Moroccan Living Room Ideas: 13 Ways to Get a Modern Riad Look

The Moroccan living room ideas that work in an ordinary home start with a calm base (warm white walls, a low sofa) and add a few strong pieces: a wool rug, a leather pouf, a brass tray table and a pierced lantern. That mix is what people mean by modern Moroccan, and it takes three or four pieces, not a full makeover.

Here are 13 ideas, how to keep the room from looking themed, the colors to use and what to buy first.

What Defines a Moroccan Living Room

• Low, generous seating with many cushions, made for sitting together.
• Layered textiles: wool rugs, flat-woven kilims, embroidered and velvet cushions.
• Pattern from handmade surfaces: glazed tile, carved wood, woven rugs.
• Lantern light: pierced metal and warm bulbs, low in the room.
• Plaster walls and arches as the plain background for all of it.

13 Moroccan Living Room Ideas

1Keep seating low and pile on cushions

Traditional Moroccan sitting rooms have low banquettes along the walls. At home, a low sofa or a daybed with a row of cushions along the back gives the same feel. If your sofa stays, change only the cushions and add floor seating.

2Lay a cream wool rug with diamond lines

The best-known Moroccan rug is cream wool with dark lines in a loose diamond pattern, named after the Beni Ourain weavers of the Atlas Mountains. Hand-knotted originals are an investment; "Beni Ourain style" machine-made versions give a similar look for much less. Either way, a pale rug brightens the room and suits modern furniture.

3Layer a flat-weave under or beside it

Layered rugs are part of the look. Put a larger jute or flat-woven rug underneath and let the wool rug sit on top at an angle, or add a small kilim by the armchair. It also makes a too-small rug work in a bigger room.

4Add a leather pouf

A round leather pouf is a seat, a footrest and, with a tray, a table. Tan suits most rooms; white and black versions are more modern. In a small room, a pouf replaces an armchair.

5Use a brass tray table

A round metal tray on a folding wooden stand is the traditional tea table. Use one as a side table, or a large one as the coffee table. Thrift stores often have brass-toned trays.

6Hang or stand a pierced lantern

A pierced metal lantern scatters light into patterns on the walls and ceiling. Hang one as a pendant over the coffee table, or stand a large one on the floor in a corner. Renters can use a plug-in pendant on a ceiling hook, or a floor lantern with an LED candle.

7Light the room low and warm

Moroccan rooms are lit from lamps and lanterns, not from a bright ceiling light. Use warm-white bulbs and put two or three light sources at table and floor height. See how to light a room without ceiling lights for plug-in options.

8Lean an arched mirror

The arch is the shape most tied to Moroccan architecture. An arched mirror brings it in without building work, and leaning it on the floor or a console means no holes in the wall.

9Give the walls a plaster look

Warm white walls with a soft, slightly uneven finish recall Moroccan plaster. If you can paint, a limewash or plaster-effect paint does it. If you rent, leave the walls and choose warm white curtains instead.

10Add one tile moment

Moroccan zellige tile is handmade, glazed and slightly uneven. In a living room, one tiled surface is enough: a tiled tabletop, a tiled tray or a row of tiles as coasters. Our DIY tiled coffee table turns a secondhand table into one.

11Bring in carved wood

A small carved side table, a carved mirror frame or a wooden screen panel adds the detailed woodwork found in riads. One piece is plenty.

12Mix cushions in kilim, velvet and wool

Combine one patterned kilim cushion, one or two plain velvet ones in terracotta or saffron, and one textured cream wool cushion. The mix of textures matters more than matching. Our throw pillow combinations explain how to mix sizes and patterns.

13Finish with green glazed pottery and a palm

Green glazed pottery from Tamegroute, in southern Morocco, is known for its uneven, glossy glaze; any handmade-looking green ceramic gives a similar accent. Add a palm or an olive tree in a clay pot for height.

Modern Moroccan Living Room: How to Keep It From Looking Themed

• Keep the big things plain. Sofa, walls and curtains in warm white, sand or another neutral.
• Limit pattern to two or three places: the rug, one or two cushions, the lantern.
• Choose one metal. Brass throughout looks deliberate; brass, silver and copper together look like a souvenir shelf.
• Mix with what you have. A modern sofa with a Moroccan rug and pouf looks current. A room where everything is Moroccan looks like a set.
• Leave space. Clear floor around the rug and a few empty surfaces keep the room calm.

Moroccan Living Room Colors

• Riad neutral: warm white, sand, cream wool, tan leather, brass. The most modern version.
• Spice: the same base with terracotta, saffron and rust in cushions and throws.
• Blue or green accent: a neutral base with cobalt blue or emerald green in ceramics and one cushion.

Small Living Room? Start With These Four

In a small room, skip the big furniture changes. A pale wool rug, one pouf, one lantern and three cushions fit any layout and can move with you. For where to put the sofa and chairs first, see our small living room layouts.

What to Buy First

Worth spending on:

• The rug. It's the largest Moroccan piece and it sets the palette.
• A good lantern or pendant, since it changes the room every evening.

Easy to save on:

• Cushion covers, which are cheap to swap.
• Brass trays, carved wood and ceramics from thrift stores and flea markets.
• A pouf sold unfilled, which costs less; stuff it with old textiles.

To carry the look through the home, see our Moroccan bedroom ideas and Moroccan balcony ideas.

FAQ

What is Moroccan style in a living room?

Low seating with many cushions, layered rugs, pierced metal lanterns, and handmade surfaces such as glazed tile, carved wood and plaster, usually against plain warm white walls.

How do I make my living room look Moroccan on a budget?

Start with cushion covers, a pouf and a lantern, then add a Beni Ourain style rug. Look for brass trays, carved wood and ceramics secondhand.

What is modern Moroccan decor?

A pared-back version of the style: a neutral, uncluttered room with a few Moroccan pieces, such as a wool rug, a pouf and a lantern, instead of pattern and color on every surface.

What colors go in a Moroccan living room?

Warm white, sand and cream as the base, with terracotta, saffron and rust for warmth, and cobalt blue or emerald green as an accent. Brass is the usual metal.

What rug suits a Moroccan living room?

A cream wool rug with dark diamond lines in the Beni Ourain style suits modern rooms. A flat-woven kilim in warm colors is the more colorful choice, and the two can be layered.