Bert and May
South-west London based Bert and May was launched in 2013 as a handmade artisan and reclaimed tile specialist store, focusing on encaustic tiles made using traditional techniques to vintage-inspired designs. The brand has grown to now offer a full range of glazed, terracotta, marble and terrazzo tiles with collaborative collections with brands including Little Greene, Soho Home and Anthropologie. Explore the collection here.
The Baked Tile Co.
Family run Baked Tile Co. in Mumbles, South Wales, is run by two generations of obsessives who are passionate about bringing high-end designer tiles to the UK at affordable prices. Make the most of their in-house knowledge and do use the design team to help to find your perfect tiles from over 500 in-stock. Explore the collection here.
Otto Tiles
If you’re looking to buy direct from artisan makers, east London-based Otto Tiles is run by Turkish founder Damla Turgut who creates her modern, contemporary designs in collaboration with traditional tile makers in Istanbul. Using authentic techniques, it offers a range of encaustic, terrazzo and zellige glazed tiles, as well as ornate painted Turkish designs. Explore the collection here.
British Ceramic Tile
British Ceramic Tile’s website is a dream to navigate if you are in search of inspiration on your renovation journey. Its colour palette filter helps you to hone in on the hue you’re after. Or why not browse the ‘style and inspiration’ hub, which is filled with ‘real life renos’? Expect style tips and guidance to help you find the right tile for your next project. Explore the collection here.
Hadeda x Tiles of Ezra
Hadeda founder Kate Kindersley stumbled across Australian brand Tiles of Ezra whilst renovating her own property. She soon realised that she wanted to create a permanent home for them in the UK at Hadeda, her interiors and lifestyle store, which sources ethical, artisan designs from across Africa. Now, as the UK distributor for its authentic Moroccan Zellige collection, they offer 34 colourways in their ethically made, hand-glazed Zellige and Bejmat tiles, as well as the opportunity to design your own pattern and colour way in their authentic mosaic and border designs. Explore the collection here.
Ca’Pietra
Known as the home of statement tiles, third-generation run Ca’Pietra in Wiltshire has adorned half of Instagram’s walls with its encaustic tiles it seems, courtesy of its signature Lilypad design. Far from a one-trick pony they have a beautiful nature-inspired collaborative range of tiles with The National Trust, as well as wide range of repro Victorian, designer porcelain and natural stone tiles. Looking for a one-stop DIY shop? They have a range of 35 bespoke paints with an in-house design service to help you find your perfect pairing. Explore the collection here.
Maitland & Poate
Based between London and Jerez de la Frontera, Andalucía, this beautiful tile family-run brand is born of a love of the Spanish encaustic tile. The passion began when the founders started to renovate their own Victorian terraced house in London – and it spiralled from there. When they discovered that exhaustively scouring architectural yards did not yield anything as knock-out beautiful as they had spotted in Spain, a lightbulb flickered on in their heads and they began to source and then sell their finest finds from Andalucia. We adore the company’s selection of hand-painted tiles in particular. Explore the collection here.
Piccolpasso
Are you looking for something truly spectacular? Tiles that are, in fact, works of art? Look no further than Piccolpasso, which offers hand-painted tiles from the sublimely talented Caroline Egleston. She says, ‘Central to my practice is the creation of these brushwork tiles which bring the personal, the artistic, to my work. The act of placing the brush on the unfired glaze surface is an exciting commitment which captures spontaneity, then fixed by firing. My brushstrokes are layered, glaze on glaze, and are often gestural and experimental, like a writer exploring language.’ Having gained a diploma at the Istituto d’Arte Per La Ceramica in Faenza, Italy, she later brought the beauty of her works to Britain – music to the ears of all interiors enthusiasts. Explore the collection here.
Balineum
For those of an artsy, bohemian persuasion, you cannot do better than Balineum, which offers a host of hand-painted tiles that are the result of a series of collaborations. We especially like the Louis Barthelemy Egyptomania collection. Explore the collection here.
Claybrook Studio
It all began with a cup of tea around the kitchen table. As its founders say, ‘It was time to break the decades long cycle of being overcharged for commodity product when we knew how to provide better for less. Time to focus on the customer experience; to make it easier for customers at the front end, and build systems backwards from that. Time to bypass costly middlemen and use our expert eye to pick the best of the best. To have free samples, free or low-cost delivery charges, and always someone on the end of the phone.’ We adore the pink and stripes of the Rah-Rah Moroder. Spectacular. Explore the collection here.
By Lydia Mansi
Updated May 2023
