Moroccan Style in the Bedroom
Moroccan interior design draws from the rich craft traditions of North Africa — zellige tilework, carved cedar wood, hand-knotted rugs, hammered brass, and layers of jewel-toned textiles. The full design vocabulary is covered in our Moroccan interior design guide. In the bedroom, the goal is a space that feels like the sleeping quarters of a riad — intimate, warm, and richly layered.
Moroccan style in a bedroom shares much with boho bedroom ideas in its layering and natural materials, but Moroccan style is more architecturally specific — the lanterns, tile patterns, carved wood, and geometric precision of Islamic art give it a distinct character.
The Moroccan Bedroom Palette
Classic riad
Deep teal, cobalt, warm terracotta, aged gold — the palette of Marrakech
Desert warm
Burnt orange, sand, warm red, ochre, ivory — earthy, sun-baked, Atlas mountains
Night medina
Deep indigo, midnight blue, gold, cream — cool, mysterious, atmospheric
Soft Moroccan
Dusty pink, sage, warm sand, pale gold — gentler, more residential interpretation
12 Moroccan Bedroom Ideas
1. Use Zellige-Inspired Tile on a Feature Wall or Floor
Zellige — the hand-cut glazed terracotta tile of Morocco — used as a headboard wall feature, a floor border, or across the floor of an ensuite gives the bedroom its most authentic architectural element. Modern zellige-inspired ceramic tiles in teal, cobalt, or warm terracotta achieve the effect without the cost of hand-cut originals.
2. Hang Moroccan Lanterns at Different Heights
Perforated brass or coloured glass Moroccan lanterns — hung at different heights from the ceiling or mounted on the wall — create the most distinctive lighting effect in a Moroccan bedroom. When lit from within, they cast geometric star and crescent patterns on walls and ceiling. Use warm candle bulbs at 2200 K.
3. Layer Jewel-Toned Bedding
A deep teal, cobalt, or burgundy duvet cover layered with embroidered cushions in contrasting jewel tones, a woven blanket in warm gold or orange, and several large floor cushions at the foot of the bed. The bed should look abundant — in a Moroccan bedroom, the textiles are the room's primary statement.
5. Add a Carved Wood Headboard or Screen
A carved cedar or dark wood headboard with geometric or arabesque detail, or a carved wooden room screen (mashrabiya) used as a decorative panel behind the bed — carved wood is one of the defining materials of Moroccan interiors. Even a single carved wood mirror frame or decorative panel introduces the texture.
6. Use an Ornate Brass or Copper Tray Table
A low hammered brass tray table as a bedside — the traditional Moroccan tea table form — is one of the most characterful and practical pieces in a Moroccan bedroom. Place it on a carved wooden stand or on stacked books. A small brass candle holder, a glass of water, and nothing else on its surface.
7. Hang a Large Berber or Boucherouite Rug
A large Berber wool rug in natural undyed tones or with simple geometric patterns, or a boucherouite rag rug in mixed bright colours, anchors the bed and adds the textile depth that Moroccan interiors depend on. For wall use, a Berber rug hung above the bed as a textile headboard is one of the boldest Moroccan bedroom statements.
8. Add an Arched Mirror or Doorway
An arched mirror in a hammered brass or carved wood frame, or an arched doorway opening onto an ensuite — the pointed arch (horseshoe arch) is one of the most distinctive architectural elements of Islamic and Moroccan design. Even a large arched mirror leaning against the wall references the form powerfully.
9. Use Rich Warm Wall Colour
Warm terracotta, deep teal, dusty gold, or warm white with a Venetian plaster finish — Moroccan walls are never cold grey or clinical white. A plaster-effect texture in a warm colour captures the tactile quality of traditional lime plaster without requiring specialist application.
10. Display Ceramic and Brass Objects
Hand-painted Moroccan ceramics in cobalt and white, hammered brass candle holders, a collection of small brass pots, a carved wooden box on the dresser — the decorative objects of a Moroccan bedroom should look like they were brought back from a souk rather than ordered from a catalogue.
11. Layer Floor Cushions and Poufs
Several large floor cushions in jewel-toned embroidered fabric, and a leather or wool Moroccan pouf — at the foot of the bed or beside a low table — lower the visual centre of gravity and create the grounded, horizontal seating culture that is central to Moroccan domestic life.
12. Use Heavy Embroidered Curtains
Floor-to-ceiling curtains in heavy cotton or velvet — in deep teal, burgundy, or warm gold — with embroidered borders or trim. In a Moroccan bedroom, the curtains are as important as any piece of furniture. They should be full, heavy, and able to block the light completely for afternoon rest.
4. Hang Vintage-Style Art Prints Above the Bed
Botanical illustrations, architectural engravings of Islamic buildings, vintage map prints of North Africa, and decorative prints in the geometric tradition of Islamic art all work beautifully in a Moroccan bedroom. Large-format prints in ornate or simple dark frames — a single large piece above the bed, or a grouped arrangement of smaller prints.
Vintage-style art prints for Moroccan bedrooms
Homio Decor offers vintage-style art prints — botanical illustrations, architectural and classical art — in large formats that suit the scale and warmth of a Moroccan bedroom wall.
Browse Homio Decor5 Mistakes That Make It Look Like a Souvenir Shop
1. Buying everything from one 'Moroccan' collection
Mass-produced matching sets of lanterns, cushions, and ceramics from a single retailer look like a theme park installation. The richness of the style comes from the mix of genuine handcraft from different sources.
2. No coherent palette
Moroccan style is bold but not random. Mixing every jewel tone simultaneously without a dominant colour creates visual chaos. Commit to two or three colours and let them recur throughout the room.
3. Literal camel and souk imagery
Camels, 'Arabian Nights' motifs, and tourist-market wall hangings reduce the aesthetic to costume. Use the geometric patterns, craft materials, and colour language — not the narrative imagery.
4. Cold or clinical lighting
Moroccan lighting is warm, intimate, and atmospheric — lanterns, candles, and warm-toned lamps. Bright overhead LED lighting destroys the atmosphere more than any other single mistake.
5. Ignoring the ceiling
In a Moroccan bedroom the ceiling is part of the composition — lanterns hanging at different heights, the star patterns they cast on the plaster above, possibly a painted or stencilled geometric border. A plain white ceiling wastes one of the style's most distinctive atmospheric opportunities.
Key Takeaways
- →Perforated brass lanterns at different heights — the defining lighting element
- →Jewel-toned layered bedding — teal, cobalt, burgundy, warm gold
- →Zellige-inspired tile on a feature wall, floor border, or ensuite
- →Vintage-style art prints in large format above the bed
- →Hammered brass tray table as bedside — authentic and atmospheric
- →Arched mirror in brass or carved wood frame
- →Berber rug on the floor or hung above the bed as textile headboard
More Moroccan and bold-style inspiration: Moroccan interior design · boho bedroom ideas · bedroom wall decor ideas