Marrakesh By Design: A Book Review

All things Moroccan are re-captivating me like never before. I went through a time when I was younger where I was absolutely taken by the food, the traditions, the exotic nature of it all. I even visited Tangiers for a few short days while I was living in Spain, and that just intensified my love of the vibrant colors, vintage cookware, clay pottery, amazing food and textiles (particularly all those amazing doors). That excitement soon waned as real life stepped in and I knew that my chances of returning to explore Morocco were quite limited.  And then I found out about the life of Maryam Montague…

She is a well-traveled American expat living in Marrakesh who decided to chronicle her interesting and colorful life on her blog My Marrakesh. She and her husband bought an olive grove and built a boutique guesthouse called Peacock Pavillions on the property (on my list of places to visit) and recently wrote the book, Marrakesh by Design: Decorating With All the Colors, Patterns, and Magic of Morocco. 

It’s an absolutely beautiful book filled with colorful and meaningful photos that express her love for Moroccan design and how you can incorporate a similar style at home no matter where in the world you call home.

What I love is that there are design ideas and inspiration for rooms like the kitchen and even suggestions for bathroom tiles. You can see clearly from the photos in her book the color schemes and type of textiles and cookware needed to bring the Moroccan look into your own space.

And I love that she explains the word Baraka (blessing) in relation to food and how the Moroccans use it in everyday life.

The outdoor living photos are descriptions are breathtaking. When flipping through the pages I felt transported to her home and yet felt that her suggestions for re-creating similar design were simple and unintimidating for anyone who wanted to do the same. It’s particularly helpful for those people living in California or other warm climates similar to Morocco’s where the bright colors of the decor work so well under the gorgeous sunshine and amidst citrus trees you can find in many places here in the U.S.

I have hopes to visit Morocco one day again, soon, insha’allah. What’s lighting the way is how I am finding more vibrant attention being paid to North African style and interior decor, even the food is becoming more well known and of interest to Americans, which is just wonderful since it is quite healthy and varied. I’m finding more and more interest for living with color and creating my own special spaces at home that are inspiring and invigorating and yet my favorte so far is in Maryam’s book,  Marrakesh by Design. It sits on my desk as an inspiration to pursue dreams and live in a space that makes me happy to surround myself with. I think it could do the same for you…

Stay tuned for an upcoming interview with the author to learn more about her life and passion for the Moroccan lifestyle. What questions would you like me to ask her?