Travel Tales | Moroccan Interior Style

There are so many reasons to visit Morocco. But if you’re a lover of interior decoration, I promise you, for that alone, it’s worth a trip. Think rugs, leather poufs, silver platters, trays, tiles, ceramics, throws and more. There is no doubt that you will leave this magical city with a full suitcase bursting with ideas of how to inject a little bohemian style into your home

I’ve got a few travel tales of places and eats to share with you over time, however I thought I’d start by taking you an interior journey, to show you how they throw that look together so effortlessly.

RIAD STYLE 

Once stately homes of the wealthy, most Riads have been transformed into restaurants or boutique accommodation. They are usually three or four stories with a central courtyard, a tranquil escape from the heat and the hustle and bustle of the busy Medina.

There are loads of accommodation to choose from in Marrakech and after a good search on booking.com and reading the reviews, we decided on Riad Ghali. I’m glad that we did. The location was very central and in the heart of the Medina, meaning that we could walk everywhere. Staying anywhere in the Medina can be a little confusing with the maze of streets and souks, but it didn’t take us long find our way back home to our little oasis. Pascal, a charming Frenchman runs the Riad with the most delightful local staff who go out of their way to make you feel welcome.

Perhaps you might like to borrow some ideas of how to inject some Moroccan flavour into your home from from Riad Ghali?

Walk around each floor and you’re not short of inspiration. From exotic nooks to sit back and relax, to walkways decorated with vintage urns, runners and antique Berber vessels. It’s really about layering. You can see how they do it here with rugs, velvet seating, drapes and lots of details in decorative doors, carvings and lighting. In all, giving off that luxe exotic feel that makes you never want to leave.

There is thought put in to everything. Look down and you’ll find details in even the most simplest of stairways and flooring. Here the natural coloured herringbone tiles have been highlighted with a touch of yellow, just enough to draw your eyes to the finishing touch. Follow the stairs down to the next level and it meets with a new design of tessellated tiles.

One idea that I have bookmarked for the future is the use of a light fabric throw as a curtain. It’s such a simple idea and yet so effective to throw one over a railing above a door or window. This kind of covering wouldn’t work in Scandinavia with our daylight during the summer nights, however something like this would be perfect in the southern hemisphere.

More stunning details below in the traditional Moroccan mosaic drinking fountain. I will touch more on tiles later in the post.

Each Riad has a rooftop where you can sun yourself privately and look over the pink city. We were lucky enough to have our two bedroom accomodation up here all alone – perfect for the children! You can see our door just below. I love the terracotta tones as a backdrop to the plants.

Although we didn’t have the best weather while we were in Marrakech, when the sun did come out, I’d sit out here and role up the sleeves to soak up some vitamin D. This was much needed after moving straight from the New Zealand winter into the very long Swedish winter.

The highlight of our stay in Riad Ghali were the breakfasts. We had our very own table assigned to us while we were there and each morning we’d enjoy pancakes, pastries, fruit, bread and traditional mint tea. I loved the way they presented the jams and honey in small ceramic bowls on a silver tray. I made sure that I didn’t leave Morocco without bringing some home so that I can do the same.

The mornings were also a great time to get to know the lovely staff and receive some tips on what to do and see.

BOUTIQUE HOTEL

While I was in Marrakech, believe it or not but I received a message on Instagram that India and Dooley from Storm & India tea in NZ were there at the same time.

We met for mint tea one early evening at the El Fenn. This boutique hotel is made up of a number of Riads together and they are known for their luxe and uber cool fit-outs with a Moroccan twist. Even if you don’t have the budget to stay in this hotel, it’s worth a visit for a little peek and to enjoy a meal or tea in the restaurant or a drink in the rooftop bar.

I adore the look of the hanging cane lampshades in the tree and could imagine creating a plunge pool something like that in a city terrace courtyard in Sydney.

MOROCCAN TILES

Expect to be amazed at what can be achieved with tiles when you visit Morocco. Or, get a little inspiration from below.

I have been stuck in the world of choosing tiles when we renovated our Sydney apartment. Interestingly we went for zellij tiles in our kitchen splash back. I would do it again, they look gorgeous. Life would have been a lot easier and clearer for me at the time had I come to Morocco prior and created a folder with photo snaps.

There are so many different ways they adorn their spaces, indoor and out, floors, walls and bench tops  with tiles.

The elegant look of tiles against the white stone walls below, the minimalist herringbone statement floor, the overtop clash of designs on the floor and wall, the classic breezy outdoor tile or finally, the outdoor work of art. Which look do you prefer?

Along with all of the above, I made a little collage of some of the tiles that I captured walking around the town.

Stay tuned in the coming month for more Marrakech travel tales. I look forward to sharing with you my recommendations for restaurants, sites, shopping and more.

I hope that you enjoyed and found a little inspiration with this Moroccan interior journey.

Choukran!

Mel x

// DSLR & iPhone Photography by Mel Chesneau | Styled Canvas