How to Decorate a Moroccan Home

Geometric patterns are common in Moroccan decorating.

The Moroccan decorating style brings forth images of people languishing lazily on low cushions on hot desert nights. Surrounded by brilliant colors, including colors that hearken to the cool of the Mediterranean, those who love Moroccan decorating embrace its casual style and rich textures. This decorating style is one of the many Mediterranean decorating styles, which include Tuscan and French country, and it shares some elements with these styles. However, Moroccan decorating has a flavor all its own, in part due to the influence of the African continent it sits on and the Arabic influences which remain to this day.

Things You'll Need

• Paint and accessories
• Stencils
• Wardrobe
• Wooden trunk
• Silver picture frames
• Decorative fabrics
• Plants
• Moroccan accessories

Instructions

1. Choose vibrant colors. Moroccan decorating is all about color. Blue sits at the top of the list as one of the most important colors in this style. However, colors vibrant as jewels as well as the earth tones like terracotta, rust or oxblood red also find favor in Moroccan decorating. Additionally, it's fine to mix colors in the same space.

2. Paint the walls a rich pink or sky blue. Add stenciled designs around door archways, windows and at the top of the wall near the ceiling. Painted and stenciled furniture also finds favor in Moroccan decorating. Apply paint and stenciling to the coat wardrobe in the living room, to the low-lying coffee table or to the plain wooden trunk sitting in the corner.

3. Pick one wall as your accent wall and paint it a different color than the walls around it. For example, choose cobalt blue for the accent wall and then surround it with walls of saffron or sunset orange. Enhance the accent wall by hanging pictures with silver frames on it or adding a pattern of geometric designs. The focal wall helps the eye to know where to start when it takes in the decor. In Moroccan decorating, with so many vibrant colors and patterns, this wall will help bring visual order to the room.

4. Decorate with multitudes of textures and fabrics adorned with embroidered designs. Some possible types of materials include brocades, linens, wool, velvet and cottons. Use material to bring a feeling of Arabian nights to a room by hanging some white canvas curtains or some colorful velvet drapes featuring colors like purple, blue and red on the walls.

5. Set a casual tone by supplying some floor seating in addition to your couch and chairs. Spread a Persian rug out and top it with a low coffee table with a mosaic tile top. Flank it with large pillows with decorative tassels at each corner.

6. Let in the outdoors with some plants such as cacti, bamboo or rose bushes.

7. Look for some decorative accessories to fill shelves with and to top off a corner table or cabinet. These include brightly colored pottery with geometric designs, oil lamps, jars of fancy olive oil, animal figurines, copperware and hand-woven baskets and mats.

References

• Every Culture: The United Kingdom of Morocco
• "Real Simple"; Moroccan Style Decorating Ideas; Holly Becker
• Unique Baby Gear Ideas: Moroccan Nursery Theme Ideas
• Home Decorating Reviews: Mediterranean Styled Interior Decorating
• Home Decorating Reviews: Moroccan Interiors
• Themed Home Decor: Moroccan Decorating

Resources

• "House Beautiful"; A Bungalow Goes from Small to Spacious; Alexandria Abramian-Mott