Rock the casbah with a Moorish mix to give your home souk style
Think tribal cushions and trinkets
Skim any home decor store lately and you’ll think their buyers have just holidayed in Marrakesh, bringing home suitcases full of gems. Morocco has long proved inspirational for artists from YSL to Paloma Picasso and, if the high street is anything to go by, North African exotic arts are proving just as influential in the interiors arena.
Think of colourful rugs and kilims, large tribal cushions, intricate mosaic tile work and rich patterned textiles. Or dark carved wood, lots of jewelled accessories, pendant lights, coloured glass, mirrors and decorative trinkets
With a palette of lush turquoise, teal, saffron, orange and vermillion alongside accents of gold and silvers mirroring sunsets, seas and sands – is it any wonder this Moorish style is having a moment?
Indoors, Moroccan décor works best in neutral settings, using colourful accessories or surface treatments to bring the feel of far-flung regions into your home. Don’t be afraid to combine different patterns within the same space, but the trick is to mix them by colour tones, otherwise it can all get a little crazy.
Dress beds and sofas using clashing throws with cushions. Swap plain flooring tiles for intricate geometrics to lift an otherwise subdued hallway.
Best Tile, with showrooms in Waterford or online, have a vast range of authentic Moroccan handmade tiles that you can mix together to create bespoke combinations.
Eclectic tiling looks equally fabulous on the wall and you can always fake it with wallpaper murals such as Digitex’s Moroccan collection. If colour is not really your thing, you can
still inject a little souk style with a monochrome scheme of black and silver by selecting statement furniture pieces.
Try Marks and Spencer’s striking Leora range or Zara Homes Casablanca-style silver occasional tables. Set the mood by teaming them with a cream shaggy rug, such as those on offer at Kelatys, and a few glass lanterns dotted about the room. Finally, no casbah would be complete without a leather ottoman – that’s a pouffe to you and me. Look to Bohemia (www.bohemiadesign.com), who specialise in all things boho for every shade under the sun.