Zellige is a style of mosaic tilework made from individually hand-chiseled tile pieces and is one of the oldest continually practiced tilemaking traditions in the world. Likely originating in the ninth century in what is modern day Tunisia, Zellige uses tiles of distinct colors that are fitted together to form various patterns based on tessellations or infinitely repeating forms. 

The Lunada Bay Tile design team works closely with tile makers in Fez, Morocco, who employ time-honored methods that have been perfected and passed down over generations. Mistral tiles are made completely by hand in the same way authentic Zellige has been made for centuries. This artistic tradition encapsulates a genuine expression of handmade tiles that results in “imperfect” but beautifully unique tiles that vary one from the other in surface, edge and color.

The individually hand-chiseled tile pieces from Lunada Bay Tile bridge the past and the present by marrying classic techniques of tile making with modern patterns and colors. Lead-free, rich and glorious Italian glazes are applied to the Zellige tiles -- unique to the industry -- to achieve a striking, fresh palette curated for today’s distinctive interior and exteriors. 

"The new Mistral patterns are inspired by modern aesthetic from different decades and the traditional art of making Zellige tile," said Irikat.