ARMCHAIR TOURIST
THIS MONTH, OUR VIRTUAL DESIGN ODYSSEY TAKES US TO THE MEDINAS OF MOROCCO WHERE WE REFRESH OURSELVES IN A COOL, DEEPLY COMFORTABLE ROOM
To fully appreciate the comforting exoticism of a Marrakech interior, you need to come in hot and sticky from a day in the medina. After the clamour of the souk, returning to a riad, flopping on to a floor cushion and sipping mint tea in a courtyard as a fountain splashes, restores any lost equilibrium.
A renewed interest in the pleasures of Marrakech has been buoyed recently by two openings: Jasper Conran’s riad hotel, all whitewashed walls, carved furniture and billowing voile, and the Musée Yves Saint Laurent, around the corner from the designer’s cobalt-blue villa and lushly planted Jardins Marjorelle. Saint Laurent was inspired by the colours of Morocco (“Marrakech taught me colour”), from the brilliant blue of the sea, to the sun-bleached hues of desert cities and the jewellike reds, oranges and greens of market stalls.
The trick to introducing the city’s blend of opulence and ease into your own home is to do it in small measures. A wall of tesellated geometric tiles, a patterned rug or a cluster of lanterns, lends just the right amount of welcoming warmth. Serve mint tea on a brass tray and you’re rocking the kasbah right there.