Morocco is known for its host of beautiful buildings with prominent designs. Buildings displaying fine, ornate touches by skilled artisans and master craftspeople are still visible to admire today. Restoration works too, have revealed many hidden treasures and the revival of some historic practices, such as the very ornate and colourful tile work called Zellige and the versatile Tadelakt, a plasterwork technique that was created by nomadic tribes, living in the hills near Morocco’s imperial city of Marrakesh, originally to seal tanks used to store drinking water.
Many great artists, architects and designers have been influenced by these Moroccan crafts, including the iconic French fashion designer, Yves Saint Laurent 
who built his home there in the 1980s. The stunning villa is now open to the public as a museum and gallery surrounded by a sumptuous landscaped garden.
The luxurious gardens cover two and a half acres and are a prominent feature of the complex.
The use of bold colours used throughout all the exterior spaces reflect the exciting vibrant hues of Morocco, particularly the acid-yellow and citrus orange against vivid blue tadelakt walls.
Walking around these beautiful atmospheric spaces, the natural form from the soft purple cascading bougainvillaea to the spiky cacti, peacock and lime green ferns you know you’re in a designer’s garden.
Traditional Moroccan arts and crafts were used to create this stylish environment including tadelakt due to its very long lasting, waterproof and hard wearing material which makes it perfect for exterior spaces and bathrooms. Another famous Moroccan example of this is the Hassan Mosque in the famous city of Casablanca. The spellbinding exterior and includes warm tadelakt walls which contrast beautifully with the ornately patterned pillars and shiny marble floors.
Exotic Designer Style
Create your own Moroccan Designer feel to your inside and outside spaces with juxtaposing shapes and exciting sunny colours that compliment your green areas. Like Yves Saint Laurent, why not bring the exotic, North African textures and warmth into your home and garden by using tadelakt and create a space that reflects the light and atmosphere of stylish Marrakesh.
Impress your friends and family by extending your living space; create a welcoming garden-room on your patio or a corner of your back-yard with tadelakt walls adorned in warm or bright vibrant colours, then set it off with lively scatter cushions, pretty fairy lights and lanterns. Be adventurous and add a water feature, like the traditional Moroccan arched wall-inlay, which can be simply constructed with waterproof tadelakt.
Add an arrangement of fleshy pot plants and colourful or sweet-scented climbers such as purple clematis, wisteria or jasmine. Remember to use complementary colours for a more dramatic effect, such as reds, pinks and oranges against notes of verdant greens or vibrant yellows next to bold blues and violets.
Remember, tadelakt walls are not only hard-wearing and versatile but can support either soft pastel shades or strong, stunning statement colours for a truly exotic feel to your living spaces.