Kitchen with wooden cabinets, green tiled backsplash, granite countertop, microwave, refrigerator, and utensils.

Decorative ceramic tile with a butterfly design in a kitchen backsplash.

Cicero Kitchen

Arts and Crafts kitchen backsplash by Motawi Tileworks featuring Cicero relief tile in Lee Green glaze.

Tile featured in this project:

Decorative embossed tile with a butterfly design in a square shape

6x6 Cicero

Glaze featured in this project:

Close-up of a beige, textured square cake pan with slightly rounded edges.

5200 Lichen

Every Motawi Tile Is Made by Hand

From start to finish, every Motawi ceramic tile is crafted by hand in our Ann Arbor, Michigan studio. It begins with soft clay, pressed into custom molds to shape each tile. From there, artisans trim and smooth every edge by hand before the tiles are bisque-fired in the kiln.

Then comes the magic of the glaze—some tiles are dipped, others are carefully bulb-glazed using a centuries-old technique called Cuenca, where glaze is filled into tiny basins formed by raised lines in the design. No shortcuts, no automation—just human hands and sharp eyes guiding every step. Finally, every tile gets fired again, locking in color and character. The result? A piece of tile that’s not just made—it’s crafted.

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Design Services:
Available Monday–Friday, 8 am to 4 pm (EST).
Email us or call us at 734-213-0017 to schedule an appointment.