Inspiration
Drenched in Delft: don't call it a comeback
Delft has been beloved for hundreds of years and counting. But this year it’s blooming with a fresh maximalist twist.
Scroll through your feed and you can’t miss it: Delft is having a moment. A new generation of interior designers and aficionados are falling for its delicate illustrative designs in that iconic blue and white palette.
While the Delft look has been beloved for centuries, today’s fresh take sees every available surface drenched in an eclectic tapestry of delicate, hand painted, vintage designs.
The Delft tile look has been beloved for centuries, but this year it's blooming with a fresh maximalist twist.
We at Marlborough Tiles are proud to be the UK’s oldest surviving maker of traditional Delft tiles and we are, to our knowledge, the only makers in the country still painting Delft using the traditional technique. Each stroke is painted freehand into the tile’s raw glaze, before it is fired. This way, the fluidity of brushstroke that makes authentic Delft so instantly recognisable is preserved.
We have been painting Classic Delft tiles in the traditional 'wet on wet' technique since we were founded, nearly 90 years ago.
Our commitment to authenticity runs deep. To this day, our artists use the same batch of Delft blue pigment procured by our female founders, Rosalind Packard and Sylvia Ord, nearly 90 years ago. Each hand painted tile is a work of art, made to order and then individually signed on the back by the artist who painted it. (Learn more about what makes our Delft tiles so special in our article, The art of authenticity: ten reasons our Delft tiles are simply unrivalled.)
Customise your own hand painted Classic Delft tile designs to create a vision in blue and white that's rich with design detail and eclectic character.
Ready to make Delft your own? Dive in and let your creativity soar. Click through to visit our Classic Delft collection, where you can create your own custom Delft tiles, designing each one from a variety of options. Begin by selecting your choice of base tile and illustration – from delicate flowers to whimsical windmills. Next, choose your preferred neutral base glaze colour and finish, followed by your brushstroke hue. We offer two Delft blues, each named after our founders: Rosalind, a bright and vibrant Delft blue; and Sylvia, a sophisticated grey-blue.
Our five Classic Delft corner designs, available with your choice of illustration and in your choice of two brushstroke colours, on a variety of tile bodies and neutral glaze colours.
And why stop there? Play with our five decorative corner designs to add a distinctive flourish. Mix and match illustrations and corners, experiment with brushstroke colours, and create a vision in blue and white that’s rich with design detail and eclectic character.
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