Change is in the air . . . 

we are hard at work on our new site - please check back soonx

Shopping for carpets!

It is almost impossible for me to walk past a carpet shop in morocco without at least having a look
and
strange as it may sound,
possibly even stroking the odd beni, azilal or boujaad!!
Luckily I am planning a trip to Assilah and Tangier in the next few weeks - and I will most definitely be wandering around the souks and medinas to stock up on a few pieces for shouf!{look!}

So . . .

if you are looking for a particular design

or colour

size or shape,

just let me know.

I would love to do some personal shopping for you while I am there.

x

Follow me on INSTAGRAM to see the places I go and the people I meet.

{moroccan} carpets in the bathroom

While the steadfastly practical amongst you might rise an eyebrow at the thought of throwing a carpet down in the bathroom   . . .  I say just think of it as a rather more luxurious bath-mat!
I've put together a little gallery of carpeted bathroom inspiration for you:
which is your favourite?

 Moroccan Boucherouite carpets are pretty high on the boho trend list and these colourful carpets are really well suited to the bathroom as most of them are simple cotton rag rugs and easy to clean and dry out after a soak in the tub!

 Another Boucherouite that adds a wonderful splash of colour to this bathroom.

This lovely diamond pattern boucherouite would be perfect in a bathroom with its relatively flat weave.

a little co-ordinated drama leading up to this black bath
(I do like this bath!)

Pattern on pattern - carpet on tile - it all works!

And finally - these organic cactus-silk carpets are top of my list at the moment - because they are a flat weave and cotton mix they are also hard wearing and quick to dry out if they get a few splashes from that shower behind those beautiful wooden doors.
SHOP HERE

(all credits for images via)

x

Les Orientales in Tangier, Morocco

Back in Tangier on the blog today,

with a tantalising view of this beautiful home in the medina that is available via La Conciergerie Moderne.
There are so many different options and sites to choose from when looking for accomodation when you are planning a trip - and where you stay can make or break a holiday. La Conciergerie Moderne is a small Tangier based company that I have used and happily recommend - plus they have some beautiful properties on their list!
A place like this could indeed make my holiday - what do you think?

Les Orientales has been named after the collection of poems by Victor Hugo of the same name, and is full of attention to detail and designer vignettes.

 

It is interesting - having just come back from Marrakech - how the different environments impact on the design and architecture of the homes and riads.

 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms - room for everyone!

The perfect place to spend a leisurely evening or two -  sitting on this terrace watching the sun sink over the mediterranean  . . .

So if you fancy sipping a little tea in tangier this summer click across and
find more information HERE

x

ALL IMAGES VIA laconciergerie.com

tea in . . . marrakech: a list!

A quick list of a few of my suggestions for places to stay, eat and shop in Marrakech.

1: Riad Linda - A lovely riad - friendly, inexpensive and great central location.  

2: Le 68 Bar a Vin - Perfect place to enjoy a quiet glass of wine (or 2) out of the bustle of the    medina

3: Amal Women's Training Centre: I so enjoyed my morning here doing a cooking course (will write a blog about that soon). Definitely something worth doing while supporting a good cause.

4: Riad Magi - Another lovely riad we stayed in - not far from Raid Linda actually so also pretty central 

5: Dar Yacout -  a dramatic setting for a fabulous meal

6: 33 Rue Majorelle - for a little quiet and contemporary shopping outside of the medina

7: Cafe des Epices - one of my favourite spots to sit and have a coffee while watching the activity in the souk des epices below

and finally

our last night in Marrakech was spent in style . . .

with a drink at the beautiful El Fenn

while en route to

8: Tobsil Marrakech - a fabulous last night treat at a beautiful restaurant.

I only managed to scratch the surface of Marrakech, but am definitely looking forward to going back and getting to know it a little more

x

Tea in Marrakech

via

 I often get asked about Marrakech . . .

Recommendations for places to stay, eat, things to see, shop, buy

And to be honest I tend to rely on fellow bloggers and friends based in Marrakech for the information I share

Because Tangier is quite a long way off from Marrakech  . . .

Its a bit like asking your friends in Cardiff to plan your London itinerary!!

So . . .

time for a visit!

Which happily coincides with a friends birthday.

A little networking,

 a lot of relaxation and some long overdue catching up with old friends!

via

We will most definitely take a walk around the Majorelle Gardens

via

Aside from the medina, there are more than a few shops I want to spend some time in!

L'Art du Bain Marrakech

33 Rue Majorelle

And I am - for the 1st time ever - doing a cooking course!

Cannot wait to learn how to cook my favourite dish - lemon chicken tagine with the Amal Non Profit Centre - will let you know how that goes!

Amal Womens Training Centre

When I arrive on Wednesday morning I will be heading straight to this spot on the terrace at Riad Linda in the medina!

Riad Linda

And on my return, I will be writing a post {or 2} about the places I stay, eat, shop for sure

but in the meantime

follow me

  HERE ON INSTAGRAM 

as I head into the heart of Morocco and meander around Marrakech!

see you in Marrakech

x

Ewwel {to dream} Ceramics - Made in Morocco

The ceramic designs of Tangier based designer Sarah were - if truth be told - one of the motivating inspirations of me starting my online shop Shouf!. Spending time in Morocco brought me into contact with a lot of designers doing new and interesting work, as well as the more traditional and vintage designs and crafts that are normally associated with the country. Part of my vision was to showcase these contemporary designs - movement and life over the past year or so has made this a bit more difficult than I anticipated but I am still inspired by the innovation and design coming out of Morocco - many, like Ewwel, drawing on the rich tradition of craft and symbolism in the country and then giving it a more contemporary interpretation and design element.

The new collection from Ewwel is called NAHT - meaning engraved.

Sarahs images are as inspiring as her ceramics  - I LOVE the simplicity of the jugs and hope to have them on the shelf at Shouf! as soon as possible!

In her words: " With this new collection, I wanted to create multi-purpose containers easy to use in everyday life. Thus the bowls are also pots, empty vessels or objects of decoration. The Carafes are both vases and utensil holders.

A refined line, subtle motifs engraved in the clay, a symbol of my attatchment to the country"

Avec cette nouvelle collection, j'ai voulu créer des contenants multi-usages, faciles à utiliser dans la vie de tous les jours. Ainsi les bols sont aussi des pots, des vides poches ou des objets de décoration. Les carafes sont aussi bien des vases que des portes-ustensiles. 

Une ligne épurée, des motifs subtils gravés dans la terre, symbole de mon attachement au pays.

new year - new stock

Is it too soon after Christmas to be talking about shopping?

I know I have been feeling a bit shopped out

but it does feel like the right time  - full of resolution for 2017 - to sweep out the cobwebs and choose a few additions to ring in the changes of a new year . . .

I have some website and blog related resolutions that might take a bit if time . . . 

but hey, I've got ALL year!!!

To start the year off I spent the morning playing with instagram 

and loading some new items onto my shop. 

 I thought I would share them here making it easier for you to have a "shouf"{look}

SHOP HERE

SHOP HERE

There is a lot of autumnal brown going on here so I thought we might need to throw in a bit of colour

in the shape of this wonderful bold and bright tassled vintage cushion.

Who can resist a generous tassle??

 

SHOP HERE

And finally, to thank you for taking the time to follow my blog and actually read the posts

I have a small thank you gift! 

Any orders via this post will automatically get a complimentary jar of our fabulous Harissa Paste!

SHOP HERE

Simply leave a comment after this post letting me know about your order and I will make sure its all packaged up together.

And finally,

 a little peace & protection for 2017

image via

{I suspect we might all need it!} 

x

Pauline