Color Collection
Terracotta Tile
Terracotta tile, in the material it is actually named after. Every zellige and bejmat tile we sell is terracotta at its core — Moroccan clay, hand-cut and fired in wood-burning kilns in Fez. What changes is whether we leave it bare or glaze it. Unglazed terracotta gives you the raw, matte, chalky clay surface that darkens with use; glazed terracotta seals that same body under a glossy skin that keeps the clay colour but wipes clean.
Unglazed or glazed — the decision that matters
Unglazed terracotta is porous. It takes on oil, water and footfall, and it will develop a patina — this is the point of it, and it is also why it needs sealing before use and re-sealing periodically. In a kitchen it will record the life of the room. Some people want exactly that; others are surprised by it, which is why we would always send a sample first.
Glazed terracotta keeps the warm clay colour but puts a non-porous glass layer over it. It does not patina, does not stain, and wipes down with a cloth. If the tile is going behind a hob or into a bathroom, this is usually the right answer.
Terracotta on floors, and the bejmat format
Our 2×6 bejmat is the traditional Moroccan floor tile and the format most terracotta floors are laid in. Hand-formed and slightly irregular, it is designed to be laid tight in a herringbone or a straight running bond, where the small size and the variation between pieces keep a large floor from looking mechanical.
A terracotta floor is warm underfoot in a way porcelain never is, and it takes underfloor heating well. It is not the right tile for a wet-room floor: unglazed terracotta is slick when saturated and porous besides.
The Terracotta Collection
Unglazed Terracotta Zellige 4×4
The bare clay body with no glaze at all — matte, chalky and pale sand-pink out of the kiln, deepening to a warmer clay tone as it is sealed and used. The most honest tile we sell.
Floors, feature walls, fireplace surrounds
Unglazed Terracotta Bejmat 2×6
The traditional Moroccan floor tile, unglazed. Hand-formed 2×6 pieces with genuinely irregular edges, meant to be laid tight in herringbone so the variation reads as texture rather than as error.
Floors, herringbone runs, entryways
Glazed Terracotta Zellige 2×2
The clay body under a clear gloss glaze, in a small 2×2 square. Keeps the terracotta colour but seals it — the practical choice for a backsplash that will see oil.
Backsplashes, bathroom walls, mosaics
Glazed Terracotta Bejmat 2×6
Glazed terracotta in the 2×6 bejmat. The floor format with a sealed surface, for a kitchen floor that wants the terracotta look without the maintenance of bare clay.
Kitchen floors, backsplashes, herringbone
Burnt Honey Zellige 4×4
A glossy, hand-glazed zellige in a warm honey-amber. The most saturated of our warm clay tones — where unglazed terracotta is chalky and quiet, this one is deep and reflective.
Backsplashes, walls, showers, fireplaces
Glazed Terracotta Trapezoid 8×8
The glazed terracotta body cut as a trapezoid — a larger format for people who want the clay colour in a geometric layout rather than a running bond.
Feature walls, floors, geometric layouts
Common Questions
Do unglazed terracotta tiles need to be sealed?
Yes. Unglazed terracotta is porous and must be sealed before grouting and again after installation, then re-sealed periodically depending on use. Glazed terracotta does not need sealing — only the grout does.
What is the difference between terracotta tile and zellige?
They are not alternatives. Zellige is a type of Moroccan terracotta tile — hand-cut from the same clay and fired the same way. The word describes the hand-cutting and glazing tradition, not a different material.
Can terracotta tile be used in a bathroom?
Glazed terracotta, yes, on walls and floors. Unglazed terracotta can be used on a bathroom floor if properly sealed and maintained, but not in a shower or wet room, where it will stay saturated.
Will terracotta tile change colour over time?
Unglazed will, and is meant to — it deepens and evens out as it takes on sealer and use. Glazed terracotta holds its colour indefinitely because the clay is sealed under glass.