8 Moroccan Decor Ideas: From Essaouira with Love

Home is so important to us. This is no shocker. I’m sure we all say that. But for years I’ve been aware that once you close that door, it’s up to you to create the feeling you want.  I’m not making any assumptions here that we all have this freedom or that home is indeed a sanctuary. In fact, for many, ‘home’ can be a prison. But if you are fortunate enough to be free in your own home to create as you like, the gratification of your creations, big and small, are timeless.

My husband Aziz and I live in Morocco, outside the coastal city of Essaouira. We moved here in 2019 after buying a broken down home on impulse during our honeymoon, as you do. We also started a business, Mid Century Maroc, an e-commerce ‘souk’ selling mid-century furnishings found in Morocco.

Aziz & Brooke, Essaouira, 2022

Constructing and decorating our home in Essaouira has been a four-year process replete with ups and downs but we are finally at the finish line where the real fun starts. Decorating. With a blank slate our aim has been to amalgamate comfort, glam, and interest with a good dose of Morocco in every room. (Before & after below)

The key for us is to use Moroccan furnishings somewhat sparingly. Not as mere accents but also not as to overwhelm the room. In other words, a room that is 100% Moroccan is not for me, and that goes for any genre. It’s about balance.

What exactly constitutes Moroccan design? Tiles, fountains, rugs, brass tea trays, clay pots from the Rif mountains, cedar and shell inlayed tables, colorful bread baskets, and more. There is so much to learn about the craftsmanship, history and meaning of Moroccan décor and we are still learning. If you want to take a deep and pleasurable dive into the topic, however, I would highly suggest Maryam Montague’s book, ‘Marrakesh by Design: A Journey into Moroccan Style’.

But if you only have a few minutes, enjoy our take on a few simple ways you can add Moroccan style to your home.

1.  Tiles, fountains, and courtyards

Tiles, fountains and courtyards are very Moroccan and often go together. Seen here is the inner courtyard in our Essaouira home. Most rooms in our home connect to the courtyard so we constantly traverse under the open sky, day and night. The simple green and white tiles we chose are very much Moroccan and have faded with the sunshine, something we didn’t know would happen. Our fountain recycles water and when turned on delivers the most relaxing splashing and babbling sounds, a meditative backdrop all day long. Our kitchen floor is covered in a simple design of green and cream Zellige tiles, plain tiles with a high gloss effect.

Our inner courtyard with faded Moroccan tiles

Simple green & cream Zellige tiles for our kitchen

If your home can’t accommodate a courtyard and fountain, don’t panic. Moroccan tiles fit in just about anywhere to lend an instant North African injection and work really well as a backsplash. Moroccan wash basins are also an easy way to add a splash of Morocco to your bathroom. (Photos below courtesy of Pinterest)

2.  Moroccan Handira blankets

Worn by the Berber bride over her shoulders on her wedding day, the Handira is one of our favorite Moroccan accents and so versatile. Draped over a chair, at the foot of a bed, or hung over a wooden ladder to warm a wall, handiras are about as cheerful as you can get. I sometimes parade around the house with one draped over my shoulders for an instant mood lifter! Shop Handiras here.

3.  Moroccan breadbaskets

Made from coiled wood on the inside and hand woven and naturally dyed wool on the outside, Moroccan bread baskets are the perfect accent piece that also can serve a function. We have a very bold and bright one placed on our entrance table. Inside we keep our cat’s hair brush and all our spare keys. Bread baskets are also wonderful in bathrooms to house toilet paper rolls, hairbrushes, it is endless really. Shop Moroccan breadbaskets here.

4.  Moroccan ceramics

I love ALL Moroccan ceramics. It’s impossible for me to choose so for this reason our kitchen is kitted out with bowls from Fez to Safi in every style and color combo imaginable.

Most Moroccan bowls, even the smallest, have two holes drilled into a rim on the base. This allows for easy hanging. The iconic El Fenn hotel (pictured below) in Marrakech features Moroccan ceramics on their outside dining room wall. Peacock Pavilions (pictured below), also in Marrakech, have arranged bowls in a similar fashion. Arranging Moroccan ceramics on a wall is an inexpensive and powerful way to add Moroccan flare.

5.  Moroccan lights

There is perhaps no better way to conjure 1001 Nights than switching on a hand carved brass or pewter Moroccan light and letting the delicate light patterns bathe your wall. Of course this will only happen with a clear light bulb so always have them on hand. We have Moroccan lights in every room, even the bathrooms. Shop Moroccan lights here.

Moroccan sconces in our bathroom without a clear light bulb

The clear lightbulb effect

Giant Moroccan brass globe pendant at night

Moroccan lights also come in the form of rattan, a durable, flexible, and rainproof material from the palm family. Rattan lights give off a refreshing feel, on or off, and look great grouped together or alone. Photo of lights grouped outside courtesy of Peacock Pavilions.

6.  Moroccan poufs & rugs

Moroccan poufs and rugs are yet another quintessentially Moroccan item. Boujad, Azilal, Boucherouite, Beni Ouarain, and Sabras are just some of the types of styles available. Each comes from a different region, mostly mountainous, where women make the carpets by hand using everything from textile scraps (Boucherouite) to naturally dyed sheep wool. Moroccan rugs and the labor that goes into them are a source of pride in Morocco. We have them on the floor inside and out and also hang them as wall decorations. Shop Moroccan rugs here.

7.  Moroccan tea pots

Drinking atay (‘tea’ in Arabic) is a national pastime in Morocco and there is no escaping it! Offered in homes, before and after transactions in the souks, or just because, tea can be found anytime, anywhere. Like any tradition, tea time in Morocco can be elaborate or very simple and the range of tea pots reflect this. We are particularly attracted to carved vintage pots but as Aziz and I don’t drink tea, we scatter them around our home full of fresh roses. It’s such a simple thing, but the Moroccan tea pot packs a punch when introduced into your home. Shop Moroccan tea pots here.

8. Moroccan tables

There are so many typical Moroccan furnishings and all of them so beautiful. But perhaps the easiest way to add Moroccan flare through furniture is a Moroccan table. Typically hand carved from wood, Moroccan tables come in all different kinds of styles from intricately carved cedar with shell inlay, to tables brightly painted with floral and geometric shapes and Moorish cut outs at the bottom. Shop Moroccan tables here.

However you choose to add Morocco to your home, remember to start small and go from there. Moroccan décor speaks volumes and integrates effortlessly with any genre. Enjoy and reach out with any inquiries by emailing me at brooke@midcenturymaroc.com. We’re here to help!

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Welcome to the Mid Century Maroc family.

Aziz & Brooke