Handmade Tile Seconds, Clearance Art Tile & Discontinued Glazes in Ann Arbor
Not every handmade tile comes out exactly as planned. And at Motawi Tileworks, we think that’s part of the beauty.
Each of our ceramic tiles is pressed, trimmed, glazed, and fired by hand in our Ann Arbor studio. Most meet our first-quality standards and head out into kitchens, fireplaces, and galleries across the country. But some develop small glaze variations, subtle edge irregularities, faint color shifts — or even tiny dark spots in the clay body itself.
Sometimes those spots are barely visible. Still, our Quality Control team is exacting.
If it doesn’t meet our standard, it doesn’t ship as first-quality tile.
Instead, its back gets stamped "Boneyard" in black ink and it becomes part of the Motawi Boneyard, located just down the hallway from our Gallery at 170 Enterprise Drive, Ann Arbor.
What Sends a Tile to the Boneyard?
The Motawi Boneyard is our collection of tile seconds, discontinued art tiles, overproduction pieces, glaze experiments, and field tiles from retired glaze colors—all offered at reduced prices.
A tile may land in the Boneyard because of:
- Minor glaze variation or unexpected pooling
- Slight edge irregularities
- Subtle color shifts from firing
- Small dark spots in the clay body
- Overstock from production runs
- Retired or discontinued designs
- Field tile made in glazes we no longer produce
Sometimes the flaw is easy to spot. Sometimes it’s surprisingly hard to find.
As our Retail Manager, Sarah Fuller, likes to say: “If you can’t find the flaw in a Boneyard tile, that’s the tile for you.”
We stand behind our quality — even when we’re selling seconds.
Why Shop Tile Seconds?
For many homeowners and designers, the Boneyard offers a practical way to incorporate handcrafted ceramic tile into a project at a lower price point. If you’re flexible about subtle variation, you can find beautiful Motawi tile for a kitchen backsplash, fireplace surround, powder room accent, or small design feature—at a significant discount.
These tiles are made using the same moist-press process and traditional Cuenca glazing technique as our first-quality pieces. They still carry the richness, depth, and dimensional linework that define Motawi. Structurally, they are typically sound and suitable for installation.
They simply have a bit more character — the kind that reminds you a human hand was involved.
Visit the Motawi Boneyard in Ann Arbor
The Boneyard is located at our studio and gallery in Ann Arbor, Michigan—and it is exclusively available in person.
We do not sell Boneyard tile online.
There’s no formal catalog and no online inventory because each Boneyard tile is unique. Every piece has its own variation or flaw. To sell them online, we would need to individually photograph and describe every single tile—which would eliminate the efficiency that allows us to offer them at such steep discounts.
Keeping the Boneyard exclusively in person keeps prices low and the experience authentic.
We’re open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Motawi Boneyard
What are tile seconds?
Tile seconds are handmade ceramic tiles with minor cosmetic variations—such as glaze shifts, color differences, small edge irregularities, or dark spots in the clay body—that prevent them from being sold as first-quality pieces.
- Art tile: 25% or more off retail price. Exact prices vary by tile size.
- Project leftovers (decorative and field): $6 per pound (more than 70% off retail price).
Are Boneyard tiles structurally sound?
In most cases, yes. The majority of Boneyard tiles have cosmetic imperfections only. They are typically suitable for installation or display.
Why can’t I order Boneyard tile online?
Each Boneyard tile is unique, with its own individual variation or flaw. Photographing and cataloging every single piece would require significant time and labor—eliminating the cost savings that make Boneyard pricing possible. For that reason, Boneyard tile is sold exclusively in person at our Ann Arbor studio.
Do you carry discontinued glazes?
Often, yes. Some Boneyard field tiles come from glaze colors that are no longer in production. If you’re looking to match an older installation, it’s always worth stopping by to check.
Are Boneyard sales final?
Yes. All Boneyard purchases are final sale. Because these tiles are discounted seconds, discontinued pieces, or limited quantities, they are not eligible for return or exchange.
If you appreciate handcrafted American tile with a little quirk and a lot of soul—and you don’t mind looking closely for the flaw — the Motawi Boneyard offers something rare: beauty with a story, at a price that makes discovery even sweeter.
When's the best time to come in and search the Boneyard for deals?
We are always adding new stock to the Boneyard, so its inventory looks different from week to week. Follow us on social media for “Boneyard alerts” featuring some of the latest tiles to make their way to the Boneyard.
- Facebook: @MotawiTileworks
- Instagram: @motawi_tileworks
Crawling:
You can see the bare clay underneath the glaze. This happens either when the glaze is too thick, or when a contaminant keeps it from adhering to the bisqueware properly. The glaze sticks to itself instead of to the tile.
Wrong color:
In some cases, there was a glaze color drip or mix-up. (Oops! It can be tough to tell the glazes apart before they are fired in the kiln.) In other cases, a glaze color’s range varies beyond what we consider acceptable for a first-quality tile.
Bleeding:
Glaze colors get out of line (literally), "bleeding" over the Cuenca barrier ridges in the clay.
Color breaking:
Not enough color! The glaze got too thin in spots.
Overrun:
Nothing technically wrong here. We just made too many for another project.