Marrakech: and a tale of a tiny film about my Moroccan interior design book

Happy Monday, Lovelies, 

I hope you had a fun weekend.  Mine was spent shooting a tiny one minute film in Marrakech;-)  It's to introduce the coffee table book on Moroccan interior design  that I'm doing for Artisan Books.  Although, I've been in a few commercials and TV episodes, I've never done anything quite like this.  And so I was very glad to be working with talented Filmmaker William Hicklin and adorable Producer Anna Wang (who is also my best friend).  There were a lot of laughs and funny stories along the way and they are both just amazing. 

Here are some backstory shots just to give you a little feel. 

 

Can't wait to share the film with you!

        With love from Marrakesh,

                Maryam

{PS Anyone coming to Marrakesh in the next 2 weeks from the US?  I need a kind courrier!}

Pepe Nero restaurant: or a tale of where to dine in Italian style in Marrakech

I spent a year of graduate school in Italy and I'll never forget it. The beautiful clothes, the beautiful men, the beautiful food.  Ah, it was all so very lovely.....  

Pepe Nero brings it all back to me.  Because in addition to Moroccan dishes, it's all about Italian.   But this time in a Moroccan riad deep in the Marrakesh medina.  Could it be a blend of two of my very favorite cultures?  Why yes......

The courtyard fountains filled with roses..........

And the cozy little side salons with handmade zellij mosaic tilework and seating on Moroccan banquettes.

But it's the food that impressed me the most, yes, the food.  Chef Khalid is so talented.  The pastas are all made from scratch.  The saffron risotto is sublime. And there are the sweetest little appetizers.

And did I mention the staff?  Darling.  

Ci vediamo presto!

Pepe Nero

17, Derb Cherkaoui - Douar Graoua Marrakech

Phone : 00212 (0) 524 389067
contact@pepenero-marrakech.com
www.pepenero-marrakech.com

Lunch: 12:00 - 2:30, Dinner 7:30 - 11:00, Closed Monday

The Djellabar bar: or a tale of where to drink in Marrakech

It was late and we were three girls out in Marrakech, without our husbands.  It could mean only one thing: trouble {cough}.  We headed to the Djellabar, a new spot in Marrakesh for eating and drinking. {And did I mention drinking?}

Djellabar is in a converted Moroccan marriage hall.  Moroccan mosaic zellij tile and sculpted geps plaster work cover the walls.  Fantastic. And there are fun paintings of Elvis, Bob Marley, Oum Kalthoum and more wearing Moroccan fez hats.  

Even the king is there.

Soon it was crowded. There were people at the Moroccan patterned bar.

And others dancing and generally having a plain old good time.

 We thought the owners were adorable.  This is Claude. He's a DJ with several Paris nightclubs under his belt.

And we couldn't take our eyes off of Claude's beautiful love, Fadwa. 

And then there were the Djellabar drinks, served up on hand incised tables.  They had names like Moroccan Love Potion and Oriental Hibiscus Nectar (Or something like that. My head was a little fuzzy, you see.)

{Did I mention the drinks?} Oy.

Djellabar, Marrakech's new hot spot, owned by Claude Challe and Stephane Atlas

Villa Bougainvillée, 2 rue Abou Hanifa,
Hivernage, Marrakech

Cocktails at about 100 dirhams.

Moroccan design: and a tale of a Moroccan Modello door at Peacock Pavilions in Marrakesh

It's a big door, it's a very big door, this entry door to the Medina Pavilion at Peacock Pavilions.  All painted black, towering overhead.  But I had plans for it.  Big plans.  They involved Melanie Royals from Modello Designs {the way many of my best plans do}.  I wanted something glamorous, something golden, something memorable.  And I wanted to add to the quirky global mix that is Peacock Pavilions.  Because influences from one or two or ten or twenty countries would never do around here. {You'd have to see Peacock Pavilions for yourself, to believe it.}

So Chinoiserie, yes Chinoiserie.  I did my research and I sent Melanie some inspiration images of the nature scene variety.  And then she took them and designed something new, something fabulous.  

Using a Modello makes everything so much easier.  Melanie designs it, you peel it, apply it, paint it and then peel it off. Or Melanie knows many people who can do it for you, if you prefer.  Those talented Peacock Painters {love them all!} made it happen in less than a day.

More to come!  {Wait until you see.....It's so beautiful that I stop breathing for a moment each time I look at it.}  And the best part is that Melanie's making stencils of it soon -- just in case you want a little Chinoiserie in your home, too!