Delft Floral Tiles

My First Spoonflower Design Challenge: Delft Tiles

This week I’m excited to share something new for me: my first participation in a Spoonflower design challenge. Spoonflower regularly hosts themed competitions where designers from all over the world reinterpret a specific concept, and this time the theme immediately caught my attention: Delft tiles.

A Brief History of Delft Tiles

Delft tiles originated in the Netherlands between the 16th and 17th centuries, inspired by the blue-and-white Chinese porcelain that reached Europe through maritime trade. Over time, Dutch ceramicists developed a distinctive and recognizable style, characterized by the use of cobalt blue on a white background, delicate line work, and hand-painted motifs.

Traditionally, Delft tiles depicted flowers, landscapes, maritime scenes, and symbolic figures, framed by ornamental borders. Each piece was hand-painted, giving them a slightly irregular and human quality that remains part of their charm today.

Reinterpreting Delft from a Contemporary Perspective

In this challenge, the goal was not to faithfully reproduce historical tiles, but rather to reinterpret the Delft tradition from a contemporary perspective, while respecting its essence.

I decided to focus on floral motifs, aiming for a serene, decorative and versatile design that would work equally well on fabric as on wallpaper and interior design projects.

About my Delft Floral Tiles Design

The design is built as a set of ceramic-style tiles, where each piece features a hand-drawn floral motif. I created five simple flowers (tulip, daisy, anemone, flax flower and bellflower), inspired by classic botanical forms and drawn with fine lines that echo traditional ceramic painting.

The slightly irregular borders between the tiles are intentional, as a nod to the artisanal character of original Delft pieces.

Color Palette

I worked with a very restrained color palette to remain faithful to the tradition:

• Deep indigo blue, inspired by classic cobalt pigments
• Soft Lavender Blue, which brings a more delicate and contemporary nuance.

The combination results in a timeless blue and white design, achieving a balance between the traditional and the contemporary.

Available Sizes

To ensure the design is functional and versatile, it is available in three different scales:

• Large Size (100%) – ideal for wallpaper and spaces that demand visual presence
• Medium Size – perfect for interior design projects.
• Small Size – designed for fabrics, accessories, and more detailed applications.

Voting and Visibility

The voting for the Spoonflower Delft Tiles Challenge will be open from December 18th to January 5th. While this is my first time participating in this type of competition, I am very happy to share the result and be part of an international creative community.

If you'd like to follow the process or support my design, I'll share more information and links on my social media when the voting opens. I would be immensely grateful for your vote, as it will help the design gain visibility on the platform.

Thank you for joining me and for being part of this creative journey.

This design is available for sale on the following platforms: