Hand painted using sponging and marbling techniques, this smooth and strikingly contemporary-looking Yale blue 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.

Yale Blue Delft Tile with Fluid Marbling

Marbre Yale combines a muted, mineral blue ground with fine pale lines and occasional broader passages of ivory. The marbling shifts between softly feathered contours and more clearly defined ribbons, giving each tile its own balance of colour and open space.

Installed across a larger surface, the irregular lines form an abstract composition without settling into a fixed repeat. Some sections read as quiet blue fields, while others bring the ivory movement into sharper focus. Reviewing several pieces together allows the distribution and orientation of these stronger passages to be considered before installation.

The Yale blue Delft tile can provide colour without the narrative imagery associated with traditional painted Delft scenes. Subject to technical specification, it may be considered for bathroom walls, kitchen splashbacks, fireplace surrounds, alcoves, skirting-height courses and framed decorative panels. Its softened blue can be coordinated with chalky whites, pale stone, dark timber and warmer metal finishes.

Within the same Delft collection, the original Marbre presents the marbled treatment in a warmer red and ivory palette. The Delft Plum Swirl Brushwork Tile provides another abstract interpretation through broader, calligraphic movement.

Complementary Blue Ceramics

For an adjoining or complementary handmade field, Imperial Navy MC28 introduces a deeper blue glaze with subtle kiln variation. The modular Pipe Dream Blue/Carmine explores a lighter blue ceramic palette through slim rectangular elements and contrasting coloured accents.

Project Guidance and Enquiries

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