Moroccan design is luxurious, elegant, and dramatic at the same time. If you want to bring these elements into your own home, the good news is, you don’t have to fly all the way to Morocco to get inspired.
Below, we’ve put together some of the trendiest and unique Moroccan decor ideas to beautify your home. From lavish furniture and intricately woven carpets to colorful wall hangings, you’ll find a lot of elements to spice up your decor.
Moroccan Decoration Ideas
Here are our top ideas to transport you straight to the heart of Morocco—read on!
1. Comfy Poufs for Hosting or Lounging
Whether you want to host some friends in your living room or on the patio, you’ll want to get comfortable seating options. For a Moroccan twist, go with poufs and overstuffed upholstered couches.
Some traditional Moroccan design elements include poufs handmade from tanned leather. If you have a lavish budget, we recommend splurging on these authentic pieces. However, if you want to choose the budget-friendly route, regular poufs will do the trick.
2. Potted Plant Party
If you love the look of a lush backyard landscape and are wondering how to incorporate more greenery into your Moroccan decor, consider potted plants.
You can get inspired by traditional Moroccan gardens that usually feature birds of paradise (the plant, not the animal), aspidistra, palms, and other colorful specimens. Other plants that can serve as Moroccan decorations include vibrant succulents (an excellent choice for low-maintenance care), cacti of varying sizes, aloe, and agave.
3. Intricate Details
Moroccan design embraces the allure of details; that’s why you’ll frequently see extremely detailed tiles and finely textured wallpaper in Moroccan, or Morocco-inspired homes. You can see tiny details engraved in furniture pieces, too.
To add this Moroccan style element to your home, we recommend choosing furniture from carved wood, such as ornate mirror frames, side tables, and seats. Focus on pieces that contain the geometric designs traditionally found in Islamic culture. These items are typically highly elaborate, and they look great both in a set or as statement pieces.
4. Carpets on Carpets
A Moroccan rug is a unique piece that will elevate your Moroccan home decor. You can find these special rugs in a range of stunning vibrant and natural tones, free-form designs, and distinct patterns.
As in the popular eclectic aesthetic, the key to achieving an authentic Moroccan vibe is mixing different prints, colors, and textures to create a unique whole. In terms of rugs, this means you shouldn’t shy away from layering different tones.
Although shopping for a Moroccan rug is simple, you should look out for fake pieces. For example, an excellent way to spot an authentic rug is to look at the materials used. Namely, genuine Moroccan rugs are only created from wool.
5. Patterned Cushions
Boho decor draws plenty of inspiration from Moroccan interiors. For example, boho Moroccan decor elements include ethnic rugs, carpets, and planters made from natural materials.
Patterned cushions are a simple, effective, and budget-friendly way to incorporate Moroccan designs into your bohemian bedroom. Choose cushions with intricate details and mosaic patterns. You can also add cozy throw blankets made from various materials and textures.
6. Choose Warm, Neutral Colors
Some of the most typical colors you’ll see in Moroccan art and design are blue, green, yellow, red, white, and black—all of which are symbolically derived from Islam —interspersed with Moroccan design elements in natural, warm, and earthy tones.
A simple way to incorporate more earthy tones into your design is to choose natural materials such as wood, clay, and brick. Accessorize with greenery, and you’re ready to enjoy.
7. Decorative Tiles
One of the critical features of interiors reminiscent of Morocco is unique Moorish tile styles, called zellige tile. Some of the main characteristics of zellige tiles include color variation, cracks, hand-made appearance, and thickness variation.
You can use these decorative tiles on your bedroom and living room floor to add a hefty dose of Moroccan appeal. Alternatively, you can put them on the kitchen wall between the hanging elements and countertops.
We recommend choosing a vibrant color scheme, for instance, a combination of white and turquoise. By choosing these colors, your room will instantly be transformed into the striking Chefchaouen, i.e., the famous “Blue City.”
8. Low Seating and “Mida”
Another critical characteristic of Moroccan home decor is low furniture. In fact, in many Berber homes, you’ll find floor-level seating with stunning cushions and woven rugs.
With low seating come low tables; typically, a large table, called a “mida,” will be in the center of a room, with long sofas around the edges.
9. Colorful Plates as Kitchen Wall Decor
Moroccan plates and dinnerware are adorned with intricate details, delicate linework, and elaborate shapes. If you want to showcase your beautiful Moroccan plates, we suggest hanging them on the kitchen wall. Not only will this aesthetic give a distinctly Moroccan vibe to your environment, but it will also add a pop of vibrant color, and make for a good conversation piece. You can stack the plates up or hang them individually—whatever works better in your space.
This is one of the easiest DIY Moroccan decor options—with only a few supplies and some creativity, you can transform a plain wall into something magical.
10. Modern Moroccan Appeal
If you like the contemporary look and want to keep things minimalistic, remember that less is more. For a clutter-free appearance, we recommend sticking with a few key pieces.
For example, choose one or two typical Moroccan furniture pieces and decorate the rest of the room in a minimalistic fashion. When it comes to modern Moroccan decoration, you might want to stick to exclusively decorative pieces—e.g., cushions, rugs, wall hangings—and leave the functional furniture neutral.
You can accessorize with Morocco-inspired pieces such as stained glass lamps or round-shaped coffee tables.
11. Black and White House Interior
Is your interior primarily monochrome, and you’re worried you can’t incorporate the essence of Moroccan design without using color? Think again.
You don’t need to sacrifice the appeal of this style if vibrant colors aren’t your thing. Instead, focus on patterns and textures that carry the essence of Morocco: For instance, choose a black and white high-quality rug with intricate details or furniture pieces with ornate elements. Even without vibrant colors, you’ll still get the vibe you’re going for.
12. Soft Lighting
Light is another important element of Moroccan-style decor. We’re referring to dimmed, natural light—you want to bring a cozy ambiance to your environment.
So, whether it’s the living room, the dining room, or the bedroom, choose lighting fixtures that aren’t too bright, or have a dimming function. Luckily, there are some lighting fixtures or even top-quality floor lamps on the market that’ll do the job perfectly.
13. Bohemian Moroccan Decor Blend
As hinted before, the boho aesthetic draws lots of its core concepts from Moroccan designs. Mixing these two decor options usually goes well together.
One fool-proof and inexpensive way to add a dose of the bohemian flavor to your Moroccan home is to decorate with handmade raffia and wicker baskets.
In case you’re wondering, raffia is a natural material derived from the leaves of the Raffia Palm. Nowadays, you can find plenty of high-quality authentic raffia baskets handcrafted by Moroccan artisans.
Conclusion
Overall, remember these five key elements: Low-rise furniture, lots of greenery, jewel tones, patterned pillows, and mixed fabrics and textures. When it comes to Moroccan home decor, you’re encouraged to embrace vibrancy, intricate details, and natural materials.
However, you don’t have to go overboard if you prefer a simplistic look. Whether you pick and choose specific elements or go all-in on this style, you’ll successfully conjure the magical appeal of Morocco.
FAQ
What is Moroccan-style decor?
Moroccan-style decor is exactly what it sounds like: Interior design inspired by this beautiful African country. Due to being located between the rest of Africa’s mainland and Europe, Morocco is influenced by a blend of cultures, including African, Arabic, Spanish, and French.
Some of the most typical elements you’ll see in Moroccan decor include:
- Detail-adorned accessories and furniture
- Gentle lighting
- Vibrant, shimmering colors (e.g., gold on turquoise)
- Earthy tones
- Luxurious fabrics
- Sensual scents (such as clove, oud, rose, and orange blossom).
How do I decorate my living room Moroccan style?
Decorating your room in the Moroccan style is easy once you’ve picked out the right colors, furniture, lights, and accessories. Luckily, there are heaps of inspirational videos and tutorials on the internet to help guide you.
We recommend choosing bold colors with silver or metallic accents, intricate fabrics, mosaic and terracotta tiles, and decorating with ornate mirrors.
Where can I find Moroccan decor?
One of the best ways to get your hands on Moroccan decor is to go to Morocco and pick up authentic pieces from their makers. For instance, you can purchase scents, fabrics, and smaller decor items directly from the country.
If you’re unable to do this, you can also find Moroccan decor online or, if you’re in luck, in thrift stores.
Fortunately, Moroccan decor ideas are very accessible. In case you can’t find anything in stores, you can also get creative and DIY.
