Moroccan style can be one of the trickiest trends to nail: with a lot of busy patterns and different colours, it’s easy to go wrong and overdo it. Here, Nick Acaster, Managing Director at rug retailer Rugs Direct, explains how to stylishly introduce Moroccan interiors into your home.
Embodying bold jewel tones, eclectic patterns and varying textures, true Marrakech style falls in line with the city’s offerings of textiles, jewellery and pottery. It might sound complicated, but focusing on these 5 areas will instantly transform your home into a Moroccan haven:
The paintwork
Moroccans like to reflect the country’s varied landscapes in their décor, so mixing and matching colours is encouraged. Painting the walls in striking blue tones to match the sea gives the walls a pop of colour, while pink and purples will pay tribute to the stunning sunsets Morocco proudly hosts. Introduce dusky colours like brick reds and sandy yellows will transport you straight back to open desert space.
Plush upholstery
Think of a Sultan’s chair: plumped and fluffed to within an inch of its life. Moroccan interiors are characteristically filled to their limit, with comfort at the forefront of their style. With large furniture pieces being the focus of rooms, you can inject an instant Moroccan influence into your home with plush overstuffed ottomans and long sofas. Typically, they are in rich warm-neutral colour palettes and juxtaposed with brighter jewel colours in soft furnishings. The furniture needs to feel as though you could just sink into it, so finish off the look with some slouchy pieces.
Plenty of soft furnishings
Central to the country’s interior style is the comparison to the hustle and bustle of the city of Marrakech. Pillows should be used in abundance, either in a linear colour scheme or by mixing and matching fabrics and patterns. The same can also be said for rugs, which should display busy clashing patterns. The trick is to pick around 3–4 colours and use them in moderation around the room.
Mosaic tiles
Inspired by Romans, mosaics are an important part of Moroccan design. Using brightly coloured tiles to decorate can give any space a unique feel. Stick with vibrant stand-out colours like jades, aquamarines and sapphire blues, against simple white backgrounds to give the room a burst of royal colour that Morocco is so famous for.
Intricate wood tables
Moroccan furniture is laden with high-quality designs and is regularly credited for its stunning craftmanship. Frequently in antique colour schemes like washed-out yellows, brick reds and deep greens, these will emulate the atmosphere of the many traditional teahouses found throughout the country.
