Hand painted using sponging and marbling techniques, this smooth and strikingly contemporary-looking smoke marbled Delft tile is actually based on 17th century Delft originals.

These traditional yet modern wall tiles have been sourced by De Ferranti from a small family firm who specialise in the production and research of old ‘Delft’ ceramics.

This type of tile was traditionally used at skirting level in Netherlands houses because the ceramic kept the damp at bay better than timber. Another popular use was that they were often assembled as a wall panel and placed behind an open fireplace, where the tiles became very sooty but didn’t very usefully show the marks.

After being layered with manganese or an iron ferrous engobe, each of the tiles is dried and baked at 1,000 degrees C before being glazed and baked once more at very high temperature. Despite their antiquity, these Delft tiles look amazingly contemporary.

Smoke Marbled Delft Tile with Restrained Movement

Marbre Smoke reverses the stronger colour balance found in several related Marbre treatments. A warm ivory ground occupies most of the tile, while fine smoke-brown lines stretch across it in widely spaced curves. Occasional deeper pools of pigment give definition to the otherwise pale and open composition.

The generous areas of light ground make this colourway particularly useful where the character of hand-painted marbling is required without creating a densely patterned surface. When installed across a larger area, the lines appear and disappear between neighbouring tiles, producing intermittent movement rather than a continuous formal repeat.

The restrained palette can be considered for kitchen splashbacks, bathroom walls, fireplace surrounds, alcoves and framed decorative panels. Its warm neutral tones may be coordinated with pale stone, plaster, timber and darker metal finishes, subject to the wider project scheme. Several tiles should be assessed together to establish the preferred distribution of finer lines and stronger areas of pigment.

Within the Delft collection, Marbre Bistre offers a darker interpretation of the marbled technique. The handmade Charcoal Delft tile provides a more solid-toned surface for contrasting fields, borders or adjacent areas.

Related Smoke and Flowing Surfaces

The White Green Smoke glazed tile offers a complementary handmade ceramic with soft glaze variation. In natural stone, the Dove Burl Grey Marble Inlay develops a related sense of movement through sweeping grey marble and dark micro-mosaic linework.

Project Guidance and Enquiries

For project guidance, availability, pricing, samples or further information, please use the Send E-Mail button below this description. Your enquiry will come directly to De Ferranti, and we will be pleased to discuss suitability, quantities, lead times and options for your project.