Inspired by a recent trip to Marrakech, I have recently been looking at ways of bringing influences of Moroccan design into interiors back home. Luckily, nowadays you don’t need to scour the souks of the medina to get the coveted Moroccan look (although, of course, it’s great fun if you do), as British designers, suppliers and manufacturers have all recognised that this particular theme is here to stay and so have produced their own Moroccan-inspired fabrics, tiles and home accessories.
Morocco has a thriving rug and carpet trade, and many Berber villagers make their living by weaving textiles, but in local riads you’re far more likely to find terracotta, stone and tiles. It’s perhaps not surprising then that we have begun a love affair with tiles and that there are now more kinds of materials, shapes and colours on offer than ever before.
Fired Earth has a wonderful collection of patterns and one of my favourites is the Encaustic Grau, available in two colours (below) at £224 per square metre. It would work just as well in a small area as it would covering a whole floor, and both the Aubergine and Blue would work with a multitude of interiors. Consider them for a hall floor or in a downstairs bathroom; they are not suitable for use near water or heat but the colours make a wonderful statement.
If you’re going all out, tiling a whole room, such as a bathroom, can look elegant. For a big space, a smaller pattern is easier to work with, and bathrooms in particular benefit from neutral colours. Moroccan-inspired bathrooms are best when there’s minimal fuss and no frills, which is tricky if you’ve got an addiction for lotions and potions, but pairing a pale patterned tile with simple features and fixtures can lend any bathroom a chic Eastern look. At 24 x 24cm, the Palazzo Valentini (below) is bigger than your average tile, but at nearly £50 per tile, that’s no bad thing. The tesserae stone overlay with cemented backing and top polish makes for a wonderful juxtaposition of colours and a perfect pairing of soft shapes.
The Palazzo Valentini tiles will look wonderful in any home; they are soft enough to work in a period house with traditional fittings or antiques but would also be a great choice for those looking for a slightly more contemporary look. Pair with copper, gold and other metallic shades for a wonderfully modern bathroom that still has this Moroccan/Eastern feel to it.
For those who don’t need to tile great areas of their home, smaller accessories can be a great way to lend a home a Moroccan look. Traditional lighting is predominantly a mixture of metal and coloured glass, often with tiny holes or shapes to create wonderfully intricate patterns and shadows. Wall lights, hanging lights and freestanding lanterns are all go-to options for recreating a riad at home. Consider wall lanterns outside or in bathrooms; hanging lanterns look best as a statement light in a kitchen over a dining table and a standing lantern can be placed pretty much anywhere in the house for an instant style twist. Bigger is better when it comes to hanging lights but upright lanterns can be any size and also work well in a collection; think of a small group of small lanterns lit by tea-lights for a subtle evening glow.
The easiest way of incorporating all things Moroccan into your interiors is with soft furnishings. Cushions in particular are so useful for chopping and changing schemes and unlike with tiles or lights it’s a lot easier to use colour – and lots of it. There is a plethora of patterned fabrics out there for those keen on the Moroccan influence, so I’ve picked two of my favourite cushions from Vanderhurd.
The pink medallion wave (above) is a hand-embroidered cushion with a beautiful pattern incorporating blue, pink and green. Furnishings with small pops of bright colour can be more easily matched but a cushion like this with lots of colours would be well placed in several rooms. The second cushion is more vibrant with a pale background and smaller pattern repeat (top); again embroidered by hand, it would make a great decorative cushion for a bed or sofa. The perfect combination of pattern and colour, these coloured textiles would look perfectly at home in a Marrakech souk.
For information, please contact Letty White-Spunner on letty@janechurchillinteriors.co.uk; 020 7730 8564.
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