pauline Brettell

The last few months have been busy, full of welcoming guests, writing and planning all punctuated by more than my fair share of mint tea and tasty tagines. Both Tea…

Calling all designers, aspiring designers or anyone with a creative urge to transform an idea into a handwoven reality! I am collaborating with Estila – a fabulous platform that promotes…

Khanfous Retreat is exactly that . . . a retreat from a busy world and an opportunity to step off the grid for a few days and live life at…

{interior by Malene Birger via} When most people think of Morocco, its all about the medinas and the souks, the traders and the artisans, the perfumes and  of course, the…

image via I love reading about a place I am travelling to – whether a travel book on a practical level, or a more immersive fictional story that simply uses…

This lampshade and that particular shade of blue were two of the first things I purchased and set into place in the re-imagining of Dar Ambrosia. The blue has become…

 Some really exciting plans and projects are taking shape – they might involve a riad, some pots of paint and more than a few broad brushstrokes of inspiration… Please sign…

  I know that I’m not the only person who spends {wastes, procrastinates?} time looking at houses for sale in various bucket list destinations. Recently this house caught my attention…

It is often the details,  the small things, that capture my attention in Morocco.  Like these spools of thread that line the shelves of the weavers souk in Tangiers The…

Discovering the carpets of North Africa is like taking a highly patterned journey through some of the most remote areas of the Atlas Mountains before heading into the Sahara Desert.…

{image via} FIFTY SHADES OF GREEN Like so many Moroccan crafts and products, the distinctive style, design and technique of the Tamegroute pottery is embedded in practical neccesity, out of…

(image by Sarah Charpentier) I was recently commissioned to write a few articles for the lifestyle pages of The National News – I enjoyed writing this, as it is a…

As we vaguely shift into holiday mode (well it is August, even if we arent going anywhere . . . ) I thought it might be a good idea to…

 With borders closed and plans postponed there is a lot of talk at the moment about the travel industry as a whole, and more specifically how important SUSTAINANBLE and RESPONSIBLE…

A Post-Lockdown Travel Wish-List! I havent been doing much other than yoga and baking the odd loaf of bread lately as I felt like the {moroccan} carpet had been pulled…

Most mornings I scroll through Instagram with my coffee: liking, commenting, smiling . . . and every now again something new catches your eye. The feed of @myriamaucitron was like a…

(image by Sarah Charpentier) T{ea}INT{angier} TINT is a woven project that  is the result of collaboration and inspiration from  the North of Morocco.   (image Sarah Charpentier) For some time now…

I have been a little slow off the mark to reignite my blogging mojo this new year/new decade/best foot forward time of year,  but this week got me back on…

Tangier Tours Tour Tangier with us and you might even get to have some {mint}tea in Tangier here at Cafe Baba – or wherever else you choose to stop en-route!

It’s great seeing young designers creative and focussed amidst everything else (like school) they have to do, especially when that creativity has a direct connection to their roots and culture…

The sculptural lighting designs are what initially caught my eye, and as their design portfolio keeps on expanding I thought it was time I had a chat with Hamimi creative…

Writer Stéphanie Gaou is the force and inspiration behind Les Insolites in Tangier – Les Insolites translates directly as “the unusual” and with this in mind it is so much…

Perched on the top of the hill looking out across the straits to Spain is the area known as the Kasbah – historically this was the fortified area above the…

 I have in the past, mentioned a few places in Tangiers that I have stayed at and would happily and wholeheartedly recommend. I though it might be useful to put…

It was this beautiful vintage fish ornament that first drew my attention to this little shop down on eof the sides streets in the medina of Assilah. Then one day…

Some people land in Tangier and never manage to leave, but for many it is simply a port and a point of transit. A place to briefly gather their thoughts…

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you will have seen an uncharacteristic amount of action on these pages over the last week. Something of a change from my…

So we are all clear that Mint Tea is a HUGE thing in Morocco  . . . And in fact some would go so far as to say that no…

A few weeks ago, after wondering through the Kasbah, stopping to chat to The Brass Man about a design, tripping over a film crew setting up a faux market place…

On these pages I tend to ramble on about places I have already visited or stayed at, but for a change, I thought I would share with you a list…

Despite spending a fair amount of time in shops and souks when I am in Morocco, I don’t buy a lot for myself. But when I was perusing the racks…

{image via} I do enjoy a quick morning scroll through Instagram with my morning coffee – and I follow a wide range of accounts, from those of friends and family,…

I am becoming a bit gardening obsessed at the moment, and find myself searching for gardening books almost as often as cookbooks. It is, I feel, in anticipation of things…

I know I am a little biased when it comes to extolling the virtues of taking some time out in Assilah, so when another Moroccan Travel expert does it ,…

Overlooking the city of Tangier, the rolling lawns and curved pathways of Dar Sinclair are as enticing as the interior.     There is a place for everyone – perfect corners…

{image via El Fenn } I have been trawling  through my  image files and my boards on Pinterest this week as I am working on an idea for a bespoke woven…

There are so many things about this house that I love . . . The way it fits seamlessly into the landscape. The simplicity of design, along with the intricacy…

I think this may be a record in procrastination – even for me . . . I am a trifle embarrassed to admit that I started this “series” almost a…

I first met Omar at a market in Bristol and I couldn’t resist buying a jar of Amlou – which was soon devoured at home. I love how they have…

Dar Hafa is situated on the edge of one of my favourite  parts of the city – the Marshan – not far from the Royal Palace and just around the corner…

Dar Sinclair sits majestically in its 3 acres of glorious gardens overlooking the bay of Tangier. It is hard to believe that the taxis and traffic and bustle of the…

Sometimes a single image can make the difference between obligation and inspiration when it comes to writing, and this image of  Yayu Kusama’s Obliteration Room in Brisbane (via), was one…

I have coffee, I have cake, and I am listening to The Noisettes as I sit down to read another chapter of my book. Earlier this week I posted this…

I have been following Nargisse on Instagram for some time now – drawn by her inspiring images and recipes that are so deeply rooted in Moroccan tradition yet have a…

I think the best way to describe Dar Scribe is that it is a perfectly formed little house with a really big view! I was lucky enough to make it…

It is the journey this blog takes me on, through my love of all things design and travel, that keeps me going and inspired.  And of course key to any…

Contemporary design is alive and well in Morocco, and, in my opinion, too often overlooked in favour of the lure of the  traditions and crafts of the souks. Don’t get…

Good morning – it feels like Monday despite the fact that its Tuesday, but in my defence I spent most of Sunday and Monday in transit and travelling “home”.  Maybe…

Not a lot of words on this post, just some inspiring images of this beautiful house in Tangier. Sitting quite literally on the northern edge of Africa with an incredible…

It was the colours and designs of Amaz sneakers that initially caught my eye on Instagram, but it was the story behind the images that drew me in, so I…

A major event in Assilah is the annual Arts Festival that takes place every summer – this showcases both visual and performing arts, and although there has been some criticism…

Things have been quite busy in my neck of the woods, so I thought it might be time for a coffee break. I am pretty flexible about a lot of…

  This is the 1st of what I hope will become a monthly feature on my blog – a place to share what I am reading, listening to, watching or…

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED SOON WITH MORE INFORMATION AND CONTACT DETAILS ABOUT DAR AMBROSIA #ahouseinassilah To keep up to date with the progress of this riad-renovation…

I have written about these wonderfully patterned, handmade tiles before over HERE I love these tiles, and as a result have put together a limited range that I will be…

    Although it was the packaging of the beautiful L’art du Bain soaps that first got my attention, it is the quality of the products that keep me hooked.…

I spent a wonderful morning at Amal Women’s Training Centre when I was in Marrakech a few months ago, learning to cook my favourite Moroccan dish . . . Lemon…

Thinking about organising a RETREAT? Got an idea for running a WORKSHOP?   If you are interested in organising a retreat, workshop or event in the pretty seaside medina of…

It is almost impossible for me to walk past a carpet shop in morocco without at least having a look and strange as it may sound, possibly even stroking the…