House tour-a moroccan jewel....

Fashion designer Liz Bruce and her artist husband Nicholas Alvis Vega own many homes in different parts of the world but their abode in Morocco ( featured in elle decor ) must certainly be the crown jewel of them all. They found an abandoned half-built riad( a traditional moroccan home built around an interior garden) in a village on the foothills of the Atlas mountains. In their words, it was 'hideous' but had 'great bones'. Using local resources and artisans , Vega, the son of an architect, created this exotic beauty of a home, which the couple proudly calls their 'pleasure palace'! Throughout the house there is a harmonious juxtaposing of Islamic patterns and Swahili design.

The pristine white exterior ( very unusual among the typically light pink exteriors of moroccan homes) with its arched walls and domes is in stark contrast to the exuberant colors and patterns that meet the eye as soon as you step inside....

....the color saturated custom- pink ( appropriately termed 'passion pink' by the couple) sitting-room with its treasure trove of tribal and ethnic artifacts gives you an idea of what is to come...

An Afghan warlord's bed for a sofa and a wool Berber cape for a wall hanging are among the many exotic pieces in this room....

The kitchen is yet another story in gorgeous colors...using locally crafted tiles and cabinet screens...what a pleasure it must be to cook in such a space...I'm loving the herringbone pattern on the floor...

My favourite part of the house is this beautiful bath with the tub in the shape of an eight-pointed star and a similar pattern in the mirrored wall( which is exactly the pattern that I saw on the floor of the inner chamber of the Tajmahal where the cenotaphs are).I also spotted a washcloth/towel with an Indian religious motif on it...looks like an image of Lord Rama to me! And can we talk a little about the color here...it is just too gorgeous...does anybody know what it is called?

The bedrooms however are a study in serenity. The guest-bedroom with its soothing cream -colored walls( with just a tint of pink, perhaps?) and beautiful artifacts from Africa, including the Tuareg bed has locally crafted doors ...can you imagine how beautiful it must look when the light streams through the light-blue tinted glass on the doors!! And yes the ubiquitous eight-pointed star on the floor as well!

Another shot of the guest-bedroom with the African furniture and the latticed door( with the eight-pointed star!). How gorgeous is that light fixture !

The harlequin patterned moroccan tables add to the whimsy. I am loving the hardware on the door...you recognise that pattern?

A Tuareg nomad's bed topped with Syrian mirrors takes center-stage in the master bedroom...The bedcover is Uzbek ikat and the brocade pillow is Moroccan. I can't get over the beautiful crafts from varied places featured in this amazing house!

What is a dream home without a pool? Well how about this natural pool sorrounded by papyrus plants and rose geraniums...exotic enough? There is a profusion of the eight-pointed star pattern here as well...on the bottom of the pool, lounging platforms along the edges of the pool, on the wall beyond the arch....

....as well as the wall sconce !! What a beautiful place to lounge with a glass of wine in between dips in the pool! The textiles featured throughout the house are worthy of a place in a museum!

Finally the main rooftop terrace with the mountains in the background and a plethora of colorful cushions for the perfect twilight soiree with a bunch of friends.

To read the full article and to see the rest of the photos please visit here. I can't recommend it enough!

all images by Simon Upton for  elledecor