Marrakesh Express

By Roger Grody

"The style of Morocco, always exotic and suddenly trendy, has captured the imagination of interior designers.

Americans have long been seduced by the exotic allure of Morocco, and they are increasingly eager to replicate the romance of places like Casablanca and Marrakesh in their own living rooms. Interior designers are graciously accommodating demand, incorporating Moroccan furniture, lanterns and objets d’art into their clients’ residences.

“Moroccan design appeals to the exotic vision that Europeans and Americans have of North Africa, and Morocco in particular,” says Fatiha Daoudi, coowner of Mosaik, an upscale Moroccan home furnishings showroom in Los Angeles with a celebrity clientele. Her husband, Yahya Daoudi, reports the country’s strong tradition of artisanal craftsmanship is another draw, noting that even minor imperfections create the character no mass-produced items possess.

Chris Barrett, a Southern California interior designer who has authored a number of dramatic North African-themed interiors, says of Moroccan décor, “It’s fun, it’s romantic, it’s exotic,” but insists it’s also versatile and accessible. “With Moroccan design and decoration so prevalent now, everyone has the opportunity to ‘visit’ Morocco without leaving their homes,” she says. Some of Barrett’s rooms feature a fully saturated palette and multiple patterns, while others are far more subtle.

Mosaik’s Yahya Daoudi says, “We work with a lot of designers furnishing the old Spanish and Mediterranean homes in California, but tribal Moroccan rugs and handcrafted ceramics also give warmth to modern homes.” He reminds us that even modernist pioneer Frank Lloyd Wright favored Moroccan rugs in contemporary houses.

Interior designer Stephanie Henley of Beasley & Henley, a firm with offices in Winter Park and Naples, Florida, says Moroccan décor tends to go in and out of style, but is widely accepted in the Sunshine State. Like California, Florida has an abundance of compatible Mediterranean and Spanish Revival homes, partially a legacy of influential architect and developer Addison Mizner. “Moroccan design has an exotic flair, but it’s so comfortable that clients love it,” says Henley, who suggests, “Small doses and the use of very high-end pieces keep it from looking kitschy.” 

Our unique products were featured in various fashion and decor magazines as well as TV shows like the Million Dollars Decorators on their first season.

We also organized many Moroccan themed parties and occasions for celebrities .