Our hand painted ceramic wall tiles bring a sense of true individuality to the home. After all, they are literal works of art - each stroke painted by hand onto raw glaze using the traditional Majolica technique, and then individually signed by the artist who painted it. Add character by selecting individual tiles for your bathroom, kitchen or fireplace surround, or make a statement at the heart of the home with a range cooker panel.
The history and artistry of our hand painted tiles
Since we opened our doors in 1936, Marlborough has flown the flag for the Majolica technique of hand painting. Also known as in-glaze painting, this technique requires our artists to train for months in order to perfect the method of freehand painting directly onto unfired glaze. This makes an enormous difference to the end product because the base glaze and the artist’s work are fired at the same time. This not only better integrates overlapping colours but also adds to the fluidity and intensity of the artist’s brush strokes.
Of course, we could do as others do and use transfers to “paint” onto already fired tiles but while this may save a few pennies, it will never result in the high-quality finished product that we are passionate about producing. Painting onto already fired tiles means that the base colour will be darker because it will have been fired twice. And of course, means that the baseAnd of course, this means the base colour won’t be a precise match for the plain tiles that accompany painted tiles in a panel – a definite no-no in our book!
For any questions on colour, layout, design tips as well as the technical aspects of tiling, please do get in touch with our team. We will be happy to help.
If you’re considering some of our hand painted tiles but need advice on how to arrange them, this service is for you.
Perhaps you have an idea for a panel to go behind your range cooker, or maybe you are unsure about how best to incorporate plain and hand painted tiles in a design. Either way, our layout service removes the guesswork.
In addition to the selection of hand painted tiles on our website, we offer a bespoke hand painting service. From beloved pets to bucolic countryside scenes and words of your choosing, our specially trained ceramic artists love the extra challenge of creating your perfect design. To discuss your project, please get in touch.
“An excellent product and superb service. Many thanks to Grace and Jamie from Marlborough”
Nick Lester, customer
“Handmade tiles with wonderful glazes; the craftsmanship, the beauty and the customer service.”
Ephia Yasmin, customer
“Always visionary and ahead of the times from the outset.”
Ben Spriggs, Editor-in-Chief, Elle Decoration
“Your service is outstanding and everyone is stunned by the result. I could not be more delighted.”
Pat Jones, customer
“Marlborough are a trusted collaborator to design unique tile collections which delight our customers”
Rebecca Malon, Head of Design and Product Development Neptune
“Over 20 years, our brand has relied on Marlborough for specialist colour and glaze development.”
Colin Roby-Welford, MD of Fired Earth