Why I chose Zellige

Once we decided to fully renovate our kitchen, I began to piece together different elements that spoke to me and I knew that I wanted to choose materials with movement and texture to add interest to the space. In my search for backsplash I was instantly drawn to the Zellige tile for its "perfectly imperfect" look. Although Zellige tile is all the rave on social media at the moment, something about this material looks (& feels) timeless and brings so much character to any space.

During the renovation I opted for neutral tones throughout the house, which gives me the flexibility to add more colors if I chose to do so in the future. I went with white cabinets and white marbled quartz countertops (with a hint of gray) and I also added all black appliances for contrast. This made the kitchen feel modern and a clean but I needed to bring in more personality and warmness and this is why I chose Zellige tile. The tile I chose is handmade from Morocco and you can quickly tell that it's not mass-produced just by looking at it, since each tile has its own color variation, texture and shape. It looks like it has been in this kitchen since the house was built (how beautiful is that?) and compliments the newer-looking elements very well. (For reference the tile color is Casablanca White which has an earthy undertone and the grout color is Warm Grey).

I ordered the Zellige tile from Zia Tile and had it delivered within 2 weeks. The total cost of the tile was $2,000 which included $1,000 for the tile(please note that from this $200 was for delivery) and $1,000 for installation (which includes the grout). For reference I ordered 50 square ft of the 4X4 Casablanca white tile and had plenty to work with. Since the tile has many imperfections and it is more challenging to install than traditional backsplash tiles, it is recommended that you order 10-15% overage. Once we received the tile, we opened up all of the boxes and mixed the tiles in order to have a good color variation throughout. Additionally, our installer used the same tile to create a mitered edge and also installed the tile from countertop to the ceiling on the main wall for a more dramatic effect. Total installation was 5 days and this allowed my installer to make all the custom cuts, place the tile, and then come in on the last day to grout and seal everything.

If you're thinking about choosing Zellige tile for your home then I highly recommend that you order samples first so that you're able to see the exact tone and texture prior to placing a large order. In addition, I recommend that you shop around for installers that are experienced with Zellige installation in order to choose the most appropriate quote. The beauty of this tile is that it has varying dimensions, however this is exactly what makes it tricky to install therefore it is best to let a professional do the job.

I am very pleased with my decision to go with Zellige for my kitchen backsplash and I absolutely think it was worth the splurge for a unique look.

Xo,

Gen