Are you enamoured with Moroccan design but not sure how to make it work in your home? With 2 decades of interior design experience under her belt, we are thrilled to have Amilia Gani to share her insider expertise on how to achieve a truly modern Moroccan interior design in any space. Read on to find out more!
For readers who are new to you, please share with us more about yourself!
Amilia: I have been in interior design for the past 2 decades. My forte is residential interior design, and for the past 13 years I have been helming my design practice under Facelift Design & Interiors. In 2022, I announced my retirement but after taking a 6 months break, I realised that I still have some passion for design and hence I restarted my practice recently under Gani X Co, to work on a few good projects and clients at a slower pace.
In the Malay community, I am very fortunate to have written bi-monthly on design and décor for Berita Harian and a regional media, mentored young designers, organised and collaborated with furnishings and property companies to teach homeowners on interior styling & design, and participated as a design judge in the 2 seasons of REKA, an interior styling reality competition, on Suria, Mediacorp.
Why is Moroccan Interior Design one of your favourite styles?
My personal design style has always been Organic Modernism and I am inspired by textures and patterns, especially traditional design forms and materiality. I'm therefore fascinated by Moroccan design because of its timeless shapes and patterns as well as its sustainable design, material and craftsmanship, which can be easily adapted for modern homes.
What are some of the most important elements of Moroccan interior design?
Amilia: A fair bit of the current interior design trends have their starting points from Moroccan design style and details. Here are some important elements of Moroccan Interior Design:
- Zellige tiles
- Moroccan horse-shoe arch doorway
- Clay hues – warm interior colour scheme with accent colours of terracotta, pumice & bronze
- Raw brass finish for lamps, door knobs and decorative hardware
- Intricate, pattern windows and screens
- Handmade woven rugs
- Organic wall textures: Tadelakt is a hand polished wall surface that is water resistant and lasting, which is similar to the Venetian plaster. I believe that the interest in handcrafted wall textures such as limewash and mircocement was sparked when well-known international designers and home influencers featured their Moroccan travels. Designers like Martyn Lawrence Bullard also worked with Tadelakt wall finishes for his Kardashian clients’ projects.
What are some tips to balance traditional Moroccan elements with a modern modern aesthetic?
Amilia: Start by having a modern aesthetic space and then add Moroccan accents with intricate brass light fittings & handwoven Moroccan style wool rugs for the room. Keep the colours neutral and light like ivory, beige and taupe grey for floors, walls and furnishings, and only use contrasting dark colours like black or dark brown, for the accent walls & furniture. These few Moroccan style pieces with a neutral Modern style, can easily elevate the room.
If you like colours, select colours that are inspired by Morocco for your limewash finish. You can go strong with cobalt blue for small spaces like a guest room or balcony, where you can prop-up the daybed in the guest room or a bench in the balcony with Moroccan pattern throw cushions. If you favour warm hues, be inspired by the peach & pink clay hues of homes and souks (market streets).
What are some wallpapers that are suitable for a Moroccan-inspired interior and why?
Le Montparnasse Wallpaper
This wallpaper evokes memories of the architecture I’ve seen in many old towns in Morocco, such as Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Meknes and Beni-Mellal. The peach and pink hues, with splashes of gold, also reminds me of the Tadelakt walls in the riads.
It is the perfect choice for either a bedroom or dining room, as it exudes an atmosphere of romance and relaxation.
Featured: Le Montparnasse, Wallpaper
Spindle Craft Wallpaper by StyledbyPT
This wallpaper resembles patterns of the Zellige mosaics I’ve seen in Fez. Its design also connects visually to Moroccan rugs and fabrics.
With its organic feel, it makes a great neutral piece for a nursery, study room or master bedroom.
Featured: Spindle Craft Wallpaper, by Hello Circus x StyledbyPt
Orange Blue Gradient Wallpaper
One of the things on my travel bucket list was to experience the Sahara desert in my lifetime. This wallpaper reminds me of the orange-terracotta hue, sand dunes, and the blue skies across the landscape.
This choice may be too strong for a living room, but will work well for a small space such as an entertainment room or a guest room.
Featured: Orange Blue Gradient Wallpaper
With some creativity, a bit of knowledge and these expert tips from Amilia Gani, we hope this blog post has inspired you to bring some of the modern magic of moroccan interior design into your own living space. Don’t forget to express yourself by adding unique touches throughout the space that best reflect who you are and help complete the perfect moroccan-inspired décor!
Why choose Hello Circus’ wallpapers?
We understand your wall comes in different shapes and sizes. Each wallpaper is therefore customised to the dimensions of your wall, making each wallpaper unique to your home. We also sell by per meter square (Height x Width x Unit Price) and not by rolls so that you only pay for what you need for your wall.
Check out our guide on how to measure your wall for wallpaper!
Benefits of our wallpapers
- High Quality: Our wallpapers are printed on high quality non-woven paper in factories with the highest standards from Europe. They are reinforced with nylon fibres to make the wallpaper stable and resilient.
- Matte and non-reflective: Our non woven wallpapers are coated with soft and non-reflective matte finishing.
- Safe and non-toxic: Our products are printed using stain resistant, VOC-free (Volatile Organic Compounds) inks on breathable, PVC (Polymerizing Vinyl Chloride) free paper. This ensures that your family and more importantly, your kids are not exposed to toxic chemicals which are usually present in traditional paint and wallpapers, all of which may have harmful health effects.
- Antimicrobial Protection
- Wallpaper washability: All our wallpapers are washable, meaning that their surface is resistant to damage, and any domestic dirt or water stains can be wiped with a damp cloth or sponge.
- Resistant to colour fading: Our production technology is designed to ensure optimum resistance to colour fading.
- Fire resilient: Our wallpapers are fire rated in accordance with EN ISO 11925-2.
Read more about our wallpaper materials and check out our Ultimate Guide to Wallpapers for answers to the most commonly asked questions about wallpapers.
Interested to get our wallpaper?
For wallpaper quotation: Please click on “Get Quote/Buy” of the product page that you like and submit enquiry with wall dimensions. Check out our bestsellers wallpaper collection to get inspired! Installation is available as an add-on service for selected countries.
Feel free to contact us if you have are interested in the following:
- Bulk orders
- Corporate orders
- Selling with us
- Collaborations
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