The East has always been a mystery to Westerners. Unusual traditions, original architecture, fantastic culture and amazing art. Today, Morocco stands out as being one of the most exciting Eastern countries with its amazing history, customs and traditions.

In this blog article, we’ve decided to show you some cool Moroccan bedrooms or just Morocco-inspired ones. The characteristic features of such bedrooms are the inclusion of Arabian patterns, bright fabrics, fantastic lanterns and gorgeous tribal rugs. There aren't any set rules to create such an Eastern fairy-tale per se, so you can just take a neutral color palette and add lanterns, candle holders, poufs and patterns which are characteristic of Morocco. This will help you transition any dull space to a soothing and welcoming one.

These are some of the gorgeous Moroccan bedrooms we concocted for ya!

Nestled between Europe and Africa, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, Morocco is a country of blending, influenced by the many cultures surrounding it. Acting as a crossroads between the east and west, north and south, Moroccan décor blends styles from France, Portugal and Spain from the northwest, with strong Mediterranean, African, Persian, and Islamic influences from the south and east. This results in a unique and inspirational style specific to Morocco.

A breathtaking traditional Moroccan palace in Marrakesh at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, one of the North African Kingdom’s finest properties, has been listed for sale via an affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate for about $28 million. 

Boasting nearly 50,000 square feet of interior space, the magnificent interior has been designed and furnished with exceptional taste in the colloquial style with every possible luxury and refinement. There are four incredibly spacious bedrooms and four spa-style baths in the main part of the residence. 

The exclusive grandeur of the charismatic Moroccan architecture offers luxurious living spaces. Finished with exquisite craftsmanship, every detail has been done by hand with liberal use of precious marbles, mosaics and stone. Set amidst a magnificent garden with pools, flowing water, fountains and secret passages, it has been situated to guarantee absolute peace and tranquility to its owners. 

Marrakech has long been a fashionable destination for stylish jet setters. The late Yves Saint-Laurent maintained a vacation house there and fellow French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier still does.

The ever-changing interior design trends are in constant demand of a type of rug that can withstand the changes of taste and preference that designers and home owners have. Moroccan carpets and rugs have proven to be just the style of rug that is needed to be versatile enough to be used in various home interior design schemes across the world. With a wide array of colors and styles, it is understandable that these rugs have been some of the most popular on the market for the last century.

Indeed, the amazing versatility of Moroccan rugs is part of what makes them so special. Because of the nature of Morocco's geography and complex history, many different groups of people in Morocco have created rugs and carpets that fall under the umbrella term "Moroccan rugs," but many of these pieces are as different from one another as can be. Thus, there is a large amount of styles and weaves of Moroccan rugs on the market today, meaning that there is a piece for almost every taste and style.

Most rugs from Morocco are hand crafted by skilled weavers who have been crafting these masterpieces through the generations. Rug crafting and techniques are often passed down through families and have been used for many years. Moroccan carpets range from the rich and deep color patterns to the very pastel and minimalist.

If you have been looking for the perfect way to accentuate the design of your home, Moroccan carpets are a fabulous choice. They work well in just about any room of the home and are considerably less expensive than most other types of rugs in today's mark - making them attainable and appreciated by people from all walks of life.

Our latest Custom made Moroccan collection can be found on our Pinterest board here.

Moroccan lanterns, Moroccan lighting, Moroccan exotic, Moroccan lamps, Moroccan sconces, Moroccan pendants, Moroccan chandeliers, Moroccan luxury, Moroccan furniture, Moroccan design, Moroccan handmade rugs, Moroccan carpets.

Home is where the heart is but is your home missing something? Maybe what your home really needs is a little design here and there and something really classic to enhance the entire décor. If your home has the same lighting, bulbs and candle stands then how is it really different from any other home? Did you know that natural light is more relaxing than the artificial luminescence? If you didn’t know this then this is the best time to bring some change. Add some magic into your home and brighten up the décor using some of the oldest methods of lighting – bring home the Moroccan Lanterns!

You are probably wondering how a lantern can change the ambience of your home. A lantern will provide a rustic look to your home. You can hang it anywhere but will look great in your living room as well as on the garden porch. Imagine having a dinner on the porch brightened by the subtle magnificence of the Moroccan Lantern. You need to experience it to feel the impact!

Let’s take a look at Moroccan lanterns and why they are preferred to ordinary lanterns. Moroccan lighting has been a unique home decoration concept for a long time and there are reasons for the same. Moroccan décor is not something that you will find easily in US homes as it doesn’t have a deep reach. If you find a home with Moroccan décor then be rest assured that either they have traveled to Morocco to find it or they have found it through specialists like us. Moroccan Decor is rare but its uniqueness comes from the fact that it has influences of Moroccan history, culture and art. Moroccan lighting is also a part of the same influence and brings with it the geometric forms, vivid colors, and exotic designs, which have long been the symbol of Moroccan decor.

One of the exotic Moroccan lanterns also known as the henna lamps is made from stretched goat skin and is decorated with exquisite designs. The designs are all hand painted and based on traditional henna designs. Some of the designs are also dyed with paprika or saffron based dyes and is the ultimate decoration piece for your living room. It will add an earthy touch and bring in the rustic feel to your living room or any where in your house where place it. The henna sconce is also used without lighting but these are meant to be stand alone decorative wall pieces. 

Another Moroccan decoration that you can try is the stained glass lamp that comes with carved motives and definitely makes a bolder statement as far as designing your interiors is concerned. The Stained glass lamps are one of its kinds and will add spice to the overall interior decoration of your house. Moroccan lamps are also known as Moroccan lanterns and can be added to an existing wrought iron chandelier to bring a warmth and delightfully appealing freshness to your home. 

With Moroccan lighting, you can get your true creative spirit working to recreate a truly exotic Moroccan oasis.

Using Moroccan lighting

You can try and use various types of wattage to get different looks in terms of design and brightness. You can also experiment a little and use a candle especially if you are using the Moroccan lantern in a small space. While using henna lamps or henna wall sconces, you can try a low wattage to get the right ambience – it will provide a very romantic feel. 

Moroccan lighting: Maintenance Tips 

When it comes to the maintenance of Moroccan lighting then you can feel good about the fact that the maintenance cost is as good as zero. Another salient point is that unlike tubes and bulbs or even candles, the Moroccan lanterns can last for almost a lifetime. The only maintenance required involves lubrication of the side door hinges. This lubrication can be done once in a while or during the rainy season. If you choose the henna lamps or the henna wall sconce then they don’t require any maintenance at all.

Moroccan lanterns, Moroccan luxury lanterns, Moroccan lighting, Moroccan exotic, Moroccan lamps, Moroccan decor, Moroccan sconces, Moroccan pendants, Moroccan chandeliers, Moroccan luxury, Moroccan furniture, Moroccan design, Moroccan rugs.

There is a craze underfoot. Crack open any shelter magazine or visit nearly any decorating blog and you will be overwhelmed with images of stylish rooms that are anchored by a singular shared object: the Moroccan rug.

Take, for example, the resuscitated Domino magazine. In it, just about every featured room proudly boasts one of these shaggy geometric patterned rugs — it’s as if they are a prerequisite for publication. But what is it that makes these floor coverings suddenly seem as ubiquitous as sisal?

 To be clear, the Moroccan rug designs of which I speak are from the Beni Ouarain people, who comprise 17 Berber tribes from the Atlas Mountains. These rugs have distinctive designs, which range from ordered geometric shapes to more free-form, expressive patterns. They almost always are in a neutral palette (usually they have an ivory background with brown or black geometric lines), and they have a shaggy pile. Never intended to be decorative objects, the rugs were originally woven for practical purposes: It is cold in the mountains, so they were used for blankets, shawls and bedcovers.

Traditionally these Moroccan rugs are no wider than seven feet. You will never find a vintage piece that is wider. This is because the Beni Ouarain are nomadic, so no loom could be too large to carry from place to place. And lastly, women who had no formal training traditionally made these rugs, just like the American quilt. James French, a director of Beauvais Carpets in New York , points out that traditional Beni Ouarain tribal designs were woven from memory, not patterns, so they have an appealing “quirkiness.”

This quirkiness is exactly what makes these rugs appealing to interior designers. “They give a room, particularly a cold modern room, warmth and patina as well as a dose of ethnicity,” says Timothy Whealon of Timothy Whealon Interiors in New York. The converse is also true: The idiosyncratic patterns of Beni Ouarain designs give more traditional rooms a much-needed shot of modernity. It is because of this versatility that Whealon, like other decorators, has used them for years. And despite their recent omnipresence, he says he will continue to use them. “I don’t see them as trendy; I see them as timeless.”

He couldn’t be more right. Whealon, like many of us, is following a long line of designers and tastemakers who have had a love fest with these rugs. “In Paris in the 1920s and 1930s, designers used Moroccan rugs for their inherent sense of modernity and ethnographic qualities,” Ffrench says. A couple decades later, mid-century modernists, such as Le Corbusier and Charles and Ray Eames, were known to use the same fluffy piled rugs as a counterpoint to their sleekly designed furniture. In 1972, Billy Baldwin chose a room with a diamond-patterned Beni Ourain rug for the cover of his book “Billy Baldwin Decorates,” which illustrates his masterful ability to bridge style and comfort.

Although it has been a staple in the haute decorating world for almost a century, the Moroccan rug filtered into the mainstream only in the past 10 years, thanks in part to magazines such as the original Domino, whose editors drew attention to the rugs with their signature arrows and simulated handwriting typeface that said things like “try this neutral Moroccan rug as an alternative to sisal.”

Companies caught on. Although vintage pieces are still available on the market, they are too long and narrow for many spaces. At MyCraftWork, LLC we offer new authentic off-the-rack and custom Beni Ouarain sizes.

Please beware of Chinese, Indian and Turkish immitations. If the price is "too good to be true", it means that the rug is certainly not an authentic Beni Ouarain!

MyCraftWork, LLC teamed up with the Antoine Proulx Luxury Galerie in Scottsdale Arizona to showcase some very unique Luxury Moroccan Decor elements. If you live in the area, please stop by the Galerie!

The following are a few shots taken at the Galerie;

Here's a compilation of our beautiful luxury Moroccan ceramics at several client venues. Whether it's for corporate events, holiday parties or just plain personal gift shopping, we do it all! We can also customize gifts upon request.

Our Egg Shaped Luxury Vase at a client's home in Germany

Closeup picture of our gorgeous Egg Shaped Vase in Germany.

Our corporate luxury Moroccan ceramics line, customized for a large bank in Morocco.

Coporate luxury ceramics gifts. Our beautiful Moroccan candle holders customized for a very famous fashion firm!

Our luxury Moroccan coupe getting boxed up before shipment to Italy!

Our gorgeous Ceramic tefors and assiettes getting boxed up for a law firm in London!

Another luxury Moroccan ceramics law firm order, but this tme it's headed to Switzerland!

Save the best for last! A full luxury Moroccan ceramics Christmas table service for a French client in Paris.

In the historic area encompassing the modern nation of Morocco, rugs have been produced for over a thousand years. These rugs may have a heavy pile useful for the snow capped Atlas Mountains, or they can be lightweight to suit the hot climate of the Sahara desert. These rugs were not always used solely underfoot. The nomadic Moroccans and Berbers tribes used these pile, knotted, and flat-woven carpets as bed coverings and sleeping mats, as well as for self-adornment, burial shrouds and interior decoration and some of these rugs were also used for more practical purposes such as saddle blankets.

The High Atlas region stretches across Morocco and is home to weavers who create beautiful flat-woven kilims that are characterized by lattice work, bands of thick pile and reversibility. The designs are traditional and ancient, passed down from weaver to weaver. Elsewhere in Morocco, most major cities have a unique style or design characteristic that distinguishes their carpets. Perhaps the most important carpet-producing city in Morocco is the former capital -- Fes. Fes reached its golden age during the Marinid Dynasty of the thirteenth century.  At that point, the city was home to over one hundred dye workers and thousands of artisan embroidery studios located in the city's medina.  The coastal capital -- Rabat -- is famous for carpets woven with floral and diamond-shaped elements, and a fairly bare field.

These rugs experienced a growth in popularity in the west with mid-century modern designers--such as Le Corbusier--who paired the thick piled Berber rugs with their sleekly designed furniture.  Many of these Berber carpets are woven by the Beni Ourain peoples from the Rif Mountains near Taza.  Colors vary from neutral shades to popping hues, with designs ranging from ordered geometric shapes to a more free-form, expressive pattern.  Part of the appeal to the modernists was the primitivism in the carpets.  Unlike the traditional antique oriental rugs found in western interior decoration, there is little elegance about these rugs, yet they fit wonderfully with modernist décor. Vintage and antique Moroccan rugs are fairly popular today for their decorative flexibility and reasonable pricing as compared to other styles of antique rugs.

The most famous of the Moroccan Amazigh (Berber) carpets are those of the Beni Ouarain, a collection of seventeen Amazigh tribes.  Now their unique corner of the carpet market is under threat from cheap Chinese, Turkish Indian and Egyptian copies.

Located in the Middle Atlas, the nomadic Beni Ouarain probably began to settle south and southeast of the range of mountains known as Jebel Bouiblane around the 9th century AD, but it is suspected that the flat weaving tradition they brought with them is considerably older. Genuine Beni Ouarain carpets are much sought after and the demand for them has fuelled imitations.

Vintage Moroccan Beni Ouarain in a Moroccan Riad.

According to respected Moroccan carpet experts, the Chinese machine made copies are produced in their hundreds and can be sold for a fraction of the price of an original piece.
The sale of fake Beni Ouarain rugs has reached a point where some web sites are using the name Beni Ouarain as if it were simply a style of carpet, no matter where it was made.

The Beni Ouarain Wool Pile

Gebhart Blazek is a specialized dealer in Moroccan carpets and textiles and one of the few who has done the extensive research. He spent more than 18 months in field-research projects in Northern Africa since 1992 and is a constant contributor to international conferences and specialized publications. Gebhart Blazek agrees with our Fez rug expert about the functionality of the rugs as a method of protection; "The loose structure of the rugs adjusts to the shape of the body and offers effective protection against the cold."

It might seem surprising that in addition to rugs which, in their archaic character, suggest the origins of the pile weaving tradition itself, the Beni Ouarain also produced sophisticated flatweaves. The structure of their pile rugs is based on function — the number of wefts and the high pile being essential for good insulation — and design possibilities are therefore limited. But by contrast, Beni Ouarain weavers were able to display all their technical skill in the making of women's flatwoven shawls, some of the finest and technically most demanding of Moroccan textiles. As none of the other tribes appear to have produced flatweaves of such complexity, it seems reasonable to assume that the Beni Ouarain played a central role in the textile development of the Middle Atlas nomads, and that their work may even be linked to a far more ancient tradition.- Gebhart Blazek

Moroccan vintage Handira from the 1900's.

There are three distinct types of shawls or coats (arab.: handira), whose names correspond to a particular technique and design density. The finest, known as tabrdouhte, are worn only on special occasions. They are like a pattern book, with up to seventy closely packed decorative rows in a sophisticated weft-wrapping technique, made not only from wool, but also from cotton and - more important - from linen. - Gebhart Blazek

Modern Moroccan Handira with beautiful patterns

One of the main reasons for the difference between the Beni Ouarain rugs and other Moroccan Amazigh styles is geographical isolation. Because of their remote location, the Beni Ouarain were not influenced by the Arabic designs common to other tribes until the 20th century. Blazek says, "It is therefore not surprising that formal similarities of design and palette are to be found not in the urban rugs of the Maghreb, but rather in rural ceramics, which have retained an archaic decorative system of black lines on a white base, as well as production methods unchanged since Neolithic times."

The classic Beni Ouarain carpet design has a network of diamonds made up of relatively fine black lines on a white (or cream) ground. Borders are uncommon, and even the secondary guard design elements along the sides appear to be the result of external influences.

Typical Modern Beni Ouarain featured in AD Magazine

One recent internet article quotes Elizabeth Mayhew, the design consultant for the American Today Show saying that currently, "very few new carpet style Beni Ourain are made ​​in Morocco”. This would be news to the Moroccan Beni Ouarain weavers who work hard at producing their masterpieces. Unfortunately the demand is high and insufficient and expensive original pieces are causing decoration companies to turn to China and Egypt.

Back in Fez, Morocco, our rug expert says he has yet to see a Chinese or Egyptian copy of a Beni Ouarain, but he has seen significant numbers of other tribal designs coming from a new source - Spain. "Again, they are all machine made," he says.

So what should you pay for a genuine Beni Ouarain?

If you are buying in the United States, prices can easily range between $5,000 and $8,000 for a rug of around 50 years old.  That is between 41,800 and 67,000 dirhams. Older (eighty to one hundred year old) rugs can fetch as much as $25,000 dollars (more than 209,000 dirhams) each.
New custom made pieces such as the ones we make at MyCraftWork, LLC can range between 3,000 and 7,000 depending on size, motifs and materials used.

Whether you seek inspiration for a Moroccan-style interiors project, or are simply hunting for that one-off Moroccan gift item, MyCraftWork, LLC can supply the expertise and products that you need.

With over 7 years experience in the field of Moroccan design and our unparalleled access to skilled craftsmen, MyCraftWork specializes in the undertaking of both private and commercial commissions. Our projects include contemporary and traditional Moroccan themes for homes, gardens, hotels, restaurants and bars in the US and internationally. 

Having our own workshops in Morocco, and employing skilled craftsmen, allows us to undertake bespoke projects on almost any scale. Whether you are looking to commission a single piece or to refurbish an entire restaurant, MyCraftWork, LLCs has the resources to undertake your project.

In addition to our famous collection of handmade Moroccan lighting, we also offer a wide range of Moroccan interior accessories and gift items, both vintage and custom. Examples of our areas of expertise include: custom made Moroccan tribal rugs (Beni Ouarain and other types), luxury Moroccan ceramics, 'Moucharabia' and cedarwood screenwork, hand-crafted plasterwork ('gebs') wall panels, Moroccan relaxation rooms with low seating, Moroccan tables and textiles, and even Moroccan tiled 'hammams' bathrooms and garden spaces with tiled fountains and floors and 'tadelakt' (pigmented polished plaster) walls.

MyCraftWork, LLC also specialises in one-off bespoke pieces of Moroccan furniture, handmade to our customers' individual requirements - from luxury lanterns and tribal rugs to handmade Moroccan tables and upholestry. All of our furniture is hand-crafted by our skilled Moroccan artisans from sustainable source materials, with a turnaround time that is often quicker than having pieces made in the US.

Combining the highly diverse skills of traditional Moroccan craftsmanship with the country's rich natural resources, MyCraftWork, LLC creates and sources a continuously evolving range of high end Moroccan art.

Please get in touch with us for a quote, and we will be glad to assist you!

Luxury Moroccan Riads

A mixture of sensuous luxury and aesthetic simplicity, the historic Moroccan city of Marrakech attracts a fashionable crowd of winter sun seekers. The dusky, pink-walled Medina, the 'old city', boasts a greater density of chic boutique lodgings than possibly anywhere else in the world and the multitude of emporia will keep shopaholics busy for days. Even non-shoppers will be amazed by the colour, diversity and vibrancy surrounding the souks. In short, fabulous nightclubs, new-wave riads and radical new Moroccan food make this the coolest place to be. This begs the question: Where to stay?

Riad Lotus Privilege

This fantastically glitzy Moroccan hotel is down an improbably dark lane in the northern part of the medina. As with most riads, the street front is modest, which makes the courtyard seem all the more astonishing. Set against a pure white wall, two tall obelisks clad in mirrors stand sentry beside a pool in the centre of a black-and-beige marble floor. To either side are cream sofas, and a row of orange trees screens off the dining and sitting rooms. The Moroccan decor is a fusion of contemporary chic and oriental. Part of the style-conscious Lotus group, the hotel was designed by Antoine Van Doorne with his trademark edgy glamour. The extravagance continues in the five bedrooms, spacious hammam and on the bamboo-lined roof terrace. The three suites and two double bedrooms are huge and are decorated in strong colours. All have Bang & Olufsen sound systems and DVD-players. The bathrooms have plenty of Moroccan marble and mirrors.

Royal Mansour

Tucked within the Marrakesh city walls, across the road from the Luxurious La Mamounia, the 3.5-hectare site has been contrived as a sort of medina-within-the-medina, an estate of 53 two-storey riads, each individually decorated and serviced via a network of subterranean tunnels. In addition to at least one bedroom, a sitting room and a patio, many of the riads have dining rooms, for those who decline to dine in the three restaurants. La Grande Table Française, already held to be the best French restaurant in Africa, the only marginally less fancy Grande Table Marocaine and the all-day-dining La Table are overseen by chef Yannick Alléno (from the three-Michelin-star restaurant at Le Meurice in Paris).

Dar Seven

With imposing candlesticks, cream drapes and crystal glasses, all is grand and comfortable in this dreamy haven with four bedrooms in the north of the medina. Dar Seven is owned by Princess Letizia Ruspoli, whose super-luxurious Residenza Napoleone III apartment is one of the ultimate places to stay in Rome. She designed the Marrakech property as a holiday home for her own family, and you can rent one or all of the four rooms when they are not in residence. This Moroccan riad is decorated in tranquil whites, creams and browns, the sitting room lined with antique black-and-white prints of Turkish pashas and the courtyard doorways hung with old, lined doors. The staff of three serve breakfast and other meals either downstairs or on the roof terrace, which is fringed with agaves and banana trees. They will also book restaurants and visits to nearby hammams or organise in-house treatments.

Angsana Riads Collection Morocco

Angsana's six Marrakshi properties are all built around a central courtyard, with just a handful of rooms and lovely roof terraces. Five are clustered in the Medina near Bahia Palace, while the sixth is 10 minutes' walk away in the Kasbah. You'd be hard pushed to choose a favourite: each is romantic and delightful in its own way and, best of all, guests can use the facilities of any in the collection. The all-suite 19th-century Riad Si Said stands out for its opulent Moroccan decor and large pool; Riad Lydines has a sleek, more modern feel and the suite has a private rooftop hot tub; Riad Tiwaline is one of the most atmospheric with a dark-wood decked courtyard. There's no space for full-blown facilities, but each riad has a treatment room and a hammam where Thai staff deliver exquisite massages.

In the historic area encompassing the modern nation of Morocco, the tradition of rug-making is just about as old as it is anywhere in the world. The early adoption of rug-making by native Moroccans is certainly due in large part to the distinctive climate of the region: Moroccan rugs may be very thick with a heavy pile, making them useful for the snow capped Atlas Mountains; or they may be flat woven and light as to suit the hot climate of the Sahara desert. The nomadic Moroccans and Berber tribes used these pile, knotted, and flat-woven carpets as bed coverings and sleeping mats, as well as for self-adornment, and burial shrouds. Some of these rugs were also used for as saddle blankets. The designs that most frequently appear in Moroccan rugs are traditional and ancient, passed down from weaver to weaver.

Elsewhere in Morocco, most major cities have a unique style or design characteristic that distinguishes their carpets. Perhaps the most important carpet-producing city in Morocco is the long time Moroccan capital, Fes. Fes reached its golden age during the Marinid Dynasty of the thirteenth century. At that point, the city was home to over one hundred dye workers and thousands of artisan embroidery studios located in the city's medina. The coastal capital, Rabat, is famous for carpets woven with floral and diamond-shaped elements, and a fairly bare field.

The tonality of this rug is typical of tribal Moroccan weaves.

Moroccan rugs experienced a growth in popularity in the West with mid-century modern designers – such as Le Corbusier – who paired the thick piled Berber rugs with their sleekly designed furniture. Many of these Berber carpets are woven by the Beni Ourain peoples from the Rif Mountains near Taza. Colors vary from neutral shades to popping hues, with designs ranging from ordered geometric shapes to a more free-form, expressive pattern. Part of the appeal to the modernists was the primitivism in the carpets. Unlike the traditional antique Oriental rugs found in Western interior decoration, there is little elegance about these rugs, yet they fit wonderfully with modernist décor. Vintage and antique Moroccan rugs are fairly popular today for their decorative flexibility and reasonable pricing as compared to other styles of antique rugs.

This colorful rug showcases the proclivity of Moroccan weavers to utilize bright hues.

People who holiday in Morocco typically buy a bold Berber carpet or the colorful leather slippers known asbabouches. When art dealer Dorothea McKenna Elkon first traveled to the storied port of Essaouira, almost a dozen years ago, the New Yorker acquired a much more impressive souvenir: a crumbling 18th-century riad,or courtyard house, impulsively purchased several days after she landed.

“It was a coup de foudre,” says the owner and president of the Elkon Gallery, an Upper East Side fixture established in 1961 by her first husband, the late Robert Elkon. “I was astounded by the old stone arches surrounding the courtyard, but the rest of the place was in total disrepair.” Overlooking a slender alley in the densely packed medina, or walled heart, of this city of around 70,000, the three-level masonry structure was so decrepit that the upper floors would have to be demolished and rebuilt. Elkon was undaunted, having been bewitched by Essaouira’s wave-splashed ramparts and its languorous pace.

“A friend had told me Essaouira was one of the most beautiful places in Morocco,” she recalls. “A fishing town with white houses and blue doors.” What she discovered upon arrival was a spot largely unchanged since its founding in the 1760s. The city center, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has remained blissfully free of the package-tour hubbub that plagues other popular destinations in Morocco. And yet Essaouira was an easy flight from Paris, where the dealer keeps an apartment.

It was back in the French capital that Elkon’s ambitions for her new getaway came into focus. At a dinner party not long after her North African vacation, she met a dashing designer named Salem Grassi; the two got to talking, and she learned he was heading to Morocco the following week. “So I suggested he go to Essaouira to see my riad,” she says. Off he went, returning full of ideas. She quickly hired him to oversee the renovation; within two years the job was complete, and Grassi had plighted his troth. These days the couple, now married, spends nearly two months a year in the house that brought them together.

Their approach to the project was simple. Grassi would be the man on the ground, while Elkon would visit as often as she could. In preparation for taking the riad from shambles to chic, the designer toured mosques and palaces in Morocco and Spain and, through contacts made on those journeys, tracked down accomplished painters, tile setters, and wood- and stone-carvers. The structure they had to work with conformed to the riad ideal: narrow, high-ceilinged rooms arranged around a central courtyard and accessed by galleries. Even with all that expertise at the ready, however, challenges abounded. “Moroccan artisans are great when it comes to techniques,” explains Grassi, who was born in Algeria and raised in Italy and France. “But none of them can read blueprints, so you draw a design on a wall and go from there.”

Since the only outstanding features were the ones Elkon first fell in love with—the ground floor’s stout columns and horseshoe arches—the renovation gave the couple an opportunity to dress the otherwise understated house in grander garb. Books about Islamic decorative traditions came in handy, notably Arabesques, Jean-Marc Castéra’s magisterial 1996 study of the geometric patterns found throughout the Arab world. Polychrome tilework called zellige appears on the riad’s new wall fountains and wainscots, while wood balustrades reminiscent of mashrabiya screens outline the galleries like yards of golden lace. Most astonishing are the coffered wood ceilings, which were constructed on-site, often painted with abstract floral designs, and hoisted into position.

The pair collaborated on furnishing the house. With the eye of the fashion editor she once was—she worked at Vogue under Diana Vreeland—Elkon juxtaposed tailored contemporary objects, some designed by Grassi, with lush antiques such as a Spanish Baroque mirror picked up in Madrid. Because England, France, and Spain had major presences in Morocco for centuries, she notes, “Salem and I thought a mixture of pieces from those countries would be appropriate.”

Today the riad, dubbed Dar Maktoub (House of Destiny), is pasha-perfect—a five-bedroom, six-bath urban mansion. Breakfasts and lunches are taken in a fanciful mahogany pavilion on the roof, with views of island-studded Mogador Bay and the Atlantic. Dinners are often held in the courtyard, now paved with Portuguese marble and protected from rain and windblown sand by a glass skylight. After meals, houseguests can retire to the ground-floor salon or to their bedrooms above; a tiled hammam, or steam room, is located off the third-floor master suite.

To some, the house’s splendor is startling, given the extreme modesty of its façade. Yet both are hallmarks of Moroccan style. Even when riads are palatial, “they don’t provide a lot of information from the outside,” Grassi explains. “The front door is usually very insignificant—but then you push it open to find so much beauty.”

When decorating, it is important to note that home lighting is an integral part of your home decor. Too dim lighting can dull even the nicest interiors whereas lighting that is too bright can make your interiors look too loud. Conversely, great lighting pulls your home interior together.

Indoor and outdoor lighting are as decorative as paintings and vases. If you want a cozy and comfortable atmosphere, the ambient lights of Moroccan home lighting will do that for you. 

Home Lighting Moroccan Style

Moroccan lanterns provide home lighting that makes an already richly decorated room vibrant and warm at the same time. For rooms that are sparse on decoration, a lantern or two can provide a look that distinguishes your room and gives the appearance of much more decor than there actually is. The larger lantern designs provide a warm welcome to guests when you add them to your patio or porch. 

Moroccan star lamps may be hung up virtually anywhere and everywhere. A spectacle for the eyes, these lights have myriads of points and light up like the stars in the sky. They can be hung all over a ceiling at various heights for added effect or be hung as one or a pair in a strategic place. Moroccan star lamps are increasingly being seen in commercial settings as well as in private homes. Adding a Moroccan lamp to a vaulted ceiling in front of a high window in the front of your home makes for a stunning entrance. 

Wall sconces are instantly impressive with their colored glass and warm lighting. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes. They look great whether you purchase several of the same color and style or choose to have several in a rainbow of colors. Many of these are made to match with lamps. When shopping for wall sconces, look for sets of Moroccan lighting if you wish to keep to the same color families. 

Small to medium Moroccan lamps look elegant when placed on desks or on tables. Floor lamps can be purchased to match up with these or other types of home lighting. Moroccan floor lamps vary in shape and size from tall pyramid shapes to lamps that curve, catching the eye and adding a whole new dimension to your home decor. They may also be rounded or come in a more conventional shape with beaded lampshades bringing something unique to even typical decoration.

For an extra eclectic look, purchase different styles of Moroccan lamps and lanterns and place them all around a room. A curvy floor lamp, two or three sconces and a couple of lanterns combined with Moroccan style paint on the walls, earth-colored tile on the floors and mosaic tables, are perfect for giving living areas sophisticated pizazz. 

Decorative outdoor lighting for your porch or patio may include an exciting combination of large and small Moroccan lanterns as well as Moroccan wall sconces. Whether you choose round, half moon, pyramids, curves or star-shaped Moroccan lighting, your home is sure to stand out with class and panache. Moroccan lighting is as versatile as it is beautiful. The accents of lanterns and sconces containing bulbs or candles are perfect for a romantic evening.

Residential Lighting Magazine featured our beautiful Luxury Malik Moroccan Pendant in their May-June 2014 issue! You can find this entire issue online here.

I've always been obssessed with Moroccan rugs, especially the vintage ones. I’m especially in love with bright and cheerful boucherouite Moroccan rugs (freeform “rag rugs”) with their crazy patterns, happy colors, and funky, imperfect edges. They’re the perfect way to add some vibrant color, warmth, and texture to a neutral room. If you already have a lot of color in your home or if you’re more of a minimalist type, a black and white Beni Ouarain rug would also be beautiful. 

Let’s take a look at some drool-worthy Moroccan rugs, shall we?

I think these Moroccan rugs are perfect for a bohemian look. They’re so much more interesting and fun than the standard rugs you usually see at the big-box retailers. And of course, each one is unique!

Now let’s look at some pretty black and white ones. These Beni Ouarain rugs are handwoven in Morocco and typically feature a black diamond pattern woven into a cream background. I love how detailed they are, though--there’s so much more going on than just a simple diamond pattern. Absolutely beautiful!

At MyCraftWork LLC, we have custom made over 100 Beni Ouarain rugs in the last 3 years, and we have donated over 25% of our profits to our amazing Moroccan artisans. If you would like to hear about some of our artisan success stories, let us know! Thank you.