Our favourite ways that interior designers take inspiration from Morocco
The debt that the design world owes to Morocco and its architectural and design traditions is a vast one. As a place where for centuries cultures have overlapped and exchanged ideas, what we now associate with ‘Moroccan design’ is a rich blend of Arab, Berber and European influences that is nevertheless completely distinctive. The export of Moroccan pieces to British houses accelerated hugely in the middle of the 20th century when the country became a destination for a host of creative (and rich) British and American expats, from Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech to Barbara Hutton in Tangier, and it has only become more of a feature of our interiors in the years since. Recent fashions for Berber rugs, made in a centuries-old style by the tribes of the Atlas Mountains, and traditional zellige tiles mean that Moroccan craft (or imitations of it) are practically ubiquitous, but that doesn't mean they have become any less beautiful. We've gathered ten of our favourite inspiring images of the more accessible elements of Moroccan design, to see how to use it in an interior without falling into pastiche.
Mark Anthony Fox1/10Textiles are perhaps the most usual way in which a flavour of Morocco ends up in an English house, and the marvellous rugs largely made by the country's Berber tribes are always a stylish addition. Antique dealer and interior designer Adam Bray has used an antique Moroccan rug in the kitchen of his Maida Vale flat, covering the cork floor. We're also enchanted by the Moroccan lantern hanging above, made, charmingly, from recycled sardine tins, but imparting a pleasingly bohemian feel.
James McDonald2/10Zellige tiles have been having a serious moment over the last decade, almost to the point where they have become a default option for kitchens, bathrooms and more. While they're available in any number of colours, we rather like when we see them in rich, enveloping hues that suggest the intricate decoration of a Moroccan riad.
In the top-floor bathroom of an Edwardian house updated by Kate Guinness, turquoise zellige tiles from Mosaic Factory provide a shimmering, jewel-like backdrop for a vanity unit painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Brinjal’ and topped with richly veined Calacatta Rosata marble.
Christopher Horwood3/10Francesca Gentilli spends her working life sourcing the best fabrics and textiles from India, Turkey, Morocco, Uzbekistan and beyond, and her own house is the best showcase of her finds. In the sitting room, the rug is a vintage Beni Ourain sourced in Morocco by Francesca – a simple, elegant backdrop for a varied array of other textiles, including Penny Morrison's ‘Tulkan’ on the ottoman.
Paul Massey4/10Hexagonal side tables are a hallmark of Moroccan design and come in many different forms – some painted, some with intricate bone inlays. Their compact size makes them a useful addition to any interior, particularly a living room where you can never have enough surfaces to put a drink on, and they pack plenty of decorative punch as well. In the blue living room of Susan Deliss' house in Burgundy, Moroccan side tables are used throughout – the perfect perches for lamps and bunches of flowers.
Owen Gale5/10Tadelakt, the waterproof plaster finish commonly used in Morocco's hammams, is having a real moment in bathroom design. It has the benefit of being relatively mouldable into curved shapes like arches, but is also extremely durable. This ensuite bathroom in a London house by Honor Devereux has walls in in vibrant green tadelakt, while the soft arch of the shower cubicle itself was also inspired by Moroccan architecture.
Paul Massey6/10There are so many beautiful decorative pieces to be found in Morocco, and we rather love the idea of making a beautiful scene out of them, as Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler's Philip Hooper has done in his Georgian house in Somerset. The landing is painted in a a vibrant blue – Little Greene’s ‘Canton’ – which is a lovely backdrop to a red table designed by Philip for John Stefanidis. Above it, antique Moroccan tooled-leather panels flank a Queen Anne-style mirror, while ceramics brought home from Morocco and other places form a tableau on top.
Francesco Lagnese7/10It's not particularly surprising that a house in Morocco should make the most of beautiful Moroccan design, but we couldn't resist including Veere Grenney's house in Tangier, where there are some seriously beautiful ideas on display. This room makes use of red and white bejmat tiles, which are similar to zellige tiles but slightly thicker and hardier. The fireplace is also fully tiled, which creates a rather opulent look and glimmers wonderfully when the fire is lit. Traditional lanterns hang overhead and inlaid side tables provide places to rest a drink.
Alex James8/10For a more rustic look in a fireplace, we adore this traditional version in the the living room of Trudi Ballard's house near Marrakech. The built-in seating around the chimney, piled high with cushions, is also characteristic of the region.
Christopher Horwood9/10The geometric patterns characteristic of Islamic art are a showstopping form of decoration in artist Natasha Mann's Edwardian house in London. She has made the house into a canvas for her Moroccan-inspired art, painting the ceilings and tops of walls in intricate friezes done in a traditional style.
Paul Massey10/10Moroccan design does not have to be all about colour and strong pattern – the simple monochrome designs of some Berber rugs lend themselves beautifully to more contemporary projects. In the London home of Ochre director Solenne de la Fouchardière, a restrained palette prevails, but a traditional Beni Ourain rug is the perfect way to soften the flagstone floor in the dining room.
