Around the World: World-Inspired Home Décor
Wanderlust at Home: Morocco
I love traveling. Visiting exotic new places isn’t just fun—it’s inspiring. Seeing new sights and exploring new locales always expands my perspective and makes me eager to learn more about the world I live in.
Of course, as an interior decorator, traveling also fills me with great new ideas for home décor.
For the interior decorations below, I drew inspiration from the beautiful designs of Morocco. Famed for its rich cultural heritage, gorgeous beaches, savory food, and unique Medinas, Morocco is a traveler’s paradise. In the wilderness, you can marvel at vast starry skies and sublime mountain ranges. In the cities, you’ll catch your breath at elaborate mosaics, intricate mandalas, and bold, colorful buildings.
Over thousands of years, many cultural groups have lived in Morocco, each with unique religions, ways of life, and visual styles. As a result, Moroccan design is colorful and eclectic: fusing thousands of years of history into bright, bold patterns.
The classic movie Casablanca endeared Morocco to people across the U.S. But Moroccan décor didn’t really catch on in the states until the 1960s, when many Americans would travel to Morocco and come home inspired to redecorate.
This image is a quintessential example of Moroccan design: exotic, luxurious, and dramatic. It features beautiful hues of blue and blush tones, meant to reflect the warm glow of the setting sun.
The furniture and home accents you see below follow a similar color palette—blue and blush with some neutral space in between—for a look that elegantly balances cool and warm tones. Bold color pairings and unconventional patterns can create a sense of warmth and luxury in your home.
See what you think of these Moroccan design ideas!
The cane sofa and cane plate wall décor use a blush palette, reminiscent of the warmth of the setting sun, which nicely compliments the distressed blue rug: a modern take on traditional Persian motifs. The cushions are neutral in color to balance the warm and cool tones of the overall display.
Moroccan furniture emphasizes comfort and color, using upholstered or covered couches and sofas, and often incorporating fabrics with bright colors or patterns. It’s a subtle blend of relaxed yet stylish. You’ll notice that the sofa and chair sit low to the ground: a key element in Moroccan design.
The sofa and wall décor, along with the wicker basket planter and wicker ceiling lantern, lend an organic feel to the whole arrangement, giving off a relaxed resort vibe.
But lest we come off as too relaxed, the gold-accented coffee table adds just a touch of richness to the design—incorporating the luxuriousness so prevalent in Moroccan interiors.
Of course, we couldn’t talk about Moroccan design without mentioning mosaics. Printed mosaic tiles are extremely versatile when it comes to interior design. You can use them as flooring, wall cladding, or countertops. I love the Moroccan mosaic touches in this gorgeous camel bone inlay and resin console.
Another important element of Moroccan design is the mandala. That’s why the cement finish side table in this display—bearing a large stencil-led flower mandala—makes such a perfect addition. You can create mandalas yourself using stencils for unique, exotic-feeling pieces.
Finally, the hand painted ceramic pot completes the look with a glossy finish that ties everything together: matching the blue of the console table and off-setting the sleek gold coffee table. The unique nature of the pot is a reminder that Moroccan culture is truly one of a kind.
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