Living in Morocco: Design from Casablanca to Marrakesh [Paperback]

Lisl Dennis (Author), Landt Dennis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 28, 2001

Morocco is an exhilarating combination of vivid sensuality and intense spirituality, an intoxicating blend of cultural variety, a place quite unlike any other: Berber, Arab, French, English and Spanish: in what other country does one find such a rich mixture of heritages? Indeed, this diversity is matched in its geography, which runs from coast to mountain to desert. Living in Morocco celebrates the arts of a country at the height of a cultural renaissance, a country where an ancient tradition of craftsmanship has been sustained and recently reinvigorated. The book is filled with images of vibrantly coloured ceilings, decorated courtyards and walls, of plaster of Paris carved and painted in intricate geometries, of tiles so small that 150 could fit in a matchbox. Lavishly illustrated chapters on decorative and folk arts alternate with chapters on Moroccan life today. We visit Chaouen in the Rif Mountains (a city only recently open to Westerners), where the town's smooth, undulating surfaces are painted a bone-chilling, blue-tinted white. We peer into an abandoned kasbah in the Sahara. We absorb the sights, sounds and smells of the frenzied souk. We take time out in the shady blue-and-pink environs of the Majorelle Gardens, laid out by French painter Jacques Majorelle. We explore the story behind the most famous hotel La Mamounia, which has welcomed such guests as Winston Churchill, and most importantly, we see Morocco's arts brough to life in its homes - from former harems to traditional Hispano-Moorish houses. Morocco is an assault on the senses. Glorious photographs make this book a treasure for the armchair traveller, while the luscious documentation of Morocco's houses, arts and crafts make it an invaluable resource for anyone involved in design.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Photographer Lisl Dennis and her husband, writer Landt Dennis, are actively involved in the travel and design fields. Often working as a team, they have contributed to a range of international publications, including Architectural Digest, House Beautiful and Harper's Bazaar, and written several books, among them Behind AdobeWalls: The Hidden Homes of Santa Fe and Taos and Tiles: Choosing, Designing and Living with Ceramic Tiles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson; Rev Sub edition (May 28, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500282641
• ISBN-13: 978-0500282649
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #367,253 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Examples, September 4, 2001

By 

Kristi M. Casey "red0681" (Glenville, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Living in Morocco: Design from Casablanca to Marrakesh (Paperback)

I really liked this book, as well as Moroccan Style. I felt this book was a little more comprehensive on the styles by region of Morocco and showed more traditional design.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aboslutely Stunning, June 13, 2007

By 

Lynn Conradt-eberlin "Altan Thorunn" (Jacksonville FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Living in Morocco: Design from Casablanca to Marrakesh (Paperback)

The photography is inspirational -- whether you are a shutter bug or trying to grasp the details that make this part of the world's interiors so beautiful. Striking colors, well-chosen compossions -- this book is a must have. My only regret is the lack of printed information that would educate me on the fine details and intricate subtilies of this design form.

Still, a must have for anyone with interest in photography or the striking vistas on can create for their home or garden.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A completely different take on interior design, May 13, 2007

By 

Jennifer Bishop (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Living in Morocco: Design from Casablanca to Marrakesh (Paperback)

This book is really very beautiful. I have transgressed Asian and southwestern design and this book is just what I wished for.