellige only make the black and white contrast more interesting. Snow, one of our most popular tiles, is overall a semi-bright white, but individual tiles may slightly tinge toward eggshell, porcelain, or pearl. Additionally, the enamel finish on Snow may give some tiles a lively, pearlescent appearance and others a delicate gloss. Our Black zellige exhibits similar variations, drifting wildly between glassy obsidian to flat matte and dancing from ebony to onyx to jade. The healthy variation present in both varieties of tile don’t create a challenge to be overcome, they create an opportunity to mix and match some of the finest qualities of zellige in a single glorious floor. In this space, where the designer clearly has a taste for rich, dark colors, the checkered zellige floor gently brightens the space, adding a bit of levity to the space’s general moodiness. We absolutely adore what this designer has built.
Though white zellige is an exquisite choice for dark spaces that need some brighter to tie the room together, this tile is more than equipped for light spaces as well. One facet of zellige that we frequently like to highlight is its surprising versatility. The only reason we say surprising is because one might not expect a tile that’s been crafted essentially the same way for 1000 years to be a centerpiece in countless modern homes, but thanks to to keen eye of adventurous interior designers and the timeless quality of this stunning handcrafted Moroccan tile, zellige has carved out a niche for itself in modern decor. But we digress, here’s how our 4×4 Natural White looks in a brighter space:
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One thing you’ll notice about this application is that here, the white zellige tile takes on a different role than it has in some of the previous spaces. Rather than adding strategic bits of vibrance to darker spaces or offsetting tiles saturated with color, this designer uses our Natural White zellige tile as an off-white in a brighter space, accentuating the earth tones present in this variety. In this space, which features white lighting, white walls, and lighter wood finish, the soft stoney hues of the Natural White are the perfect addition, balancing this bathroom’s natural brightness. Using this backsplash wall, this designer added contrast, color, and a dose of rustic charm to their new bathroom.
Explore the Possibilities of White Zellige Tile
Both of our varieties of white zellige tile, Natural White and Snow, are available in 3 different sizes, 2×2”, 4×4”, and 2×6”. Each and every one of the zellige tiles we stock is handcrafted in Morocco by master artisans according to time-tested methods, so when you order through Riad Tile, you can rest assured that you’ll get the real thing. If you’re interested in seeing any of our zellige tiles in person, please feel free to order a sample today and we’ll ship directly to your front door. If you’re local to the DFW area, we hope you’ll stop by one of our showrooms to see all of our tiles in person.
