An Interview with Faissel Farhi, Zellij-Tile Manufacturer
Learn about this ancient ceramic art form, which is renowned for its beautiful wall and floor coverings.
I suppose seeing is believing, but how would you describe zellij to the uninitiated?
Zellij is an ancient ceramic art form which has been around for hundreds of years. Its complexity and labor intensiveness have made it by the far one of the world’s most beautiful wall and floor coverings. Throughout history, people took pride using it by choosing certain designs and color combinations to decorate their homes or other exclusive establishments, it has always been a way to show someone’s intellectual and financial status.
How does a homeowner go about having a room done with zellij? Does it begin with color, design, room size?
There two types of clients; people that appreciate the beauty of color and texture only (For the most part these clients end up using our field tile), then people who also appreciate the craftsmanship of zellij (These clients usually end up going with some type of a symmetrical design). With everyone, it always begins with the space size to identify which tile size is appropriate, then design desired, and last a color combination.
Do they come a smaller tiles or are the larger panels something you do exclusively? Are the dimensions of the tile panels based proportionally on the dimensions of the space they will be installed in?
When we started selling zellij in the United States in 2005, we had to make a decision on how large our designs need to be. Since a 12×12 was what most installers are used to, we had to keep most of our designs around that. Anything larger, would need to be a customer project, and in that case we usually ship an entire panel. Usually with projects that require larger panels, there is a lot more design and planning involved.
Are their any special framing or installation considerations for Zellij?
Yes, that would depend on the design, but for the most part our sheets come with interlocking teeth which makes it easier for the installers. But, yes. It does require someone with long mosaic installation experience to be able to install Zellij.
How is pricing structured? From a modest design to an elaborate design? Just to give a sense of it.
For the most part the more intricate the design, the more labor intensive it become, the pricier it gets. For most of our designs that we can keep within a 12×12 or smaller, the price will vary between $45 per sq. ft. to $150 per sq. ft. For the large panels, we charge per project, of per panel.
You are based in Los Angeles, but you have clients throughout the United States. How would you describe the market for Zellij in the United States? Have you seen it grown slowly or dramatically? I imagine it attracts a rather exclusive and discriminating clientele.
Yes we are based in Los Angeles, and our factory is located in Fez, Morocco. We actually complete projects worldwide, zellij is definitely new to the U.S. market, its popularity has been growing dramatically for the most part among the savvy and well traveled individuals. What makes our business model so appealing to the U.S. clients is the ability to customize a specific design and or a color combination and make it part of the home decor, they no longer have to settle for the mass produced tile.
Below is a video that shows the process of making zellij tiles.
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