zellige and encaustic cement tiles
Zellige or encaustic tiles for a kitchen splashback?
A kitchen splashback (a backsplash, in American English) takes water from the sink, splashes from cooking and heat from the hob every day. It is also at eye level: it is the part of the kitchen you look at most.
Zellige and encaustic cement tiles both belong there. The question is not which one is better, but what you want to see on that wall: a pattern, or light. We make both, and we advise you according to exactly where each tile will go.
Encaustic cement tiles as a kitchen splashback
Every design starts with a divider: a brass stencil made for that one design, whose partitions keep the colours apart. It is placed at the bottom of a cast-iron mould, each compartment is filled by hand, then the tile is cold-pressed, without firing, and left to dry in the air. The pattern is part of the body of the tile, not printed on its surface.
For a splashback, we make the tile 12 mm thick, against 16 mm for a floor. The simulator always asks whether your tiles are for a floor or a wall, so the right thickness is decided for you.
Cement is porous. Before grouting, the tiles receive a water- and oil-repellent sealer; after that, a sponge and black soap are all they need.
Three ways to use them on a splashback:
1- A pattern. It gives the kitchen its character. If your floor is already patterned, choose a quieter design for the wall, or a plain tile.
2- A plain tile. The colour and texture of the cement come first. Our plain tiles are made in the same 78 colours as our patterns.
3- A chequerboard. Two plain colours laid alternately create a design without a pattern.
The simulator shows 113 designs; our workshop holds more than 500. In each one, you choose the colour of every area from 78 shades.
Zellige tiles for a kitchen splashback
Zellige is a glazed terracotta tile, fired at 1,200°C and then cut by hand. The glaze never settles to the same thickness from one tile to the next, and each tile sat in a different place in the kiln: no two neighbouring zellige tiles reflect the light in the same way. That is what you see on a splashback, lit all day long.
Its glaze makes it waterproof: it can go behind a sink and wipes clean with a sponge. It withstands heat and can sit right behind the hob.
43 colours. Formats: 10x10, 5x10 and 5x5 cm for zellige, 5x15 cm for bejmat, its moulded cousin. Many colours are in stock: an order from stock is dispatched the day after payment is received, from a single box.
Which colour for a kitchen splashback?
Start from the worktop, then the floor, then the cabinet fronts: the splashback sits between all three.
1- White. It brightens the kitchen and makes it feel larger. In zellige, white is never flat: see no. 2 and no. 3 above, which the glaze varies from tile to tile.
2- Neutral tones. Beige, grey, taupe: a calm background that lets wood, stone or metal speak. They suit contemporary, pared-back kitchens.
3- Bright colours. Green, yellow, red or blue give the kitchen its focal point. Among our projects: green zellige no. 10, yellow no. 6, red no. 22, blue no. 19.
4- Dark colours. Black, charcoal and navy bring depth. They need good lighting so that the room does not feel heavy. Black zellige no. 30 appears in several of the kitchens above.
5- Tone on tone. A cream splashback in a beige kitchen with pale wood creates a soothing continuity. One piece of advice: do not try to match the colour of your units exactly. A clear difference reads better than a near-identical shade.
Natural light changes everything. Order samples and look at them at home, against your units, at different times of day. You can also see the 78 colours in person, by appointment. Astrid in Paris, Audrey in Avignon: they show you the colours, work out the combinations with you, and know all of the workshop's 500-plus designs.
Which tiles for a bathroom splashback?
1. Zellige. Above a basin, around a bath, and on shower walls, where we recommend it first: its glaze is waterproof.
2. Encaustic cement tiles. They are perfectly suited to a splashback above a basin, sealed as in a kitchen and cleaned with black soap. We do not recommend them on shower walls.
3. Small formats. 5x5 cm zellige, on its own or combined with another format, gives a mosaic effect. Tell us about your project: we will look at what is possible with you.
For encaustic cement tiles,
design your tile in the simulator and request a quote. For zellige,
choose your colour and request a quote.
