Decorating & Design

March 4, 2013

Sleek & Sunny Marrakesh Apartment

As the days get longer — it’s finally light out when the alarm goes off! — I get greedy for more sunshine. This gorgeous contemporary apartment in Morocco would be a stylish spot to soak in the rays.

The lower level of the two-storey apartment includes a living room, dining room, kitchen and a sunny foyer. Fold-away windows in the living room can be completely opened to let in bougainvillea-scented breezes, or the space can be divided with mirrored panels.

The rounded-off dining room is a perfectly staged mix of African woods, a tasteful leaf print and a minimalist white fireplace. Since you’d be renting the apartment, though, you could probably get the furniture, too. Outside, a sandstone wall reminds you that you’re in the “red city.”

Just off the living room, a pergola-covered patio overlooks the Majorelle Garden, where an intriguing mix of Art Deco and traditional Moroccan walls and fountains was designed by a French expat artist in the 1920s and later owned by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé.

The pool is edged by a teak deck and tucked behind palm trees. The listing doesn’t mention a roof deck (or, for that matter, the number of bedrooms or baths), but do I spy a staircase at the upper left?

If you’re not quite ready for a Marrakesh pied-à-terre, check out Seema Persaud’s ideas for Moroccan-inspired home accents.

Photo credits:
1-4. Emile Garcin Properties