Zellige Tile Bathroom Ideas: 12 Looks, Plus Grout, Floors and Alternatives

A zellige tile bathroom works because the tile is imperfect: each piece is cut and glazed by hand, so the wall catches light unevenly and looks alive even in plain white. It suits shower walls, a vanity splashback or a half-height wall, it does need grout, and it needs more care on floors than on walls.

Below are 12 ways to use it, then the practical part: grout, sealing, floors, and what to buy if real zellige is outside the budget or you rent.

What Zellige Tile Is

Zellige is a glazed terracotta tile made by hand in Morocco, most famously around Fez. The clay is shaped, dried, fired, glazed and then cut by hand, which is why no two tiles match. Expect:

• Uneven surfaces and edges. Tiles are not perfectly flat or square.
• Color variation. One box of "white" holds several whites.
• Small chips, pits and fine cracks in the glaze. These are part of the product, not defects.

If you want every tile identical, zellige will frustrate you, and a zellige-look ceramic is the better buy (see the alternatives below).

12 Zellige Tile Bathroom Ideas

1Tile the shower walls floor to ceiling

The shower is where zellige shows best, because water and light make the glaze shimmer. Taking the tile all the way to the ceiling avoids an awkward painted strip at the top and makes a low bathroom feel taller.

2Use it only behind the vanity

A splashback from the countertop to the mirror, or up to the ceiling behind the mirror, takes a small number of tiles and gives the room its focal point. This is the cheapest way to get real zellige into a bathroom.

3Run a half-height wall with paint above

Tile to about chest height around the room and paint or plaster the wall above. It protects the part of the wall that gets splashed and roughly halves the tile bill compared with full-height walls.

4Choose white zellige for a small bathroom

White zellige is the safe choice in a small or windowless bathroom: it reflects light like any white tile, but the varied whites and wavy surface stop the room from looking clinical.

5Make one wall green

Deep green is the color most associated with Moroccan tile. One green wall, usually the shower or the wall behind the bath, with plain walls elsewhere, gives the look without darkening the whole room.

6Stack the tiles vertically

Square tiles in a straight grid look traditional. Rectangular tiles stacked vertically look more modern and draw the eye up, which helps under a low ceiling.

7Mix tones from one color family

Because the tiles already vary, two or three neighboring tones (for example sand, blush and terracotta) blend into a soft patchwork. Ask the tiler to mix tiles from all the boxes as they go so the tones spread evenly.

8Line a shower niche in a second color

A recessed niche tiled in a contrasting color, such as green inside a white shower, adds detail with very few tiles.

9Pair zellige with plaster walls

Zellige and smooth lime plaster are traditional partners: the tile brings pattern and the plaster keeps the room calm. Our tadelakt bathroom ideas explain the plaster side and its cheaper stand-ins.

10Lay a checkerboard in two colors

Two colors alternated in a grid, such as white and green or cream and terracotta, is an old Moroccan layout that reads as playful on a single wall or a bath surround.

11Wrap the bath surround

Tiling the front panel and the ledge of a built-in bath makes the bath look like part of the architecture. Keep the walls above simple.

12Finish with wood and warm metal

Zellige is glossy and cool to the eye, so balance it with a wood vanity or stool, brass or bronze taps, and linen or cotton towels. Our Japandi bathroom ideas show how wood and a quiet palette calm a tiled room.

Does Zellige Tile Need Grout?

Yes. Zellige is usually set with very tight joints, so from a distance it can look ungrouted, but the gaps are still filled. Because the tiles are uneven, grout is what closes the small spaces between them and keeps water and dirt out, which matters most in a shower.

• Joints are narrow. The tiles are placed close together and grout is worked into the gaps and into any chips at the edges.
• Grout color changes the look. A grout close to the tile color keeps the wall calm; a contrasting grout outlines every tile.
• Follow the supplier's guide on grout type for wet areas and on whether the tile should be sealed before grouting.

Can You Use Zellige Tiles on the Floor?

Sometimes, with limits. Glazed zellige is thinner at the edges and can chip under shoes, furniture and dropped objects, and a glossy glaze is slippery when wet. Many suppliers rate it for walls and only for light-traffic floors, so check the rating for the exact tile.

For a bathroom floor, people who want the Moroccan look often use a thicker unglazed Moroccan floor tile (sold as bejmat), terracotta, or a matte porcelain, and keep zellige for the walls. For a shower floor, a tile with a slip-resistance rating is the safer choice.

Sealing and Cleaning

• Sealing: the glaze itself resists water, but the grout, the unglazed edges and the fine cracks in the glaze do not. Suppliers commonly recommend a penetrating sealer in wet areas and resealing from time to time. Unglazed tile always needs sealing.
• Cleaning: a soft cloth or sponge and a mild, pH-neutral cleaner. Avoid acidic cleaners and abrasive pads, which dull glaze and attack grout.
• Ventilation: as with any tiled shower, run the fan or open a window so grout dries between uses.

Zellige Pros and Cons

Alternatives to Zellige Tile

• Zellige-look ceramic or porcelain. Machine-made tiles with a wavy surface and varied glaze. They are flatter, easier to install and usually much cheaper, and porcelain versions are available with floor and slip ratings.
• Handmade-look subway tile. A glossy tile with slightly uneven edges gives a similar shimmer in a familiar shape.
• Peel-and-stick tile for renters. Removable vinyl tiles with a glossy square-tile print work on a dry wall such as a vanity splashback; check that the product is rated for bathrooms and keep it out of the shower itself. Our DIY tiled coffee table shows how these tiles go on.
• No tile at all. In a rental, a green or terracotta towel set, a tiled tray and a wood stool bring the colors without touching the walls. See our renter-friendly bathroom storage ideas for the no-drill side.

For choosing the color itself, our Moroccan color palette guide has six combinations that work with tile.

FAQ

What is zellige tile?

A glazed terracotta tile made and cut by hand in Morocco. Its uneven surface, varied color and small glaze imperfections are what give it its shimmer.

Does zellige tile need grout?

Yes. The joints are very narrow, but they are grouted so that water and dirt can't get between the uneven tiles.

Can you use zellige tiles on the floor?

Check the supplier's rating. Glazed zellige can chip and is slippery when wet, so many people keep it on walls and use a thicker unglazed tile or a matte porcelain on the floor.

Is zellige tile good for a shower?

It is widely used on shower walls when it is grouted and sealed as the supplier recommends. For the shower floor, choose a tile with a slip-resistance rating.

What are cheaper alternatives to zellige tile?

Zellige-look ceramic or porcelain, handmade-look subway tile, and, for a dry rental wall, removable peel-and-stick tile.

Is zellige tile hard to clean?

No more than other glazed tile: use a soft cloth and a pH-neutral cleaner, and avoid acids and abrasive pads.