-
The bejmat floor of the master bedroom is covered by Corinne Bensimon Maison rugs. The rattan armchairs and wooden coffee table are from Bab El Khemis. Parentesi pendants by Achille Castiglioni for Flos and Serge Mouille Flamme wall lamps provide lighting at night. A dressing room is hidden behind the headboard. -
In the reading lounge, vintage perforated metal Dédal shelves by Mathieu Mathégot provide contrast against the yellow wall. The ceramic candleholders and carpet were sourced at Soufiane Zarib in Marrakech, and the blue ceramic stool was found at a merchant on the road to Essaouira. -
Throughout the home, tall French windows add to the airy atmosphere, while custom shutters mute the harshness of the sun during the day. -
One of the guest rooms features Corinne Bensimon Maison cushions, a wooden bedside table from a souk in Marrakech and an abstract work by Alexandra Guido. -
On the ground floor, guest rooms are finished in cheerful colours. -
Gabriel commissioned ceramist Charlotte Barkowski to design his bathroom according to the works of Piet Mondrian. The bathtub and floors are tadelakt. -
A corner office next to the lounge features wooden shelves sourced at souks. Mathieu Mathégot’s perforated metal table is complemented by a chair from Bab El Khemis. The Glo-Ball pendant lights are by Jasper Morrison for Flos. -
Bathed in light from the French window, the dining area features a carpet from Anitan in Marrakech, and a vintage table and chairs by Charlotte Perriand, which were sourced in Belgium. The bone mirror was made to measure, and the fireplace was custom-designed and clad in steel. A classic Potence lamp completes the space. -
In the lounge, two armchairs by Pierre Paulin combine with a colourful carpet from Soufiane Zarib in Marrakech and craft wooden stools. Corinne Bensimon Maison sofas are complemented by bright cushions and navy linen curtains. The painting is from a flea market in Casablanca. -
The cement-tiled outdoor dining room features a custom wooden table with steel feet. -
A Mathieu Mathégot table and chairs from Bab El Khemis provide respite near the pool, with vintage armchairs from a St Ouen market in the background. -
The benches, coffee tables and wooden sculpture in the outdoor lounge are from Bab El Khemis, while the terracotta pig is from a merchant on the road to Ourika. -
The pool provides an escape from the heat.
WORDS AND PRODUCTION Laurence Dougier PHOTOS Nicholas Matheus
A few kilometres from Marrakech, this countryside house offers a unique take on the traditional Moroccan riad.
Hidden from view behind high-rammed earth walls, this two-hectare estate offers a welcome respite from the tumult of the “Red City” – a nickname Marrakech has earned thanks to its red sandstone buildings and city walls. Villa Ouidane is a short drive east from Morocco’s fourth-largest city, and offers views of the Atlas Mountains in the distance.
Through a field of olive trees, you get the first view of this rather unique interpretation of a riad – a traditional Moroccan house with an interior garden or courtyard – and a glimpse of its distinctive design. Rather than the colourful, geometrically patterned tiles, ornate metalwork and arches that are the usual hallmarks of a riad, this four-bedroom home mixes in more Modernist inspiration in both architecture and decor. Designed by Belgian architect Quentin Wilbaux, the building’s geometry is based on a division into four symmetrical parts, clustered around a large central courtyard that’s pleasantly shaded by pepper trees.
“I have stayed in many riads in the Marrakech medina (historical district),” says Gabriel, the owner of this haven. “For mine, I wanted a home that’s open and spacious, with an easy flow through to the outdoors, far from noise and crowds.” The result is an entirely dual-aspect house, with the large lounge-dining room and the bedrooms on the ground floor all having direct access to the courtyard and the garden.
READ MORE: Mallorcan Villa
Approaching past a slender swimming pool, you encounter an outdoor lounge that has been kitted out with benches and coffee tables found at Bab El Khemis, a flea market in Marrakech.
Step inside through the large bespoke French window designed by the architect, and you’ll find yourself in a colour-blocked interior lounge that combines both local and French furniture and fabrics. Bathed in light thanks to another huge window, the more muted dining area features a custom steel-clad fireplace for colder winter evenings. In summer, though, a geometrically tiled patio topped by a wood-beam ceiling made by local craftsmen is another outdoor space to enjoy an evening meal.
With the guest bedrooms all on the ground floor, the master is on the level above, and features an en-suite bathroom that pays homage to the great Dutch painter and theoretician Piet Mondrian. A great lover of his work, Gabriel commissioned ceramist Charlotte Barkowski to design a bathroom directly inspired by the artist’s iconic “Compositions” series. Also upstairs is a reading lounge; both it and the master bedroom connect to a huge terrace that overlooks an olive grove and the swimming pool lined with palm trees, pepper trees and cacti.
READ MORE: Coastal Kenyan Villa
By calling on local master masons who still use time-honoured construction methods, Quentin has created a wonderful holiday getaway that combines traditional aspects of Moroccan design with a multi-hued Modernist aesthetic. “With my friend, decorator Corinne Bensimon, we chose several bright colours that tint the walls of each room, and mingle with the furniture and the light fixtures from the 1950s and ’60s to create a singular soul,” says the architect. “For me, it is like no other riad.”
Villa Ouidane can be rented at villanovo.fr.
Looking for more architectural inspiration? Sign up to our weekly newsletter, here.
