Article by Owen Jones
Moroccan furniture is usually solid timber and stylish. Morocco is an ex-French colony, but it is very near Spain too. In fact, two small parts of Morocco, Melilla and Ceuta are still under Spanish control.
This means that Moroccan furnishings and decor has Berba, Arabic, French and Spanish influences. These Mediterranean influences are obvious in traditional and modern Moroccan furniture.
If combined with Moroccan decor and colours, Moroccan furniture can change your home. Walls are usually emulsioned plain white or cream and lightly decorated with old carpets or tapestries with one or two photos or paintings hanging between them.
Reds and browns are the predominant colours. Poignant writings from the Koran or other Arabic philosophers are often written out in bold lettering and framed.
Moroccan accessories such as lamps, lanterns, mirrors, benches, vases, mosaic end tables, ottomans, rugs and ceramics can bring that special local flavour to the decor, setting off the solid wood or padded fabric furniture.
Pillows feature extensively in Moroccan interior and garden decor, but they also use sofas and seats in the European fashion. Morocco is well-known for its leather craft and leather is often used to cover chairs, sofas and footstools or poufes.
Scatter rugs are important for sitting on and they are taken out and beaten every day to keep them clean as Morocco is a hot, sandy and dusty country if you travel a few miles inland from the coast. Camels are still used for transport in rural areas and camel hair is turned into rugs, blankets and wall coverings.
Moroccans like tiles and mosaics and Arabic style tiles are quite distinctive if you want to use them in your bathroom and kitchen. If you want to dine in Moroccan style, they usually dine at a very low round table with the primary dish in the centre from which everybody helps themselves, although in a family, some members will feed others too.
Following convention and hygiene, you may only touch food with your right hand, although everybody will have washed both hands before coming to the table. Bread, rice and couscous feature extensively in Moroccan food as does potatoes, carrots, lamb and chicken.Water is served during the meal and tea and coffee afterwards frequently with very sweet cakes sprinkled with icing sugar and syrup.
Individuals relax at home wearing long, loose-fitting garments and lounge on benches or on rugs on the floor surrounded by cushions. In the evening, lighting will be low provided by low wattage bulbs secreted behind red and brown stained glass or cloth. Candles, scented or not also feature a lot in living rooms and bedrooms unless someone wants a stronger light to read by.
Candles in wall sconces are common ways to highlight extraordinary parts and light up corridors and some doorways. Often these sconces do not contain candles, but hold aromatic oil with a floating wick which is cheaper to leave burning between the hours or twilight and bed time.
About the Author
Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a number of topics, but is now concerned with outdoor dining tables. If you want to know more, please visit our web site at Solid Oak Dining Tables.
