Artisan Made Pool Tiles

Designed for luxury pools, kitchens, and architectural spaces, zellige offers timeless Mediterranean character with modern performance. From waterlines and spas to feature walls, these artisan tiles bring texture, movement, and refined elegance to every project.

9 products

Pool Tiles

Pool Tiles

Pool tiles are the most important material decision in any swimming pool project. They define the water color, establish the pool's visual character, protect the pool shell from chemical and environmental exposure, and determine how the pool looks and performs for decades. At Mediterranean Pool Tiles, every pool tile in our collection is handcrafted by master artisans in Fez, Morocco — individually hand-glazed and kiln-fired using traditional techniques that produce surface depth, natural color variation, and a luminous quality that factory-produced tiles cannot achieve.

We specialize in handcrafted pool tiles not available in any big-box tile store or mass-market supplier. Our tiles are used in luxury residential pools across California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, New York, Hawaii, and all US states — specified by architects, interior designers, and luxury homeowners who want a pool that looks genuinely distinctive.

Types of Pool Tiles

Pool Waterline Tiles — The six-inch band of tile at the water's surface level. The most visible tile in any pool. Defines water color, protects the shell, and frames the pool with decorative character. Available in zellige, Moorish mosaic, hand-painted Spanish colonial, and blue and white Mediterranean styles. Shop pool waterline tiles

Pool Accent Tiles — Decorative tiles placed at stair risers, tanning ledge borders, spa surrounds, and fountain walls to bring color, pattern, and artisan detail to specific surfaces. Shop pool accent tiles

Moroccan Zellige Pool Tiles — Handmade glazed clay tiles individually hand-pressed, glazed, and kiln-fired. Extraordinary surface depth, natural color variation, and a shimmering luminous quality. Available in cobalt blue, turquoise, sage green, white, charcoal, and more. Shop zellige pool tiles

Moorish Mosaic Pool Tiles — Hand-cut geometric compositions in interlocking star and polygon patterns inspired by the Alhambra and the great Moroccan palaces. Ideal for waterlines, stair risers, spa surrounds, and feature walls. Shop Moorish mosaic tiles

Spanish Colonial Pool Tiles — Hand-painted ceramic tiles in bold Andalusian geometric patterns. Each tile is painted by hand before firing — ideal for waterlines, stair risers, and fountain walls. Shop Spanish colonial tiles

Terracotta Pool Tiles — Authentic Moroccan terracotta tiles for pool decks, patios, and outdoor living surfaces. Warm earthy color, rustic texture, and timeless outdoor character. Shop terracotta pool tiles

Pool Tile Performance Requirements

Pool tiles must meet specific performance standards to hold up in pool environments. When evaluating any pool tile, confirm it meets these requirements:

  • Water absorption below 0.5% — dense, kiln-fired bodies resist water penetration and frost damage
  • Chlorine and chemical resistance — glazed surfaces that withstand continuous sanitizer exposure without fading
  • Saltwater resistance — non-porous glazes that resist salt corrosion in coastal and saltwater pool systems
  • UV color stability — mineral-based glazes that hold color under years of direct sunlight
  • Frost resistance — rated for all US climate zones including freeze-thaw environments

All pool tiles in our collection meet these requirements. Our tiles are kiln-fired at high temperatures for maximum density and tested for long-term pool performance.

How to Choose Pool Tiles

Start with water color. Your pool tile color directly influences how the water looks. Cobalt blue tiles intensify the water's blue quality. Turquoise creates a tropical, lagoon-like appearance. Warm earth tones give the water an organic, natural character. White tiles maximize water clarity and brightness.

Match the color temperature. Warm-toned tiles — terracotta, sand, gold zellige — pair with warm plaster finishes and travertine or limestone coping. Cool-toned tiles — cobalt, white, charcoal — pair with lighter plasters and contemporary concrete or porcelain decking.

Choose one tile family, use it consistently. The most successful pool designs use the same tile across multiple surfaces — waterline, spa surround, stair risers, and a nearby fountain wall. Repetition creates cohesion. Mixing unrelated tile styles creates visual fragmentation.

Frequently Asked Questions — Pool Tiles

What are the best tiles for a swimming pool?

The best pool tiles combine low water absorption, chemical resistance, UV stability, and frost resistance with strong visual quality. For luxury pools, handcrafted Moroccan zellige, Moorish mosaic, and hand-painted Mediterranean ceramic tiles are among the most visually distinctive choices available. For performance in demanding environments, always verify the tile's water absorption rate, chemical resistance, and frost rating before specifying.

What is the difference between pool tiles and regular tiles?

Pool tiles are specifically manufactured for wet, chemically treated, and UV-exposed environments. They have lower water absorption rates, glaze formulations resistant to chlorine and saltwater, denser kiln-fired bodies, and frost-resistant construction not required in interior tiles. Regular interior wall tiles often have higher water absorption and glaze formulations that degrade in pool chemical environments — making them unsuitable for pool waterline and submerged applications.

How long do pool tiles last?

High-quality pool tiles installed correctly on a properly prepared substrate with appropriate adhesive and grout can last 20–40 years or more. Our handcrafted kiln-fired tiles have dense, low-porosity bodies that are among the most durable pool tile materials available. The most common causes of early pool tile failure are improper installation — inadequate adhesive coverage, missing movement joints, incorrect adhesive selection — rather than tile quality.

How much do pool tiles cost?

Handcrafted artisan pool tile pricing is available upon request and varies by pattern complexity, colorway, and order volume. All tiles are custom made to order with a minimum of 50 square feet. Contact us for a project-specific quote. We work with homeowners, architects, interior designers, and pool builders across the United States.

Do you ship pool tiles nationwide?

Yes. We ship to all US states including California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, New York, Hawaii, and all others. Large orders are coordinated via freight shipping. Contact us for a shipping quote specific to your location and order size.

Ordering Pool Tiles

All pool tiles are custom made to order with a minimum of 50 square feet. Production and shipping from Morocco typically takes 6–8 weeks from order confirmation. We recommend ordering 10–15% overage for cuts, pattern matching, and future repairs.

Request samples · Get a project quote · Installation guide · Pool tile FAQ · Call (415) 259-4820

Pool Tiles — Handcrafted Moroccan & Mediterranean

Pool tiles are the most important material decision in any swimming pool project. They define the water color, set the architectural character of the outdoor space, protect the pool shell from chemical and environmental exposure, and determine how the pool looks and performs for decades. At Mediterranean Pool Tiles, every pool tile in our collection is handcrafted by master artisans in Fez, Morocco — bringing eight centuries of Islamic geometric tradition, Andalusian color craft, and Mediterranean design heritage to luxury pools, spas, and outdoor living spaces across the United States.

We specialize in handcrafted pool tiles that cannot be found in any big-box tile store or mass-market supplier. Our tiles are made individually by hand, fired in traditional kilns, and glazed using artisanal techniques refined over generations. Each pool tile is unique — carrying the natural variation, surface depth, and luminous quality that only true handcraft can produce. Our pool tiles are trusted by architects, interior designers, luxury homeowners, and pool builders from California and Florida to Texas, New York, Arizona, Hawaii, and beyond.

Why Choose Handcrafted Pool Tiles

The difference between a mass-produced pool tile and a handcrafted pool tile is the difference between a generic outdoor space and a genuinely distinguished one. Mass-produced pool tiles are uniform, predictable, and interchangeable. Handcrafted pool tiles carry natural color variation, subtle surface texture, and an organic quality that makes every installation one of a kind. In a luxury pool where every material decision matters, the choice of a handcrafted artisan pool tile is the detail that elevates the entire project from beautiful to extraordinary.

Beyond aesthetics, handcrafted pool tiles offer genuine performance advantages. Our tiles are kiln-fired at high temperatures, producing a dense ceramic or clay body with low water absorption, strong chemical resistance, and excellent durability in pool environments. The glazed surface resists chlorine and saltwater exposure, UV fading, and the calcium and mineral buildup that accumulates at the waterline over time. These are pool tiles built for both beauty and longevity.

Our Pool Tile Collections

Moroccan Zellige Pool Tiles — Zellige is the most celebrated handcrafted tile tradition in the Islamic world. Each zellige pool tile is individually hand-pressed from a unique natural clay found only in the Fez region of Morocco, hand-glazed with artisanal color pigments, and kiln-fired in traditional wood-burning ovens. The result is a pool tile with extraordinary surface depth — a luminous, slightly irregular glaze that catches and reflects light in a way no machine-made tile can replicate. Our zellige pool tiles are available in cobalt blue, turquoise, sage green, white, charcoal, black, gold, and a full spectrum of Mediterranean colorways. They are ideal for pool waterlines, spa surrounds, feature walls, and full pool interior applications.

Moorish Mosaic Pool Tiles — Moorish mosaic pool tiles — also known as zillij — are hand-cut geometric compositions inspired by the great architectural traditions of the Alhambra, the Medina of Fez, and the royal palaces of Marrakech. Each mosaic is assembled from individually hand-cut glazed clay pieces arranged into interlocking star and polygon patterns of extraordinary mathematical precision. Moorish mosaic pool tiles are among the most architecturally powerful pool tile choices available — transforming a waterline band, stair riser, or fountain wall into a genuine work of decorative art. They perform exceptionally well on curved pool surfaces where their small individual pieces allow for precise contour following.

Spanish Colonial Pool Tiles — Hand-painted ceramic pool tiles featuring bold Andalusian and Mediterranean geometric patterns in vibrant cobalt, terracotta, turquoise, saffron, and white. Spanish colonial pool tiles are inspired by centuries of design exchange between Morocco, Spain, and Portugal — a tradition that produced some of the world's most beautiful decorative surfaces. These pool tiles are ideal for waterline accents, stair risers, fountain walls, and any application where a richly patterned, hand-painted surface can become a design focal point.

Blue and White Mediterranean Pool Tiles — Timeless hand-painted blue and white pool tiles drawn from the Moroccan Fez tile and Portuguese azulejo traditions. Blue and white is the most enduring color combination in Mediterranean pool design — equally at home in a classic Spanish colonial courtyard pool and a sleek contemporary lap pool. Our blue and white pool tiles are available in a wide range of pattern scales and motif styles, from delicate floral arabesques to bold geometric compositions.

Hand Painted Mediterranean Pool Tiles — Artisan-painted ceramic pool tiles featuring floral, geometric, and arabesque motifs inspired by the decorative traditions of Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Tunisia, and the broader Mediterranean. Each tile is painted entirely by hand before firing, making every piece a unique original. These pool tiles are especially popular for stair risers, fountain niches, outdoor kitchen backsplashes, and courtyard feature walls.

Terracotta Pool Tiles — Authentic Moroccan terracotta pool tiles handcrafted from natural red clay and kiln-fired to a warm, earthy finish. Terracotta pool tiles bring a rustic Mediterranean warmth to pool decks, patios, and outdoor living spaces. Their organic surface texture, natural color variation, and timeless appeal make them a favorite choice for Mediterranean villa, Spanish colonial, and Southwestern luxury outdoor spaces.

Zellige Border Pool Tiles — Narrow format zellige border tiles designed specifically for pool waterline and accent band applications. Their elongated format creates a refined, clean waterline accent that pairs beautifully with field tiles, natural stone coping, and contemporary pool plaster finishes. Zellige border tiles are one of the most popular pool tile choices among designers working on modern Mediterranean and contemporary luxury pool projects.

Pool Tile Applications

Our handcrafted pool tiles are designed for every application in and around a luxury swimming pool. The most common uses include pool waterline tile bands, pool interior wall and floor surfaces, spa and hot tub surrounds, stair risers and step edges, tanning ledge and baja shelf borders, fountain walls and water feature niches, pool deck and patio surfaces, outdoor kitchen backsplashes, courtyard and feature walls, and fireplace surrounds in outdoor living spaces. Many of our clients use the same pool tile family across multiple surfaces — waterline, fountain wall, and adjacent courtyard paving — to create a cohesive, architecturally intentional outdoor environment.

Pool Tile Selection Guide

Choosing the right pool tile involves balancing aesthetics, performance, and budget. Here are the key considerations our design team recommends:

Water color. The waterline pool tile is the primary influence on how pool water appears. Deep cobalt and turquoise tiles intensify the blue quality of the water. Green and sage tiles give water a natural, lagoon-like character. Neutral and white tiles maximize water brightness and clarity. Choose your waterline pool tile with your desired water color in mind — then select your plaster finish to complement it.

Material. Zellige and Moroccan clay tiles offer unmatched surface depth and artisanal character but require experienced installation. Hand-painted ceramic tiles offer bold pattern and color at slightly lower installation complexity. All materials in our collection are tested for pool performance and rated for chlorinated and saltwater environments.

Scale and pattern. Small mosaic pool tiles and zellige work beautifully on curved surfaces and tight accent bands. Larger format hand-painted tiles make a stronger visual statement on stair risers, fountain walls, and feature surfaces where the full tile pattern can be read and appreciated. Consider the viewing distance for each application when selecting pattern scale.

Cohesion. The most successful pool tile installations use one tile family consistently across multiple surfaces. Choosing a zellige waterline tile and repeating the same color on the spa surround and a nearby fountain wall creates a cohesive, professionally designed outdoor space. Mixing unrelated tile styles across the same pool often creates visual fragmentation.

Pool Tiles for Luxury Homes Across the United States

Our pool tiles are specified in some of the most prestigious residential and hospitality projects in the country. In California — Beverly Hills, Malibu, Atherton, Palo Alto, Newport Beach, Santa Barbara, and Palm Springs — our tiles complement the region's tradition of indoor-outdoor luxury living and year-round pool use. In Florida — Palm Beach, Miami Beach, Fisher Island, Naples, and Key Biscayne — their saltwater and UV resistance make them the preferred choice for coastal estate pool projects. Across Texas, Arizona, Nevada, and the Mountain West — Dallas, Houston, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Las Vegas, Park City, and Aspen — our handcrafted pool tiles bring Mediterranean warmth and artisan character to resort-style outdoor spaces in dramatic natural landscapes. On the East Coast — the Hamptons, Greenwich, Washington DC, and Manhattan — they complement the architectural refinement of high-end properties where material quality and cultural authenticity define premium design.

All pool tiles are custom made to order with a minimum of 50 square feet. Production and shipping from Morocco typically takes 6–8 weeks from order confirmation. We recommend ordering 10–15% overage for cuts, pattern matching, and future repairs. Contact us for samples, project quotes, spec sheets, and design consultation.

Explore Our Pool Tile Collections

Moroccan Terracotta Tiles

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of pool tiles are available for pool decks, pool interiors, and spa surrounds?
Our pool tile collection spans the full range of luxury handcrafted tile for every pool surface application. For pool waterlines, we offer Moroccan zellige, Moorish mosaic, blue and white Spanish, and hand-painted Mediterranean in over 50 colorways. For pool deck floors and terrace surfaces, our Moroccan terracotta pavers, bejmat brick tiles, and octagonal terracotta tiles provide warm, natural clay surfaces cooler underfoot than porcelain or stone. For pool step risers, fountains, and spa surrounds, smaller format tiles including our 4x4 terracotta squares and decorative Spanish colonial accent tiles create finished details that define the design. Every tile in the collection is handcrafted in Fez, Morocco and made to order.
Which pool tile is best for the pool interior — waterline, floor, and walls?
The best tile for the pool interior depends on your design goal and budget. For full interior coverage (floor and walls), our Moorish mosaic creates the most dramatic result — the geometric pattern is immersive underwater and the faceted clay pieces produce extraordinary light play. For waterline-only coverage with a plaster interior, our zellige border tiles deliver the most visual impact per square foot at the most efficient cost. For pool floors specifically, our smaller format zellige and bejmat tiles handle the curved and sloped geometry of pool floors better than large-format tiles. For pool decks and surrounds, our terracotta collection provides the cool-underfoot thermal comfort that is essential in high-sun climates.
Are Moroccan handcrafted pool tiles suitable for both chlorine and salt-water pool systems?
Yes. All our pool tiles — zellige, Moorish mosaic, Spanish colonial, handpainted ceramic, and terracotta (sealed) — are tested and certified for both chlorinated and salt-water pool systems. Salt-water pools generate lower chlorine concentrations than traditional dosing, which is gentler on tile glazes and grout. The slightly elevated pH of salt-water systems can increase calcium scaling tendency at the waterline, managed with a mild acid-based descaler twice per season. For submerged applications in salt-water pools, our glazed zellige and mosaic tiles with near-zero water absorption are the appropriate specification.
What pool tile specification is right for a luxury estate versus a standard residential pool?
Luxury estate pools typically specify handmade materials that reflect the craftsmanship level of the surrounding architecture — Moorish mosaic for full waterline and spa treatments, zellige in premium colorways, custom Spanish colonial accent tiles for step risers and fountains. The differentiating factor is material authenticity and the visual quality that results from genuine handmade production. Standard residential pools often specify factory ceramic or glass mosaic at the waterline, which delivers adequate performance at lower cost but lacks the depth, variation, and character of handmade tile. Our minimum order of 50 square feet makes premium handmade tile accessible for both estate-scale projects and smaller targeted applications like a pool step riser upgrade or waterline accent band.
How do I choose between zellige, Moorish mosaic, and hand-painted tile for my pool?
The choice depends on the visual effect you want and the architectural context of the project. Zellige creates a luminous, organic shimmer — best for pools where the material quality itself is the design statement, without added pattern. Moorish mosaic creates formal geometric pattern — best for pools where the waterline is a major architectural feature and the geometric design is part of a broader Moroccan or Mediterranean design concept. Hand-painted Spanish colonial or Mediterranean tile creates narrative detail — best used as accent pieces within a larger installation rather than as the primary waterline material. Many of our most successful projects combine all three: zellige as the primary waterline, Moorish mosaic at step risers, and Spanish colonial as accent pieces at fountains.
Can I use the same tile on the pool waterline, spa, fountain, and outdoor kitchen?
Yes — and this whole-property material consistency is one of the most powerful design decisions in luxury outdoor living. Using a single handmade tile material (or a carefully curated two-material palette) consistently across the pool waterline, spa waterline, fountain basin, outdoor kitchen backsplash, and even the outdoor shower floor creates a unified material narrative that elevates the outdoor space from a collection of individual features to a coherently designed environment. Our zellige border tiles, Moorish mosaic, and bejmat collections are all designed to work together for this reason.
Do you work with pool builders, pool designers, and general contractors on luxury pool projects?
Yes. Our trade program covers architects, landscape architects, interior designers, pool contractors, and general contractors on luxury residential and commercial projects. We provide specification support, technical data sheets, installation guides, material samples, and project management assistance for orders over 200 square feet. We have supplied pool tile to luxury projects in Beverly Hills, Malibu, Palm Beach, Naples, Scottsdale, Park City, and internationally. Call (415) 259-4820 or visit our Trade Program page to apply and receive project pricing.
What is the minimum order, lead time, and how do I get started?
Minimum order is 50 square feet across all collections. Lead time is approximately 8 weeks from confirmed order. All tiles are custom made to order in Fez, Morocco with no pre-made stock inventory. To get started: request a sample set (ships in 5 to 7 business days), review materials in your actual outdoor environment, then place a confirmed order with your pool dimensions and quantity requirements. For complex projects with multiple tile zones, contact us for a full project consultation and quantity calculation. Reach us at (415) 259-4820 or sales@moorisharchitecturaldesign.com Monday through Friday 10am to 3pm Pacific time.
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Handcrafted in Morocco & Spain

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