Peacock Pavilions in Marrakesh: and a tale of inspirations

Feeling inspired by many things at Peacock Pavilions these days.  Here's a few:

Talismanic hands of Fatima from a favorite jeweler. 

Some new bones and Simon Winchester's book on skulls (interesting, perhaps, for only the most ardent skull enthusiasts).

A collection of antique embroidered Moroccan bags from Khalid Art Gallery.

A new chair covered by a Moroccan wedding blanket.

One of the most beautiful design books that I own, The Divine Home by Peter Vitale.

A new but old Moroccan carpet from Red Thread Souk for my dining room.  Can you see that I have also upholstered my chairs in Moroccan rugs, too?

Collections of odds & ends everywhere.  Here some entomology pins from Merchant & Mills, a packet of gold sequins from Figue, a notebook from my friends at Imperial Black, and photography by Alexis de Vilar. I bought the wood arrow in South Africa.

My family peacock, Maurice, at Peacock Pavilions. I'm still in awe of his splendour.  Really.

What's inspiring you these days?  I want to know.

Marrakech Morocco: and a tale of a Femina Magazine fashion shoot at Peacock Pavilions

When architect Chris and I were designing and building Peacock Pavilions, we knew that we wanted it to be a place that was very personal and intimate.  We wanted it to feel not like a hotel at all but rather like staying at a {stylish} friend's house in Marrakesh.  The idea was for guests to be surrounded with unusual objects, with one-of-a-kind textiles and of course, with lots of texture and pattern.  Not luxurious in that cold way but rather, charming, special, and "worth it" because of the warm feeling that it gave you. 

In that vein, my hope has always been that Peacock Pavilions would have a legacy.  Project Soar is a part of that, of course, allowing guests to participate and interact with their surroundings in a caring way. But beyond that, I hoped to create a place that would become a part of the memory of its guests and that later on that there would be pictures to look at and to remember. 

It all goes by so fast, doesn't it, this life of ours?  It's nice to have evidence that it is and, later on, that it was. When I see photos that others have taken of Peacock Pavilions, I see it through their eyes and with their perspective and I live it myself, in a new way. 

I thought I'd share a few images from the first photo spread from the Femina fashion shoot at Peacock Pavilions.  We were all so very excited when this beautiful Swedish magazine chose our place for its Spring fashion shoots.

Model Ingrid Wrisley is so sublime and photographer Helene Linsjo captured her so perfectly.  Of course, it helps that the clothes picked out by talented fashion editor Sarah Thornqvist are so cool.  I want them all!

 

PS The beautiful black wedding blanket with its night sky of sequins is for sale here at Red Thread Souk.

Marrakech: and a tale of Peacock Pavilions in the news

 You know, it wasn't a fairy tale building Peacock Pavilions.  To the contrary. There were disasters.  

There was the contractor who spent all of our money, leaving us with a building site only a third complete. There was not one, but two mortgages.  There were our retirement funds cashed in in their entirety because we didn't know what else to do.  There was a foreign government who wouldn't issue us permits for reasons we couldn't understand.  There was a building crew that spoke a different language than we did.  There were windows put in upside down and staircases torn out because they were wrong, all wrong.  

Yes, there were bodies strewn in the wake of the making of this dream of ours.  There was depression.  There was a desperate wringing of hands, over and over and yes, over again.  

So remember....Peacock Pavilions wasn't made from fairy dust but from a mixture of hardship and folly. Don't let the pictures in the glossy magazines fool you.

And speaking of those.....

An 8 page feature in the February/March 2014 Elle Decoration, the Netherlands. 

Thanks to Laura van der Linde for sending the images above our way.

My tips for Moroccan-style entertaining at Peacock Pavilions are on Lonny in March.  Check out the floor that was done by Melanie Royals and her team.  My inspiration for that project was African wax resist patterns on cloth. See the Lonny story here.  

Images by Patrick Cline

Peacock Pavilions is mentioned in Vogue Italia this month as a great place to stay in Marrakesh:-) Take a peek at the story (in Italian) right here.  Many thanks to Alessandra Turci.

PS It's finally Spring time in Marrakech. Sometimes the Spring is all the more beautiful when the winter has been especially cold, yes? Hope you are managing to thaw out wherever you are.  

Marrakech: and a tale of the Marrakech Biennale

Dear friends,

The Fifth Edition of the Marrakech Biennale starts tomorrow! 

This is one of my very favorite events!  The mission of the Biennale is to build bridges between cultures through the arts. This is expressed through visual arts, cinema and video, literature, and performing arts.  I'm always eager to see what Vanessa Branson and her team have cooked up.  {This is the same Branson family genius that has brought so many amazing things to the world -- ie the bar is always set very high.}

Here I am with Vanessa in Marrakech.

This edition of the Biennale includes over 350 contributors spread over 8 venues, including the Badii Palace, the Royal Theater, and the Jemma el Fnaa square.  The Biennale runs through March 31.  So if you are planning to be in Marrakech any time in the next month, make sure to make it a part of your agenda. 

Find out more about the Biennale right here, including the theme, the venues, & the program schedule.  If you can't make it this year........start planning for 2016:-)

Love your friend in a Marrakech olive grove,

Maryam