How to use Moroccan style in the interior

Morocco is a sultry and dazzling exotic country, ablaze with vibrant colors and incredible ornaments. The peculiarity of her culture is that it is built on a harmonious combination of East and West, and everywhere demonstrates the duality of style, so clearly visible in the interior..

The Moroccan style, which appeared due to the mixing of different cultures, came to the liking of designers around the world because of its unpredictability.

The history of this country is a motley ribbon of cultures that were formed during the war by the indigenous Berbers and colonialists. The arrival of the Arabs to these lands significantly changed the way of life at that time. Arab culture united the lands and brought Islam to them. For a long time Morocco was the center of the empire, which included many African countries. Accordingly, this variegation did not go unnoticed in the culture of the country. Everything here is literally permeated with Arabic features with Greek classicism, and Spanish romanticism..

If you are passionate about the East, then you can safely add Moroccan style motifs to the interior of your home.

Two directions

Although the style has received the name of one country, there is a symbiosis of different cultures behind it. The name of the design came from the country where it was massively distributed, but today its fame has spread far beyond the borders of North Africa. As a result of this symbiosis, a very recognizable and eloquent, luscious and passionate style was born, with a whimsical harmony of carving, patterns and light..

The style combines Mediterranean, Arabic and African motives

The interior is characterized by a combination of muted tones and bright harmonious shades.

Two trends can be distinguished in the Moroccan interior:

Andalusian – austere Spanish architecture, combined with the luxury of Moorish palaces, subtly spiced with a pinch of Africa.
Berber – rude and passionate, pragmatic and utilitarian, reflecting Berber culture.

Moroccan design is, first of all, the harmony of Arab culture, Africa and the Mediterranean. This combination is exotic in a modern interior. And the style itself owes its birth to the work of French and Spanish architects. But this in no way means that he limited himself to the features of these two countries. Impulsive and bright features of different peoples are successfully combined here..

Moroccan interiors are often referred to as the “style of contrasts”

First of all, the Moroccan style was formed under the influence of French designers who built residences for the colonialists, the sunshine and brightness of African perception. Here European and North African traditions are combined into one, dating back to the times of British and French colonial activities..

Main features and character

Moroccan interiors will appeal to both fans of primitivism and lovers of luxury. Such an interior is both varied and not at all tiring. First of all, it will be appreciated by lovers of non-standard solutions. But not only they.

This style is characterized by a combination of luxury, comfort and coziness.

This design is perfect for:

for those who love order – each element of the furnishings in its place;
for minimalists – large rooms filled with air and light, piles of furniture and things are excluded;
lovers of oriental exoticism.

This design will perfectly decorate both a large mansion and a cozy apartment. And all because of its originality and uniqueness. Nobody fetters the wings of your fantasy here.

Living room in Moroccan style in shades of red

White living room with a domed niche

A characteristic feature of the Moroccan style is the combination of bright colors and textures. Here you will meet the rudeness of nomads, and complex African patterns, and European elegance of furniture..

Moroccan style in the interior is not afraid to combine bright colors. This is its main feature. First of all, these are warm sunny and golden shades. The most popular is the union of red and gold. A decorator, working in this direction, must give the room, impulsiveness and passion, through the play of colors, therefore combinations can sometimes be sometimes daring and defiant.

For Moroccan design, the natural colors of Africa are suitable, reminiscent of the outlines of the desert, jungle and fiery sun.

Blue can be used for wall, ceiling and floor decoration

When decorating, the tones of “earth dust” must be present:

bronze;
ocher;
umber;
shades of brown.

These natural shades are the perfect canvas for brighter accents:

purple;
red;
blue;
green in various shades.

Bright bedroom decor in Moroccan style

Moroccan style bed

Everything here is built on harmony and interaction of cold and warm tones. Walls are usually plastered with exquisite and warm Moroccan plaster, giving it a marble look. This is due to the peculiarities of its texture. The colors are principally monochromatic. Moroccan interiors involve the use of predominantly natural materials such as stone and wood. Since the climate in this country is hot, the style solution is to decorate the room from floor to ceiling with small tiles. But this technique is not at all necessary for the design of living quarters, while for the bathroom it will come in handy..

Suitable lighting for Indian style lamps, mesh lampshades and colored glass lamps

The emphasis is on creating intimate lighting with cute lamps, floor lamps with original weaving

Furniture plays an unusual role here, because auxiliary items are in the foreground – pedestals, benches, poufs, exquisite footrests. The classic sofas are replaced by canopied podiums decorated with a variety of pillows of various shapes and sizes. But this does not mean minimalism in furniture, on the contrary, furniture emphasizes the status of the owner of a house or apartment..

Lots of auxiliary furniture – a hallmark of the Moroccan style

Tall furniture is not welcome, but low and wide furniture will come in handy

Low sofa with bright soft pillows

An ordinary person may come to a creative shock from the number of draperies in one room, however, this is by design. An abundance of curtains, draperies, canopies, pillows and bedspreads with a pronounced texture. The most popular are organza, velvet and silk..

The main role of textiles is to create harmony and comfort in the room.

Carpets are used both traditionally on the floor and on the walls. In African motifs, the tricolor rule does not work; complex ornaments with overflowing shades are used here..

The main thing is in the details

It is impossible to create a Moroccan style in a room without understanding the use of decorative elements that will decorate the interior. Traditionally, the peoples of Morocco lay out the floor with mosaics, it is worth considering this point if you want to bring a touch of Africa to the room. The completed drawing should resemble a six-pointed star or a variety of flowers. To implement this idea, you can not limit yourself to mosaics; by the way, you will also have to use parquet or tiles. The floor can be decorated with a picturesque Moroccan-style carpet.

The more decorative elements in the room, reminiscent of the East, the more it will turn out to bring it closer to the Moroccan style.

A variegated panel with patterns or wallpaper in the same style is well suited for interior decoration.

Characteristic ornaments are also appropriate when decorating the ceiling.

Interior details come to the fore here:

these are small twisted cords with heavy tassels;
wrought iron lamps combined with nightlights under the ceiling to create the atmosphere of the Arabian night;
a lot of chests and mini-chests of drawers that store the little wealth of the hostess – jewelry, cosmetics, perfumes;
an ensemble of patterns and miniature mosaics that decorate any piece of furniture or interior detail;
all interior objects must be made by hand, or at least create such an impression;
unpredictability of the contrast of color and shape, but this does not mean randomness and madness.

An integral part of the interior is niches in the form of polygonal architectural elements that repeat the shape of the domes of minarets

Skillfully mastering the techniques of decor, you can create an original home, saturated with passion and comfort..

The arch is one of the most famous details of the Moroccan interior

The numerous Arab arches of various shapes are also a highlight. In such an interior, there will not be too many of them. They can be used to decorate window and door openings, internal partitions, which are often used in the Moroccan style. If it is not possible to equip windows and doors with arches, then they can decorate niches, cabinets and shower cabins. Niches in such a bath will be present everywhere. Although they are used as refined details in the Moroccan bathroom, they are also fully functional. You can combine the bathroom with part of the corridor to create a magical corner. Drywall is very good for creating a complex arch, with its help you can make arches of any configuration and decorate them gracefully. The simplest option is to plaster the walls, followed by painting with waterproof enamel with a satin or silk effect. And you can paste over the surfaces with mosaics.

Small bedroom with an arch in the doorway

As a result, here we see complex ornaments of Africa, and the style of settlers, a fine line of roughness and modern European decoration and furniture. All this explosive mixture forms a detailed original interior.