How to create a boho look at home using Moroccan souk finds

18 Jun How to create a boho look at home using Moroccan souk finds

Wander through the Marrakech medina and you’ll soon spot the bohemian chic interior trends found while scrolling through Instagram or flipping through a design magazine (and at home in 72 Riad Living). With the colourful souks at our doorstep, we can hardly wander through without making a purchase. But we always least leave feeling inspired.

So we’ve rounded up our favourite souk finds for guests hoping to create a boho vibe at home with goods found in the Marrakech medina.

Cane lanterns

These hand-woven lanterns are quickly replacing the straw basket as the hottest item in the souks. Made from palm and available in a variety of shapes, sizes and even styles, these lanterns are great for summer outdoor living, or rustic countryside interiors. Easy to pack, and easy to install once home, these lanterns start at 200 dhs and can be found throughout the souk.

Tamegroute pottery

The famous green pottery from Tamegroute in Morocco’s south is having a moment! Bowls, platters, plates, candlesticks and vases are all making their way in to the souks and in to travellers’ luggage for transportation abroad. The unevenness and variations of each piece remind us of the unique qualities of buying handmade. Large items such as the couscous platters are perfect as a statement piece when creating a tablescape while the candlesticks are great souvenirs and easily pack in to hand luggage.

A colourful statement carpet

How one can resist purchasing a carpet when wandering through the Souk Principale de Tapis just off the Rahba Kedima square is beyond us. The riotous colours, the endless styles available, and the stories behind each unique piece leave us in awe each time. When it comes to carpet shopping, we say go bold. Be brave. And negotiate hard. We appreciate the new flat weave carpets that are available throughout the market in more subtle tones with an accent colour.

Shopkeepers are well versed in wrapping your purchase to fit in either hand luggage or ship it directly to you. And most take credit cards!

Or a more outdoor-friendly carpet

We love the Taoureg mats and guests staying at 72 Riad Living will find them on our rooftop terrace and patio spaces. Often with a variety of symbols woven in to the designs, the ruggedness and typical large size of these mats make them perfect for outdoor living. Find them throughout the souks, but be ready to hunt for rugs in good condition. Given their size, this may be something you wish to ship home.

All the brass

We love a blend of brass and marble, recalling the art-deco era. Though perhaps not the easiest to transport in one’s luggage, we can’t get enough of these side tables. Plus, they look so pretty as a base for our endless stack of coffee table books, or just waiting to hold a drink come happy hour. After all, can one ever have too many surfaces?

The brass mirrors in various shapes making their way throughout the souks are also a favourite for above a bathroom sink or in a cluster at an entrance. Take home a mirror in the shape of a hand of Fatima for a truly unique souk find. Prices start at 100 dhs and increase depending on size and shape. Believe us when we say they’re everywhere. In fact, you won’t have to wander far from 72 Riad Living these days to find what we’re talking about!

For brass candlesticks, trays, doorknockers and bric-a-brac, wander through some of the cave-like shops in the medina or head to the Bab el Khmiss flea market for some cool hunting. You’re sure to find things you didn’t even know you needed!

Walnut and lemon wood accessories

A wander down in to the cane souk just off Derb Debachi leads to a wonderland of wooden items on display up above and down below. And they’re all for sale: Walnut cutting boards, traditional beldi stools perfect for both indoor and outdoor living, colourful straw baskets of all sorts and whatever other trends may be hitting the stalls! Be prepared to negotiate, but keep in mind that given its out of the way location, prices are typically lower than you may expect to pay in more high-traffic areas like the spice market.

The must-have item for transitioning between inside and out

When summer comes around and outdoor living becomes the norm (as it is in Marrakech year round), we love throwing on a pair of traditional babouche, but with a Marrakech touch. We love the upcycled styles available for sale at Riad Yima, or opt for a colourful pair made from kilim carpets.

Guests staying at 72 Riad Living can book a personal shopper for specific wish list or for wholesale purchasing.