Moroccan interior design is renowned for its vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and rich textures, drawing inspiration from a blend of African, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cultures. It’s characterized by its luxurious and exotic atmosphere, creating a warm and inviting environment that is both exotic and elegant, reflecting the country's rich cultural heritage and love of craftsmanship.
In the affluent days of Moorish rule, Moroccan style was shaped by various influences including Mediterranean, Arabic and African aesthetics. The designs are noted for their geometric intricacy and brilliant colours. Renowned architect Hassan Fathy is often venerated for his contributions to bringing the allure of Moroccan designs to the global stage.
Moroccan interior design draws inspiration from the rich cultural tapestry of North Africa, blending vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and sumptuous textures. Moroccan design is marked by an abundance of color, texture, and pattern, making it an ideal canvas for personalization.
If you are drawn to homes that reflect a sense of culture, travel and curation, bohemian décor can be the perfect interior design direction. Bohemian styles offer a more casual and relaxed space, giving you the freedom to create an eclectic visual feast for the eyes. When it comes to bohemian interior design, it’s no surprise that Moroccan décor is a popular choice.
Morocco is a beautiful and romantic country full of diversity. A mixture of cultural inputs from Arab culture, Persia, Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa makes Moroccan interior design and architecture wonderfully exotic, dramatic, and multifaceted.
Read also: The Allure of Blue and White Tile
Often, Moroccan interiors are all about delighting the senses. In case you’re curious about some of the hallmarks of Moroccan room decor, here is a mini design lesson for you.
Key Elements of Moroccan Interior Design
1. Color Palette
Colors in Moroccan interiors are typically bold and bright, with a focus on jewel tones like deep reds, blues, and greens. There is a lot of black and cream. Muted shades like beige and brown may also be used as a backdrop for more vibrant accents.
Today's next generation of Moroccan designers are combining the rich craft heritage with an understanding of modern design & technology, along with an openness to reference points beyond Morocco's borders. Now a new type of product is emerging & we are excited for the future!
The colour palette used in Moroccan architecture and design is a harmonious combination of delicate pastels with vibrant bold colours, balanced with soothing neutrals.
Moroccan design incorporates bold colors, such as fuchsia, royal blue, deep purple, and vibrant red, with the soothing neutral colors of the desert, such as sand, taupe, beige, and shades of white. Bold accent walls are common in this design style.
Read also: Morocco's Blue Pearl
More contemporary designs focus on neutral colours inspired by North African landscapes, such as sand, taupe, beige, and shades of white. Bold, vibrant colours, such as fuchsia, purple, vibrant red, and royal blue, are used in more traditional interpretations.
For a Moroccan style bedroom, a color palette of warm shades like earthy browns, burnt oranges, or rich reds can create a soothing and welcoming atmosphere. These can be complemented with cool accents in shades of blue and green for a balanced room design.
Moroccan decoration is synonymous with vivid colors like gold, silver, royal blue, red, and orange. However, neutral shades like beige, white, and tan are also commonly used as base colors in a Moroccan room design to create an inviting and warm ambiance.
Image credit: Pinterest
2. Textiles
Moroccan interiors are often decorated with colorful textiles like rugs, curtains, and cushions. These textiles feature bold geometric, floral, or calligraphy patterns and are often made from wool or cotton.
Read also: Men's Moroccan Fashion
Textiles in Moroccan interior design drape & flow. Silks, gauze-like fabrics, & drapery sheers are commonly used to divide rooms, to frame windows & to throw across furniture. Textiles are also important as floor coverings, often seen in woven kilim rugs.
Layering fabrics such as cushions, rugs, throws and pouffes creates a cosy and laid-back vibe that makes you want to kick off your shoes and relax.
Rich fabrics with vibrant colors and patterns are pivotal to the Moroccan design aesthetic. Consider rugs with traditional geometric designs, plush floor cushions, and opulent drapes.
A mixture of fabrics are used throughout Moroccan decor to create textures and layers within the design. Soft and tactile silks and light fabrics are perfect for achieving the sumptuous, relaxed comfort synonymous with Moroccan style. Silks and chenille fabrics are draped on furniture or used to divide rooms and frame windows. Textiles also dress the floors of Moroccan homes.
Traditionally used for prayer, Kilim rugs have become popular in Western interpretations of Morrocan interiors. The fabrics chosen are typically luxurious, bold and rich in colour.
3. Patterns
Patterns are often intricate and geometric, with motifs like stars, diamonds, and quatrefoils commonly used in tiles, textiles, and furniture. Zellij is a standard decorative pattern that can be found on tiles and is very geometric, resembling stars and arrows. Such patterns may be combined with rich textures like woven rugs, embroidered textiles, and carved wood. Patterns fall into three core categories for the most part - florals, geometrics, and calligraphy.
Some of the readily recognized features of Moroccan design include Islamic geometric patterns, vivid colors, and zillij tiles.
Image credit: Pinterest
4. Zellij Tiles
Zillij tiles are terra cotta tile-work of enamel chips set in plaster to create mosaic geometric shapes.
Zillij tiles are a visual language composed of shapes, patterns & colours. Morocco has some of the last traditional workshops devoted to the preservation & production of zillij, the living craft of hand-cut glazed mosaic tile developed in Andalusia in the twelfth century.
Zellij is a centuries-old style of Islamic Mosaic artwork and one of the main characteristics of Moroccan architecture, adorning many public buildings, historic sites, and homes across Morocco. Although inspired by Roman Mosaics, Zellij originated from Muslim artists. Because of their faith, the artwork avoids depictions of living creatures. The restriction forced architects and artists to become creative, producing spatial, abstract designs that were delicate, intricate, and complex.
The Zellij style of mosaic tilework is made from hand-chiselled tile pieces set into a plaster base. The tiles are placed to form repetitive and elaborate geometric motifs and radiating star patterns. Over the centuries, the tile-making process has become more refined, and the thinner tiles allow artists to create more intricate and complicated patterns. There are many examples of Zellij mosaics throughout North Africa and parts of the Western Mediterranean, and one of our favourites is Le Jardin, tucked away in the medina of Marrakech. The restaurant is internationally known for its iconic green Zellij, which creates an exotic and calming oasis.
Introduce Moroccan tiles as a backsplash or for your flooring.
Image credit: Pinterest
5. Carved Woodwork
You can find intricate carved woodwork, including furniture, screens, and decorative details like doorways and window frames.Furniture is often ornate and intricate, with details like carved wood, inlaid metal, and brightly colored fabrics.
Carving is traditional craft and the most amazing carved details are found in Moroccan design aesthetics, with beautiful arabesque & Islamic geometric patterns.
6. Lighting
Moroccan Candle Lanterns: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing and Using Them
Lighting is an important part of Moroccan design, and traditional lanterns and lamps are often used to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. The use of reflective surfaces and metallic elements can further enhance natural and artificial light and add to the overall interior design.
Moroccan interiors often utilize warm, diffused lighting to create a cozy and intimate atmosphere. Consider using pendant lamps with traditional Moroccan designs, ornately patterned lanterns, or carved metal sconces.
Accent pieces also reflect the Islamic influences on Moroccan design. Lamps are often hung from the ceiling & are commonly made of metals, such as brass & copper.
There are two types of traditional Moroccan lamps. Perhaps one of the most recognisable Moroccan lamps is one made out of stained glass with rustic brass or wrought iron metalwork. The metal latticework on Moroccan lamps can be extremely elaborate and delicate. The lamps are finished in a number of colour combinations, although blue and amber are considered two of the most popular colour choices.
The second type of Moroccan lamp is made from dyed goatskin stretched over an iron or brass frame. These lamps are hand-painted with henna dyes and decorated with symbols, geometric shapes, and nature patterns. The lamps have spiritual and symbolic meanings depending on the pattern of the lamp.
Image credit: Pinterest
7. Furniture and Accessories
Low seating like poufs and floor cushions are common, creating a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.
Accessories often reflect the country's love of artisanal craftsmanship, with a focus on handmade items like ceramic plates, pots, slippers (babouches and belghas), bags, bowls, Berber jewelry, lanterns, and woven baskets. You can often find natural materials like wood, leather, wool, stone, and clay. Lots of metal. These items may be used to add texture and personality to the space.
Furniture in Moroccan design is a combination of delicately-carved wooden pieces and plush over-stuffed upholstered ones including couches & pillows.
Moroccan furniture features intricate carvings and often has a rustic feel. Opt for sturdy wooden pieces with detailed accents.
Some of the iconic furniture pieces to consider in Moroccan interior decoration are divan-style sofas, ornate wooden coffee tables, Moroccan poufs, and beautifully crafted end tables. Pieces are often made of wood or wrought iron and adorned with intricate carvings or inlays.
Moroccan style is all about diversity and unique pieces with quirks. The Moroccan bohemian style embraces more unconventional furniture in favour of unique and quirky pieces.
Moroccan interior design often combines delicate hand-carved furniture pieces with luxurious plump upholstery.
Poufs have been omnipresent in Moroccan homes for centuries, and little wonder: They’re so versatile. The poufs most closely associated with Morocco are round and made of leather, often with top stitching or tooled patterns.
Complementing the Beni Ourain rug above is another Moroccan classic: a fringed wedding blanket.
Marquetry using mother-of-pearl or bone on wood is believed to have evolved from khatam, a Persian technique that incorporates petite tiles of metal as well as organic materials.
8. Plants and Natural Elements
Plants and natural elements like stones and shells are often used to decorate Moroccan interiors, creating a sense of harmony and balance with the natural world.
Beautiful Islamic gardens & green courtyards are abundant in Morocco. This is Le Jardin Secret, Marrakech. An Islamic garbed hidden within the narrow Marrakech streets. It’s initial foundations dated from the 16th century, restored in 2016, it is now open to the public.
In Morroco, the term riad means “garden”, but it is also used to describe the townhouses built around a central courtyard garden. Traditionally, these gardens are symmetrical in layout, focusing around a fountain or large focal tree. The key design rule when creating a Moroccan riad garden is to consider how the garden looks from an inward, 360-degree approach whilst also considering the space on multiple levels.
Popular articles:
tags: #Moroccan
