Every Motawi Tile Is Finished by Hand

Every Motawi ceramic tile starts as soft stoneware clay, made just up the road by our sister company, Rovin Ceramics, to a proprietary formula developed specifically for Motawi tile. That clay is hydraulically pressed into custom molds in our Ann Arbor, Michigan studio to give each piece a precise, consistent shape. From there, it's all hands. Artisans trim and smooth every edge before the tiles are bisque-fired in the kiln.

Then comes the glaze—some tiles are hand-dipped for a soft, ombre color shift; others are hand-glazed using a centuries-old technique called Cuenca, where glaze is filled into tiny basins formed by raised lines in the design, using nothing more than a bulb syringe and a steady hand. Every tile is fired a second time to lock in color and character. The result? A piece of tile that's not just made—it's crafted.