Moroccan Style Kitchen Tile Ideas – 12 Ways to Spice up Your Kitchen

Seated at the top of Africa, Morocco is famous for its incredible architecture, its colourful red, white, blue and yellow cities, and its diverse mix of mountains, deserts and breathtaking beaches. Moroccan culture is centred on religion and tradition, and the combination of Islamic, Berber, African, Arab, Sahrawi and European cultures has heavily influenced Moroccan interior design.

The diverse and dramatic landscape is matched by the equally varied interior design style. Bold bright colours, beautifully detailed patterns, natural textures and fluid lines are all key elements of the eclectic Moroccan style.

Keep reading to discover how you can bring the spirit of Morocco into your kitchen through the clever use of tiles.

Image credit: @fordinteriordesign

Recommended Tile: Waitomo White 

How can I get the Moroccan look in my kitchen?

Moroccan interior style is influenced by a variety of different cultures. It’s eye-catching, exotic and colourful, and embracing this popular style is one of the best ways to add character and style to a kitchen.

There are several different ways to capture the Moroccan style in your kitchen. Moroccan interiors focus on colour, texture and pattern, combining neutral tones with bright, jewel-like colours influenced by the landscape and the architecture.

You can opt for beautiful porcelain zellige-style tiles for an authentic Moroccan style, zellige tiles have a characteristic uneven texture. Genuine, handmade zellige tiles can be extremely expensive but there are a range of machine-made porcelain equivalents in a range of gorgeous colours.

Traditional materials like stone and terracotta are ideal choices and you can effectively combine them with colourful floor or wall tiles.

Also think about tile shapes; scallop and mosaic tiles are popular options in Moroccan designs and can easily be integrated into a kitchen.

What tiles should I choose for a Moroccan-style kitchen?

If you want to create a Moroccan-style kitchen, these are the tiles we recommend:

• Morrocan-style patterned tiles
• Zellige tiles
• Colourful porcelain tiles in shades of blue, green red and yellow
• Neutral, earthy-coloured porcelain tiles
• Black and white porcelain tiles
• Terracotta tiles
• Stone effect and marble tiles
• Mosaic tiles

Moroccan kitchen tile ideas

Inspired by the culture and the landscape, we’ve rounded up our pick of the most beautiful Moroccan-style kitchen tiles. From the vibrant colours of the souks to the natural tones of the deserts, join us on our virtual journey around Morocco:

Patterned floor tiles

One of the most popular ways to add an exotic touch to a kitchen is through the use of heavily patterned Moroccan-style floor tiles. You can choose from multicoloured patchwork tiles for a decadent look, or keep it simpler with patterns in black and white, blue and white or grey and white.

Image credit: @houseof kalindi

Recommended Tile: Damask Series Decor 7

Patterned kitchen island tiles

Patterned tiles are an excellent way to add a touch of Morocco to your kitchen and you don’t have to stick to wall and floor tiles. We love these creative kitchen island and cooker hood tiles, perfect if you favour a subtler approach.

Moroccan tiles are surprisingly versatile and they’ll slot in next to stone, wood-effect and plain porcelain tiles with ease. If you don’t fancy a whole floor of patterned tiles, you can inlay an area of Moroccan-style tiles, this will create a rug-like effect and looks especially effective when used to define a dining or cooking area.

Image credit: @lindseygoddardinteriors

Recommended Tile: Regal Azul Star

Colourful splashback tiles

Feel like you’re on holiday every day with a brightly coloured Moroccan-inspired tiled splashback. The right tiles can make a huge impact in a small space and using bold tiles over a small area is a great way to introduce colour and pattern to a kitchen.

Whether you’re on a budget or just want to add a dash of spice to your kitchen, a tiled splashback is the perfect place to start.

Image credit: @casacombossa

Recommended Tile: Rustic Heritage Taco

Terracotta tiles

Terracotta tiles are a key feature of North African and Mediterranean homes.  Rustic and natural, terracotta is one of the best options if you love the Moroccan look, but don’t want to fully embrace the bright colours and patterns.

Terracotta tiles are ideal for adding warmth and texture and they look incredible in more neutral interior design schemes.

Image credit: @davo.reno

Recommended Tile: Rio Beige 

Zellige tiles

These unevenly textured tiles are a great choice if you’re after a subtler Moroccan-style kitchen tile. Suitable for walls, zellige tiles originated in Morocco, where they were handcrafted and glazed, making each tile unique.

Zellige tiles can be traditionally laid edge to edge with no grout to emphasise the unevenness of the tile’s texture, or you can space them out a little depending on your preference.

Image credit: @nataliemyers

Recommended Tile: Emilia Ask 

Scallop tiles

These beautifully decorative tiles might seem like a modern design trend, but they date back to the 8th century. Inspired by the rolling waves of the sea, scallop, fish scale or mermaid tiles are popular in Moroccan design, and their distinctive shape allows them to be laid in a variety of different ways.

As these tiles have surged in popularity, so has the range of materials they’re made from and you can purchase porcelain, glass, natural stone and even metal scallop tiles to adorn your walls and floors.

Image credit: @h_and_g_designs

Recommended Tile: Mermaid Olive 

Jewel-toned floor tiles

If you want to make a statement in your Moroccan-style kitchen, opting for bold-coloured tiles is a great way to do so. Colour is an important part of the Moroccan style with nature-inspired greens, blues, yellows and reds, neutral black and white and earthy tones paving the way.

Emerald green tiles are perfect for achieving a Moroccan vibe in your kitchen. They’re not for the faint-hearted but they will take your kitchen to a whole new level. Try using carefully laid metro tiles for a Moroccan-inspired kitchen floor of dreams.

Image credit: @nels_eyreinteriors

Recommended Tile: Emilia Avocado 

Bold wall tiles

Repetitive, geometric patterns are a key feature of Moroccan interiors and walls clad in decorative Moroccan-style tiles will instantly transport your kitchen to the Kingdom of Morocco.

You can choose tiles to match your kitchen cabinets, choose a pattern in black and white or go for bold, bright colour combinations. Whichever colours you choose, Moroccan-style tiles are guaranteed to add drama and interest to your kitchen.

Image credit: @tuishomemag

Recommended Tile: Damask Series Decor 8

DIY Moroccan-inspired wall tiles

If you love the idea of patterned tiles but can’t find a style you like, or you just want something unique, you can create your own Moroccan-inspired patterns using metro or Victorian-style tiles.

Stick to the classic Moroccan colour scheme of red, green, blue, yellow, black and white for the most authentic look.

Image credit: @marcoscarani

Recommended Tile: Emilia Bone 

Hexagonal wall tiles

Geometric patterns feature heavily in Moroccan designs. Give a subtle nod to the Moroccan style with a feature hexagonal tiled wall.  Hexagonal tiles are perfect for use in all shapes and sizes of room and, if you’re not a fan of tile cutting, you can stop tiling before you reach the ceiling and leave the edges as they are for a beautifully decorative finish.

Image credit: @adamsfamilyreno

Recommended Tile: Ava Rosa Plain 

Mosaic floor tiles

Take inspiration from elaborate Moroccan floor designs and create a mosaic masterpiece in your kitchen. Mosaic tiles are one of the oldest and most versatile tile types and they can be used to create elaborate designs, borders and panels.

You can easily integrate mosaic tiles with other tile styles. We love the striking combination of mosaic and metro tiles in the below Moroccan-inspired terrace and you can easily bring this style into a kitchen area.

Bright wall tiles

Warm up a kitchen wall with Moroccan-inspired, sunshine-yellow tiles. The Moroccan colour palette is inspired by its diverse landscapes and yellow, the colour of the city of Fes, is as warm, rich and uplifting as you can get.

Texture is also an important characteristic of Moroccan interiors so for the ultimate impact, opt for tiles with an uneven surface.

Image credit: @idrissiandco  

Recommended Tile: Mazurka Pepite Mosaic

Moroccan-style kitchen tile tips

If you want to pep up your kitchen with Moroccan-inspired tiles, consider:

Colour

Stick with the Moroccan colour palette which features rich green, blue, red and yellow shades You can keep it more neutral with black and white and earthy colours like terracotta and ochre too.

Texture

Texture can be achieved by using mosaic tiles; square, hexagonal and mermaid tiles are all excellent options. You can also opt for zellige-style tiles and lay them edge to edge to emphasise their undulating texture.

Pattern

Moroccan-style patterned tiles are one of the most popular tile styles so you won’t have a problem finding a pattern that suits your style. You can also create your own patterns for a truly unique look.

Material

Patterned porcelain tiles are one of the most durable options but you can also go for rustic terracotta and natural stone tiles for a more laid-back look.

Atlas Ceramics has a wide range of stone, terracotta, porcelain, handcrafted and patterned tiles to help you get an authentic Moroccan-style kitchen. Browse our selection yourself or call one of our experts for advice