Moroccan Patchwork Kitchen Island
Hermosa Beach
About This Project
This kitchen island tile project in a Hermosa Beach house used handmade Moroccan patchwork cement tiles to clad the vertical faces of a peninsula-style island. Cement tile is different from ceramic in a few important ways. It is not fired, it is highly porous, and it must be sealed before installation and again after grouting to prevent the grout color from bleeding into the tile face. The patchwork pattern means each tile has a different design, and the layout requires planning to avoid clustering similar patterns in a way that reads as a mistake rather than intentional variety. We arranged the tiles in a dry layout across the full island run before setting any of them, shuffling positions until the distribution of colors and patterns looked balanced. The island backsplash above the countertop received a complementary plain ceramic in a warm neutral to give the eye somewhere to rest above the busy patchwork field.
Project Details
- Service
- Kitchen Tile and Backsplashes
- Area
- Hermosa Beach
- Materials
- Handmade Moroccan patchwork cement tile, pre- and post-installation sealant, epoxy grout
- Scope
- Residential kitchen island cladding
- Timeline
- Two-day install
What We Did
Full dry layout across island run with pattern distribution confirmed before sealing tiles for installation.
Each tile pre-sealed with penetrating sealer; tiles set with white epoxy adhesive to prevent color contamination through porous cement body.
Epoxy grout applied in a neutral tone; final sealant coat applied after grout cure; cleanup and inspection.
Planning a kitchen project in Hermosa Beach? Request a written estimate or call (323) 795-2774.
