Zellige tile arrived on the scene a few years ago. But it seems we’re not quite done with it yet.
After Zellige tile, the next backsplash trend that came along was the counter splash. And after that the rustic stone backsplash/hood fan.
But now it seems like Zellige is circling back around – or at least persisting – to be the hottest selling surround/backsplash. Likely because while it seems neutral, the handmade finish looks more interesting than plain subway tile and fits right into the English Country/warm neutral look that everyone is after right now.
Beige is trending in 2025
To be clear, all black everything is still going strong out there for those who don’t know that trends have moved onto all things warm and NOT stark white.
For the first time in years, I’m also getting a lot of hits on my old post ‘What Everyone Should Know about Pink Beige‘ (that was updated in 2022).
That last time beige was trending was during the Tuscan brown trend where the kitchen and bathroom everyone was installing was some variation of pink beige Travertine tile paired with Yellow/gold granite.
When zellige tile goes wrong
We don’t have to search hard to find mistakes that are already being made:
Clean vs. dirty
Taupe surround with oversize Terrazzo with very little taupe
There’s a lot of pink beige zellige tile (below) popping up everywhere and here’s the important thing you need to know about this style of tile.
It’s a pattern with a lot of colour variation. Which means that it generally won’t marry well with other patterns as you can already see in this post.
Pink beige zellige tile | Source for all 3 images
Zellige tile is not as versatile as it seems
And then, when the homeowner reads this generic, cliched advice that’s all over the internet, that’s when they get into trouble. . .
“. . . The result is classic with just the right touch of craftsmanship and a timeless trend that we won’t regret embracing in just a handful of years. . . “
When WON’T you regret installing Zellige tile? If you treat it like a pattern–which means you just get one per room (one pattern, that is) for a result you’re the least likely to regret. Kinda like this bathroom we recently saw (below).
And, if you knew what the undertone of the tile was in advance so that you could coordinate the rest of your finishes with it, well then we might be able to say we wouldn’t regret it!
Pink beige tile paired with taupe and gold marble and green tile surround which doesn’t relate to any of it
We’ll continue this conversation about tile and other trends over in my True Colour Insider membership this week. If you’re working on home projects this year, it’s the place to be! Learn more here.
Over to you my lovelies. Is zellige tile a yay or nay for you? Love to hear from you in the comments!
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Related Posts
Dos and Don’ts for Installing a Countersplash
Trend Alert: Stone Backsplash and Arched Range Hood
What Everyone Should Know About Warm Neutrals
Great post Maria! And thank you for bringing it to the attention of everyone. I love the criteria to treat it like pattern, that makes it very easy to understand. I like the tile, think it’s beautiful, if used correctly and for the right personality. It is carefree where subway is structured and organized.
What a great analogy, subway tile is structured and organized which is undoubtedly part of the reason I love my subway.
As I design my kitchen remodel, my primary concern is ease of cleaning. While they are quite beautiful, the uneven texture of zellige looks like it will shred a microfiber cloth. So I prefer subway tile as the backsplash with a vertical layout, because I know I can clean it easily. I would never use zellige in a shower for the same reason.
Maria – I do
Love Zellige tile but only when used with solids .
While beautiful it does have pattern
I wanted it but I have a vein countertop felt that was pattern enough and went with a solid backsplash
I’m glad I did
I think one material should be the star .
So I let mine be the countertop and down played the back splash
Might not be for everyone but it works for me.
Maybe next time I’ll use it and make it be the star
Thanks for all your information you share with us
I’ve never used it and cautioned a previous client my concern about dye lots. The sample(s) dye lot, vs the actual tiles ordered could be different enough to be a disaster, unless you plan well in advance. Make sure to purchase extra, only open boxes as necessary, and that unopened boxes are returnable! Designer should be onsite with the installer to insure the randomness of the ‘pattern’. Unless you have an installer with a good eye! 🙂
I’m not a fan of Zellige tile. I don’t like its pink beige undertone and unevenness. Looks busy to me. I much prefer the clean look of subway tile. Also, that gold and taupe marble is absolutely hideous – even without the Zellige tile.
Maria is just showing the tile in pink-beige to illustrate the clean/dirty color mistake. Zellige tile comes in all colors.
The largest problem with Zellige tile in the bathroom is pairing it with a small format tile for a non-slip shower floor. Most staged, internet photos have it with some kind of marble. Unless you consider marble a neutral the way jeans are a neutral that goes with everything. this doesn’t work. I wouldn’t want to clean Zellige tile (anywhere– shower wall, definitely not on a shower floor, probably not behind a stove). But too many of these inspo pics also have large-format marble tiles on the shower floor. I don’t think that’s safe. I like the look of Zellige, but until I can find a floor that goes with it, it can’t work in a bathroom.
I love the look of Zelig tile. To my eye, it doesn’t feel right installed in “any ol’ house”. I’m thinking a bungalow or a Spanish look…
Another comment mentioned the difficulty of cleaning Zellige. Putting function over form helps me make selections too. Even though there are a million pretty selections out there, if we can’t keep them clean easily, they will look bad or cost us money, time, or physical pain. Some trendy styles feel special because of the very fact that they are expensive and hard to maintain. I like Zellige tile, but I bought a Zellige tile mosaic for wall art.
I think if we are trying to decide whether or not to follow a trend, we can try to look at a past iteration of that trend and see how the current iteration is different, but also to see if we could love this pattern/style even when the future says it is passé. So if someone has always loved Moroccan architecture, or rustic Spanish or Mexican tiles, even when it was not trendy, then they are more likely to stay happy with their choice of Zellige.
Another example is terrazzo. If you liked terrazzo even when it was out of fashion, or if you look at terrazzo in old airports and libraries and you can find some charm and attractiveness in old designs, then maybe you won’t get sick of it when your own design is out of fashion.
Perfectly said! I am one of those people you described as I loved Spanish and Mediterranean style homes with Moorish influences even when it was not trendy. I guess the Spanish style home may become trendy again due to warmer colors coming back in style. I am installing a green Zellige tile in my powder room which I refer to as my jewel box bathroom because I plan to make it very special.
I like zellige tile, but it’s only appropriate in the perfect circumstance. My sister just remodeled her kitchen with white cabinets and a whitet quartz counter, light wood floor. Her husband was thinking things were too white if they went with subway tile. They went with a gorgeous aqua zellige tile for the backsplash. The room is open to the family room and she knows that this tile will boss her around forever. Good thing she loves blue/green. And her decor is centered around the tile. It’s not difficult to clean. They did grout it. It looks fabulous. And the color looks classic. As long as she doesn’t tire of it. However, would you tire of looking at the ocean? 🙂 I realize choosing a color may not be for everyone, but in this instance, it looks fabulous!