Scent of the East

All-round comfort: living and hosting between fairy-tale environments and scents of the East.

Marrakesh is the most important of Morocco’s four imperial cities. Like several Moroccan cities, it includes an old fortified town – the medina –, teeming with vendors with their stalls.

This riad is on the edge of the old town: unlike many others that can only be reached on foot through the narrow and winding streets of the medina, this one is easily accessible by car and motorbike. The location of this riad is quiet and peaceful and this makes it even more fascinating: once inside, you leave out the chaos and liveliness of a city like Marrakesh, which is always abuzz.

The interior designer Romain Michel-Ménière reveals that: “To achieve the current look of the riad, the renovation and modernization process was long and tortuous. It took seven years to complete it! In Marrakesh, there is a very particular pace of life, but at the same time, it is fascinating, lively and full of energy.”

Covering a total area of 480 square metres, this riad has been renovated complying with Moroccan architecture and traditional construction methods. It currently has two courtyards:the main one follows a linear model with plants on the sides and a small mosaic fountain in the centre; the other has a swimming pool and part of the courtyard has been turned into a technical area and a dining room, opening on the swimming pool level.

The riad is spread over two floors; on the ground floor, the ceilings are approximately 5 metres high, while on the first floor, in the bedroom area, the ceilings reach a maximum height of 3.5 metres.

Upstairs, they made radical changes; they also added fireplaces and bathrooms to achieve greater comfort in the bedrooms. The kitchen was expanded, the original floors were reclaimed from an adjacent riad, the worktop was custom-made in black granite, and traditional Moroccan tagine pots were placed on the shelf.

“The riad now shows its language and its expressive power. I like getting its energy; it seems like it has always been the way it is today. It is close to my style and my taste, it also reflects the owners’ likes; a young, fresh and joyful riad.”