- Posted on 16th March 2012 by Nicola Holden
This week I came across another interior scheme that made my heart sing, and so I thought I would share it with you here. This interior is Maryam Montague’s house, Peacock Pavilions in Marrakesh, and is featured in this month’s edition of Elle Decor.
I am in love with this scheme because it tells the story of a globe-trotting couple who love collecting beautiful memorabilia, but also who love up cycling their finds. But I also love this interior because it fuels my desire to go to Morocco and explore that country for myself and indulge in the sensory experiences of that country. And when I do get there, I know where I’ll be staying!
So, without further ado, here are some of the images of Maryam’s beautiful house.
I adore this, with its polished concrete floors and beautiful star lanterns commissioned from the local souks. The repetition of the lanterns and arches adds drama to the space, directing the focus and drawing you through the space. Don’t you just want to find out what’s through that door at the end of the hallway?
The living room is an eclectic mix of designer Frank Gehry wiggle chairs with an Indonesian-inspired couch designed by her architect husband, Chris Redecke. The room is them embellished with items from Morocco, Mali, Rajasthan (the old belts used to dress the wiggle chairs), Ghana, Iran, India and Egypt.
Her dining room boasts a walnut dining table and chairs, again designed by Chris, and inspired by the great designers Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Frank Lloyd Wright. The wall sconces framing her collection of African masks on the wall were made by Chris from kudu horns from Namibia. And this amazing space is framed beautifully by one of the many Moorish arches in the house.
As Maryam says, the library is ‘a fun, light hearted space to read and have a beer in’. It is filled with colourful Moroccan blankets, a vintage leather couch bought off eBay, cushions made using Egyptian tent cloth, and coffee tables made out of old Moroccan traffic signs.
The African in me loves this space! It is wonderfully calming and tranquil, with enough in it to make it interesting, but not too much that it looks cluttered. The beautiful doors are from Morocco and India, and I have been hankering after a door like this ever since I first stepped foot on Zanzibar! The artefacts are mainly African, from Benin, Senegal, Mali and Tanzania.
The bedroom uses layers of beautiful African and Moroccan fabrics. I love the oversized antique French poster framed by a pair of vintage Italian crystal wall sconces. Here the polished concrete floor has been stencilled with a lace pattern, adding a delightful delicate touch to this room.
I hope this house inspires you as much as it has done me! You can read more about Maryam’s house on her blog. Do you have a favourite treasure collected from your travels?
Photography by Simon Upton; Images from Elle Decor.
- Posted in Eclectic Design, Interior Design 13 Comments
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