Houzz Tour: Morocco Meets Texas in a Family Townhouse

This Texas townhouse was bedecked in French country style for years and needed a new look. The style inspiration: the souks of Morocco and that country's love of cobalt blue, intricate handmade rugs and patterned tiles covering expanses of walls, floors and fountains.

Interior designer Laura Umansky responded with a new design inspired by the family's extensive travels around the world and their love of Morocco in particular, adding carved cabinet doors and cabinets, handmade Moroccan-style tiles, bold colors, hammered metal lanterns, textured fabrics, rugs and more.

Turn off all portable electronic devices and buckle up; we're taking off for a place where Marrakech meets Houston.

Houzz at a Glance
Location: Southampton neighborhood (adjacent to Rice University) of Houston
Size: 2,965 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 3½ baths

"The deep cobalt hue was the jumping-off point for this home's color palette — I absolutely love this color," says Umansky, of Laura U. "It is a color seen frequently in Moroccan homes and is throughout the famous Majorelle Garden in Marrakech."

Umansky and her team worked with some architectural elements from the original French country decor, such as these beautiful iron doors, which have a rich bronze finish, and the checkerboard travertine floors.



"While there were no specific Moroccan interiors that we referenced, we did incorporate Moroccan motifs, textiles and materials throughout," Umansky says. She bought some special pieces through importers, while her clients provided some of their own furniture and accessories.


The home's existing checkerboard travertine floor tiles are laid out at 45-degree angles and work well with the Moroccan style.


This formerly dark study off the foyer is now a light and colorful space that inspires one of the owners, who spends her days writing.

Lights: Four Hands


Umansky and team designed built-ins with woodwork that includes exotic curves and laser-cut panel inserts. Perforated hammered-tin lanterns hang overhead.

Panel inserts: Custom Mouldings


A local artist painted this mural in the nursery, which adds colorful graphics for the clients' newborn daughter.


A variety of fabrics transformed the owners' existing white slipcovered sofa. "It is the combination of different textures and patterns that makes this space feel warm and comfy," Umansky says.

The doors throughout the house are painted high-gloss cobalt blue. "This was a bit of a scary decision, but once we saw them, we were thrilled," she says.


"Our client requested a blue sofa — it was at the very top of her list," Umansky says. "It made it very easy for us to inject color into the home. She had no fear of vibrant hues whatsoever!"


The client found this intricate mirror at an importer's warehouse in Los Angeles and knew it belonged in this home. Umansky had an armoire fabricated to let the mirror serve as its center door.

Dining table: Oly Studio; Moroccan dining room lanterns: Curry and Company, available via Laura U


Umansky used a number of textured tiles in a monochromatic palette to create architectural details on the dining room's columns. "We were able to enrich the interior without using color everywhere," she describes.


The vibrant zigzag tile surrounding the fireplace draws the eye to the center of the far end of the room. More custom built-ins surround it but fade into the background, letting the patterned tiles take the spotlight.


The kitchen had been closed off from the rest of the living space. Removing the wall between the family room and the living room was the first design move. "We used a graceful curve to create a bit of separation at the ceiling," Umansky says.

Tiles: Walker-Zanger; bar stools: Abacus, Noir Furniture



Cobalt blue appears again in the master bedroom on the bed and the doors.

The light-colored wood floors that worked with the home's former French country style translated well to the new Moroccan style. "We loved them and thought they brought a bit of rustic ambience," Umansky says.


Both designer and client agreed that window seats create spaces in which people love to spend time, and they found places to nestle them throughout the home. This one provides a reading nook just outside the master suite.


The main bath needed a complete remodel, including taller-than-average vanities for the tall homeowners.

Patterned-tile walls are common sights in Morocco. Umansky chose a lively pattern in a subdued palette to fit the Texas home.


A chair-rail-high band of teal paint behind tall upholstered headboards plays with scale and complementary colors in the guest room.


Bold fabrics, curved walls and intricate lanterns continue onto the loggia. "This home has a fantastic outdoor space that we defined with outdoor drapery," Umansky says. "The drapery is made using 100 percent solution-dyed acrylic fabric, which is perfect for outdoor use and a breeze to maintain," she says. "You can clean it with a bleach-water solution."


A bonus room over the garage serves as a little getaway spot and is almost a complete departure from the rest of the house — with the exception of the bit of cobalt blue. Everything else is strictly black and white. "It is an unexpected color combo that we had a ton of fun with!" Umansky says.

Refrigerator: Smeg

URL: Houzz Tour: Morocco Meets Texas in a Family Townhouse http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-18305.html