Morocco is a popular destination for Westerners seeking to make a new life. It’s closeness to the Southern tip of Europe as well as its relatively liberal Islamic and Arab culture make it an ideal location for people looking to experience the delights of African and Arabic living in one location. I know quite a few families who have re-located to Morocco and in this post I have collected some photographs of a home owned by two British designers. The home in Essaouira has been labelled the Dar Beida (White House) as well as the Pop Art Cavern.
Essaouira is an old port city in the West of Morocco. The historic center of the city is called Medina and has been included as a UNESCO World Heritage Listed city. It’s within the walls of the old city that the 200 year-old White House is situated. Bought in 2002 for $60,000, the building has been renovated and adapted to the needs and desires of the British couple who purchased the old Moroccan house with its whitewashed façade. The result of their work on the Dar Beida is presented below:
The dining-room table was bought for the equivalent of $40 from a Moroccan roadside cafe.
Old French signs were purchased from a flea market in Marrakesh. Once back at the White House they were re-purposed and arranged to form new words. The photo directly above shows the scene in what is called a Riad, otherwise known as an interior garden. You can read more about these here: Moroccan Riad.
Some of the skulls on the wall were found on the local beaches around Essaouira. They were bleached and then hung up. However, the collection grew and became more of a serious hobby when friends began bringing skulls for the pair to place on their walls. Amongst the collection are camel, cow, bird and dolphin skulls.
The kitchen counter is made from tadelakt which is also a material used in bathrooms and traditional steam rooms, known in the Arab world as hammams.
Tadelakt is again used in one of the bathrooms. One notices too a whale vertebrae positioned on one of the bathroom shelves. This is in keeping with the collection of animal skulls in the other room. The bathroom in this Moroccan home has been given an old-worldly North African feel to it.
Many of the rooms in the White House contain beautiful molded fireplaces, one of which can be seen in the picture above in the bottom right-hand corner. These were designed by the couple and compliment the interiors tremendously.
In this small communal room there are a selection of art pieces, one of which is by British artist Allan Forsyth. In return for his gift he was invited to stay at the Dar Beida for three weeks.
A Joe Colombo chair was purchased by the British pair from a furniture dealer in Casablanca. It cost $2,000. The circular table was bought from a local flea market in Essaouira. Notice too the creative construction of the shelves.
The bird cage, painting and various other items in the home were purchased from markets and shops in the Essaouira area.
The Moroccan White House has four bedrooms in total. Perhaps the most impressive is this rooftop bedroom which opens up onto a rooftop terrace. Like in one of the previous pictures, shelves and wardrobe space have been carved into the walls.
You can read more about this Moroccan home here: A White Cavern in Morocco.
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