Product Enquiry

About you

About your project

  • A rustic stone washbasin with a brass faucet set against a blue tiled wall, set on a light wood vanity shelf with decorative flowers and accessories.
  • Outdoor tiled kitchen island with white ceramic tiles featuring a light green geometric star pattern, set against a rustic red brick wall with a turquoise tile backsplash. The countertop holds a white bowl of lemons and a cutting board, with potted plants and a wooden bench base.
  • A bright, modern kitchen interior with white cabinets, a beige tile backsplash, a wooden countertop, and a brass faucet. A wooden shelf above the counter holds potted green plants, glassware, and framed wall art.
  • A styled bathroom interior featuring a turquoise tiled double vanity with two stone vessel sinks, two gold-framed mirrors, and warm neutral decor including woven baskets, a bench with white fur, and dried plants.
  • A square arrangement of terracotta red clay bricks with a rustic finish, arranged in a grid pattern against a textured gray concrete background.
  • Blue ceramic subway mosaic tiles arranged in a herringbone pattern on a textured gray concrete background.
1 7

Handmade Zellige Tiles

Handmade Zellige Tiles

Design by Bert&May

Bespoke Enquire to order

Traditional zellige made by hand in Fez, Morocco, by a small workshop of makers. Natural, unrefined clay is kneaded with water, shaped by hand and dried in the sun, then each tile is cut and chiselled around the edges and glazed one by one. The result is a gently undulating surface with a glossy, sequin like glaze that catches the light, and colour that shifts from tile to tile. Small pits, chips and hairline crazing from the local clay are part of its character. Available in square zellige and rectangular bejmat, in glazed colours and an unglazed raw finish.

Handmade Natural Clay Made in Morocco
Price on application
Lead time: typically 6 to 8 weeks for made to order designs
Enquire About This Product

Details

Handmade Moroccan zellige in natural clay, hand cut and glazed one by one for a glossy, tonal surface full of character.

Dimensions

Square zellige 10 x 10cm. Thickness around 1.3 to 2.3cm, varying by hand.

Product Care

Seal before grouting. Clean with a pH neutral tile cleaner and avoid acidic or abrasive products.

Colours

Pure White, Cloudy White, Raw (unglazed), Hessian, Leather Pale, Ochre, Garnet, Moss Green, Indigo Blue, Ebony 

Finishes

Glossy glaze, or raw unglazed clay

Sizes & Formats

Square zellige (10 x 10cm), rectangular bejmat, and mosaic designs.

Installation & Application

Best on walls, including kitchen splashbacks, bathrooms and showers, fireplaces and outdoor walls. Glazed zellige is not recommended for floors in wet areas or with underfloor heating. Seal before grouting and use a narrow 2mm joint.

Every tile is hand cut, so sizes and tones vary. Order 15% extra for cutting and selection, or 25% if you plan to set aside tiles, and keep tiles from the same batch together.

Sustainability

  • Made by hand from natural, unrefined clay
  • Dried naturally in the sun before firing
  • Made by a small workshop of makers in Fez
  • Durable, hardwearing tiles built to last for decades
  • Plastic avoided in packaging wherever possible

Delivery & Returns

coming soon

View full details

Hand cut clay, a glaze that catches the light and colour that shifts from tile to tile define a surface no factory can repeat.

From the Studio

Bert & May began in 2004, when Lee Thornley left London for Andalucía to rescue old tiles from Spanish homes and buildings. What started as a reclaimed tile business grew in 2010, when he met Juanma, whose family had made encaustic tiles by hand for generations, and together they reopened the family workshop. Today they still salvage and hand clean antique tiles in Cádiz, alongside handmade tiles from makers in Spain and Morocco.

Why Elken Chose It

The most sustainable tile is the one that already exists. Bert & May's reclaimed tiles have usually spent a century or more on a floor, and they arrive cleaned and ready for another hundred years, with no new clay, cement or firing. Their handmade zellige comes from Moroccan makers, shaped from natural clay and dried in the sun. They also stock in the UK to cut down on shipments, and avoid plastic in their packaging wherever they can.

Every Material is a Decision

  • Responsibly made

  • Traced to source

  • Verified maker

  • Made to last

  • Delivered by the maker

1 5

Recently viewed