Bedrosian Cloe Tile: A Complete Guide for Homeowners

Bedrosian Cloe tile has become one of the most popular ceramic wall tiles for backsplashes and accent walls, and it earned that spot honestly. The Cloe collection from Bedrosians mimics the gently undulating surface and soft glaze of expensive handmade zellige tile, but at a fraction of the price and with the consistency of a factory product. For homeowners who love the artisanal, slightly imperfect look but cannot stomach the cost or fragility of true handmade tile, Cloe hits a sweet spot.

What Makes Cloe Tile Special

The appeal starts with the glaze. Each Cloe tile has a subtly wavy, glossy face that catches light differently across the wall, giving the finished surface a living, handmade quality. Unlike a flat, uniform subway tile, Cloe reads as crafted and high-end. Because it is mass-produced ceramic, though, you get reliable sizing and far less breakage than real zellige, which is notoriously brittle and variable.

That combination of artisan looks and practical consistency is why designers reach for it so often. It photographs beautifully, installs more predictably than handmade tile, and costs a lot less.

Colors and Finish

Cloe comes in a broad palette that spans soft neutrals and saturated colors, so it suits both quiet and bold kitchens. Popular shades include crisp white, warm creams, soft greens, blues, and deeper jewel tones. The glossy glaze makes colors look rich and reflective, brightening a backsplash and bouncing light around a room.

Because the glaze is glossy and slightly variable, the tile reads differently depending on your lighting. Always order a sample and view it in your own kitchen at different times of day before committing to a color across a whole wall.

Common Sizes and Where to Use It

The collection is offered in several formats that drive very different looks:

• 2.5 by 8 inch: an elongated subway shape that works in classic running bond or vertical stack layouts.
• 5 by 5 inch: a square format popular for grid and offset patterns.
• Other coordinating shapes in the line let you mix formats for custom designs.

Cloe is a wall and backsplash tile, not a floor tile, so use it behind ranges and sinks, on accent walls, and in bathroom surrounds rather than underfoot. Its glaze and thickness are designed for vertical surfaces.

Cost and Value

Part of Cloe’s popularity is its accessibility. As a general guide, Cloe ceramic tile typically runs in the range of $8 to $20 per square foot for the material, well below the cost of genuine handmade zellige, which can run several times higher. Add installation labor of roughly $7 to $15 per square foot depending on layout complexity and your region.

For a standard kitchen backsplash, that puts a finished Cloe project firmly in reach for most remodel budgets while delivering a look that appears far more expensive than it is.

Layout and Grout Choices

How you set Cloe changes the entire feel of the wall. A classic running-bond layout with the elongated tiles feels timeless. A vertical stack reads modern and draws the eye up. A simple square grid with the 5 by 5 format gives a clean, contemporary backdrop.

Grout color is the make-or-break detail. A matching grout lets the wavy glaze and color carry the wall for a soft, seamless effect, while a contrasting grout emphasizes the tile shape and creates a graphic grid. For backsplashes near cooking and water, use a quality grout and seal cement-based grout, or choose epoxy grout to resist staining and grease.

Installation Tips

Because Cloe’s surface is intentionally uneven, professional installers take care to set each tile flush at the edges so the wavy faces still align cleanly. Use the spacers recommended for your chosen layout to keep grout lines consistent, and dry-lay a section first to plan around outlets and the ends of runs.

The glossy glaze can show inconsistent reflections if tiles are installed in mixed orientations, so check that the pattern reads as intended before the thinset sets. A little planning upfront ensures the finished wall has that effortless handmade charm rather than a haphazard look.

How Cloe Compares to Real Zellige

It helps to understand exactly what Cloe imitates. True zellige is hand-cut and hand-glazed in Morocco, which gives it striking depth and variation but also makes it expensive, fragile, and slow to install. Each handmade tile varies in size and shape, so setting it requires patience and skill, and breakage rates are high.

Cloe captures much of that artisanal character, including the wavy glaze and light play, while delivering factory-consistent sizing and far better durability. You lose a little of the one-of-a-kind irregularity of genuine zellige, but you gain predictable installation, lower cost, and less waste. For most homeowners, that tradeoff strongly favors Cloe.

Planning Your Quantity

Order enough tile to finish the job plus a cushion. A common rule is to buy about 10 percent extra to cover cuts, breakage, and future repairs, and a bit more for diagonal or herringbone layouts that generate more waste. Because glaze and color can vary slightly between production runs, buying all your tile at once from the same lot keeps the wall consistent.

Hold onto a few leftover tiles after the job is done. If a tile ever cracks or you need to patch the wall around a new fixture, having matching tile from the original lot saves you from a mismatched repair down the road.

Best Rooms and Applications for Cloe

Cloe earns its keep anywhere a vertical surface wants a touch of handmade character. The kitchen backsplash is the classic spot, where the wavy glaze catches light over the range and behind the sink. Bathroom walls and shower surrounds are another strong fit, since glazed ceramic shrugs off humidity, though you will want a proper waterproofing membrane behind any wet-area installation.

Beyond the obvious, Cloe makes a striking accent wall behind a bed or in an entry, a fireplace surround, or a laundry-room backsplash that turns a utilitarian space into something intentional. Just remember it is a wall tile: it is not rated to take foot traffic, so keep it off the floor and let porcelain or stone handle the ground.

Caring for Cloe Tile

Maintenance is simple. The glazed ceramic surface wipes clean with warm water and a mild dish soap, and a non-abrasive cleaner handles greasy buildup near the stove. Avoid harsh abrasives that could scratch the glaze over time.

The grout lines need more attention than the tile itself. Keep them sealed if you used cement-based grout, and wipe up splatter promptly so grease does not settle into the joints. With that light routine, a Bedrosians Cloe backsplash keeps its bright, handcrafted look for many years.