The Zia Trade Program for Interior Designers

Handmade tile rewards the people who specify it well, and it asks more of them than tile from a factory line. The Zia Trade Program exists for that work: a dedicated representative, trade pricing and complimentary samples, across every material Zia makes, from zellige, cotto, cement and ceramics to marble, terrazzo and glass.

How the Trade Program Is Structured

Membership gives designers direct access to pricing, samples and people. Members receive:

• A dedicated Zia trade representative
• Exclusive trade pricing
• Complimentary samples, to judge color, variation and finish in the project space itself
• Previews of new collections, with advance samples when possible
• Order tracking and project management tools
• Project quotes shown with and without trade pricing
• Expert support on product and installation questions

The program works at any scale, from a single powder room to a hotel.

Interior Designers, Architects and Contractors

The program is open to interior designers, architects, general contractors, tile installers and showrooms: anyone who specifies or sources tile for client projects. Applicants provide a Tax ID along with an EIN or business license, and the trade team replies within one to two business days.

Designers and architects use it for sampling, specification support and transparent pricing. Contractors use it to source tile for client-approved designs at larger scope. And teams working on restaurants, shops and commercial interiors use it to coordinate ordering and keep material consistent from the first room to the last.

The Collections Designers Specify at Zia

Every material in the collection has its own origin, surface and temperament. The right one depends on the room's light and on how the tile needs to read at scale.

Zellige

Zellige is the choice when the glaze itself is the point. Each tile is shaped by hand in Morocco from natural clay, dipped in glaze and fired, and no two leave the kiln alike, so a wall shifts in tone from tile to tile and from morning to evening.

Designers specify it for kitchen backsplashes, shower walls, fireplace surrounds, the waterline of pools and spas, and hospitality feature walls, in residential and commercial projects alike.

Cement Tile

Cement tile is specified for bold geometry in a matte, unglazed surface. Mineral pigment is poured by hand into a steel mold, the tile is pressed, then it cures on racks without ever seeing a kiln.

It suits entryways, kitchen floors, shops and statement installations where pattern sets the rhythm of a space. Its flat surface diffuses light evenly, so color and pattern read the same from one end of a large floor to the other, and with wear and time it gathers a soft patina.

Cotto and Cotto Allende

Cotto, Zia's terra cotta, brings natural warmth: a dense, unglazed clay tile made by hand near San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. It is suited to interior and exterior floors in any climate, freeze-thaw included. Designers use it for residential floors, hospitality dining rooms and the thresholds between inside and out.

Cotto Allende starts from the same clay, high-fired and then glazed by hand, from matte to glossy, with subtle color shifts tile to tile. Its handmade character and its range in wet spaces, pools included, make it a natural specification for bathrooms and pool projects.

Ceramics

Zia's ceramics are designed in Los Angeles and made in Japan, dry-pressed and fired to a density close to porcelain: the exacting standard Japan holds for its building facades, brought down to the scale of a shower wall. Matte, satin or glossy, across a considered palette, they bring a quiet precision to kitchens, bathrooms and pools, at the waterline and below.

Field Trip: Japan, made in a potter's village outside Nagoya, adds three surfaces of its own, flat, furrowed and etched, for walls and backsplashes with rich color and dimension.

Terrazzo and Natural Stone

Terrazzo, marble, Roman Mosaics, limestone and Cantera are specified for scale, durability and the authority of real stone.

• Terrazzo: crushed marble and stone set in cement, ground and polished to reveal the aggregate. Suited to kitchens, entryways and feature floors.
• Marble and Roman Mosaics: natural veining for bathrooms, floors, showers and architectural detail. The Roman Mosaics are cut from Italian and Spanish marble, chiseled by hand in Italy, piece by piece.
• Limestone: a quiet, honed surface for floors, walls and wet areas.

Together they suit hotel floors, lobbies and commercial installations, where longevity and visual weight matter equally.

Glass Mosaics

Glass Mosaics are made from 98% recycled glass, each piece formed in a mold and set on 12x12 mesh sheets, in solid colors and seven patterns. Non-porous and needing no sealer, they suit pool interiors, shower walls and backsplashes, wherever a saturated, consistent field of color and reflected light is the goal.

Specification Notes for Handmade Tile

Handmade tile asks for a few more decisions than factory tile, and each one is best made before the first tile is set. Zia's trade team can talk through any of them on a given project.

Distribute variation deliberately. Zellige, Cotto and Cotto Allende vary in tone, shape and thickness from piece to piece. Cement tile is more uniform in size, but its color can shift considerably from tile to tile. Spread evenly, that variation is what gives the field its depth. Open every box and blend tiles from each before the dry layout, so variation spreads across the whole surface rather than gathering in one corner.

Judge samples in the room. Glazes respond to light in ways no photograph captures. Set samples vertically in the project space and look at them at different times of day before the color is final. With zellige especially, morning and evening can make the same colorway read as two different tiles.

Specify the grout. Grout color and joint width both change how an installation reads. A closely matched grout lets the variation carry across the surface; a contrasting one draws the grid.

Confirm the installer. Zellige, Cotto and Cotto Allende each call for an installer experienced with handmade material, since variation in thickness and edge takes a different approach than precision-cut tile. Cement tile needs a professional above all: the wrong grout or a skipped sealing step can stain the surface, and while a stain can be buffed out, it is no way to begin an installation. Settle it before the first course is laid.

Apply to the Trade Program

Trade pricing, complimentary samples and a dedicated representative give designers what they need to deliver a specification as drawn, from the first sample to the finished room. And with handmade tile and natural stone under one roof, a multi-material project can come from a single source.

Apply through the Trade Program page, or reach the trade team at trade@ziatile.com or 310-844-1170, ext. 2.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Zia Trade Program

What is trade tile?

Trade tile is tile bought through a program built for professionals: designers, architects, contractors and installers. Instead of retail checkout, it offers trade pricing, sampling and project coordination shaped around specification work. Zia's Trade Program is a designer tile program built around how professionals source and specify handmade materials for client projects.

How do I apply for the Zia Trade Program?

Apply through the Trade Program page with a Tax ID and an EIN or business license. The trade team reviews each application and replies within one to two business days. Once approved, members receive trade pricing, a dedicated representative, complimentary samples and the program's other benefits.

Does the Trade Program support large commercial projects?

Yes. The program works at every scale, from a single residential room to large hospitality and commercial projects. A trade representative can coordinate ordering, production timelines and project logistics.

Is the Trade Program only for interior designers?

No. It is open to architects, general contractors, and tile installers: Zia is a single source of tile for interior designers working across materials.