I’m looking to use this little-known vintage tile in my home reno, here’s why I think it is high time for a revival

Choosing the finishing details for your home is equal part the fun and the hard part of a remodel. From paint choices to fabrics, hardware to tiles, these small choices take it from a building site to an actual home, so you want to ensure you're making the right decisions.

As a self-confessed vintage obsessive, I have spent most of my remodel budget and time gathering vintage furniture and decor to fill my finished home with unique finds. So when faced with endless tile ideas and options to choose from, I knew I wanted to try decorating with vintage.

I stumbled upon Delft tiles on one of my nightly rounds of Pinterest (I'm a terrible sleeper) and instantly fell in love. Marrying vintage charm with a sense of history, these iconic blue and white tiles offer so much more personality than modern iterations. So I'm making a case for a revival of Delft tiles – and the experts agree.

Is it time to bring back vintage Delft tiles?

You might recognize delft tiles but not actually know their 'name' per se. Steeped in history and full of character, these iconic (mostly) blue and white tiles are elaborately yet intricately painted with small icons and scenes that tell a story. But where did they come from?

Hailing from the Netherlands, 'delftware' describes earthenwares made famous in the 1600s from Delft, a small town in south Holland. These beloved blue tiles were inspired by the blue and white porcelain imported from China but depicted scenes of typical Dutch life: windmills, tulips, clogs, and farm life.

They're small, saccharinely sweet, and bring bags of personality to kitchens and all throughout the home.

Merlin Wright, design director at Plain English Design explains how their co-founder Tony Niblock has long admired Delft tiles for their ability to work in all types of homes, 'from the humble cottage to the grand mansion'.

'Plain English cupboards are made in Suffolk, a county where there has been significant Dutch influence since the 16th century when many Dutch protestants came to East Anglia to avoid religious persecution,' Merlin explains. 'They brought Dutch ceramics with them, including the ubiquitous Delft tiles, which were a crude interpretation of fine Chinese porcelain but whose naive charm made them a popular and practical choice for English kitchens, bathrooms, and fireplaces.'

'Original tiles are now very expensive, but good quality reproductions continue to be popular and are available in painted or plain variations,' Merlin continues. 'Large areas of the painted tiles can be overwhelming, but they work well when used in concentrated blocks such as a backsplash behind a cooker or sink. The plain tiles can be used for larger areas where their slight irregularities add tonal and textural interest.'

'Originally found in grand 18th and 19th-century houses, the resurgence of Delft tiles is yet another example of the country house aesthetic finding its place in today’s home,' says tile designer Petra Palumbo who makes Delft tiles with a contemporary twist.

'Tapping into the new mood for thoughtful, purpose-led designs with a nostalgic yet modern aesthetic, Delft tiles have a universal appeal, because anyone can apply the designs to their lives,' she explains. 'Each combination of motif or illustration is entirely personal, and often deeply sentimental, reflecting the move towards characterful, individual interiors.'

This is what originally drew me to the idea of sourcing my own Delft tiles. After a quick Google search, I realized I could go down the mass-produced or bespoke route and create a series of tiles that had real personal meaning to me, my family, and my home. Including my dog.

When I first started looking into Delft tiles for my renovation, I was drawn in by the sweet color palette and pretty motifs. But it was actually the storytelling that really sealed the deal.

Traditionally, vintage Delft tiles were hand-painted with everyday vignettes, capturing the essence of life centuries ago. But modern artists who still create them by hand, including Petra, will allow you to play around with custom options that can show off your greatest loves: from the house you grew up in, to your pets, or your favorite snack.

'I think they’ve enjoyed a resurgence in recent years because more people are looking for homewares that will last for years to come,' Petra continues. 'Delft tiles are available in so many designs – for example, mine are quite playful and tongue-in-cheek – which I believe people like, because they increasingly want sentimental, thoughtful products in their homes, that they can relate to their unique lives.'

Becoming increasingly popular in vintage kitchens, I set about looking into creating a backsplash for my own space out of Delft tiles. But thanks to their unique and statement-making design, I knew this wasn't a tile I wanted to use on a large scale.

So rather than having them along an entire wall, I'm thinking of using them to highlight and zone my coffee nook which has been carved out of a little alcove and is crying out for some character. Much like the pretty Delft tiled range cooker nook tucked away in this traditional red kitchen [above] designed by deVOL who have just launched their first Ditsy Delft Wallpaper.

Additionally, I am also on a mission to convince my husband that a Delft fireplace surround or hearth is absolutely the way forward for our newly painted blue living room. Not only do they work perfectly for the scheme, but add so much more to a space than a zellige or cement tile and will help us to create an unexpected and personalized moment in the heart of our home.

And that’s exactly why I'm making the case for the comeback of Delft. These personality-packed, detailed tiles remain one of the prettiest and most unique ways to tell a story in your home that carries a part of your own history with it. The perfect cherry on top of a long, slow renovating journey.

As I near the end of my renovation, I find myself drawn more and more to the idea of designing a home that feels deeply personal. Delft tiles, with their rich history and hand-painted charm, offer exactly that.

Whether through reclaimed finds that whisper of the past or custom-made pieces that capture moments meaningful to me, they bring a sense of artistry and story that’s hard to replicate. So perhaps it really is high time for a Delft tile revival – not just for their pretty charm, but for the way they allow us to tile (and often rather boring material) to craft spaces that feel uniquely ours.