Moroccan living

interior

With a contemporary palette of bespoke furniture, designer pieces, enormous chandeliers and quirky accessories, Ishtiaq Baig’s house is an example of luxurious living. The home exudes mix of styles, fusing classic design with more modern pieces.

Baig shifted into his spacious seven-bedroom house some two years ago. The house has been built on modern lines and is an amalgam of Pakistani and Moroccan architecture.

It consists of three levels – basement, ground and upper floor. “Since I am inspired by Moroccan architecture, I especially hired a Moroccan architect Aroch to get the Moroccan touch in my house. He was assisted by some local architects to design the house,” says Baig who is also the Hon. Consul General of Morocco.

“The house has natural light; one can view outdoor pool from every portion and lush green lawn from every room. I love seeing the water when we are sitting in the lounge. It creates such a wonderful ambiance,” expresses Baig.

Furnished with sumptuous pieces, Baig makes impeccable interior choices that rank high in style stakes and can rightly be called opulence. Featuring an array of patterns, colours, shapes and textures, the interiors of the house is heavily inspired by Moroccan furnishing whereas his study is based on British theme with wood and leather. “I did not use an interior designer.

I had my own ideas of how I wanted to do things, and I was in no rush, I enjoyed the process of piecing everything together until it became a coherent space. Most of the furniture you see here is custom-made. However, my favourite piece of furniture is a leather sofa from Chesterfield London,” elucidates Baig.

A large sweeping staircase, leading to the ultra-chic upstairs, certainly makes a statement upon entrance, but one of the signature signs of Baig’s input has to be the vast number of artefacts and artworks in each room. Each piece in each room has had its location carefully thought out. “I love collecting things from my travels because it keeps the memory of that trip alive. I picked an item in each room as a focal point and went for pieces and colours to complement it.

My collection of artefacts collected over a period from all over the world, like Lladro Porcelain, Dune Paris and artifacts from Morocco,” he shares. “I also spent time taking the lighting into account, as I believe this is really important in creating the right amount of balanced mood throughout a home. The house looks good especially when it is lid in the night.”

The Moroccan style he admires has made a tasteful appearance in the furniture and decorations in most of his rooms especially his Moroccan saloon consists of Moroccan chandeliers and lamps. While shedding light on Moroccan style of décor Baig describes, “All Moroccan furniture, from sofas, pouf seating, ottomans, and decorative hand-carved wood tables, sit low to the ground. Moroccan decor features lots of lush fabrics in rich colours, intricate textures, and busy patterns. Upholstered seating includes velvets and silks. Lighting, mirrors, accent rugs, and plants are all important elements of Moroccan décor. I love the beautiful Moroccan rug gifted to me by the Govt. of Morocco for my Moroccan saloon.”

The drawing room has a regal look. The room has been furnished with great attention to detail, with each piece thought about. “I find this room so glamorous, and it’s a great place to greet guests,” states Baig. The presence of crystal chandeliers in each room speaks eloquently of Baig’s fascination with them. To this end he says, “I am a huge advocate of decorating my ceilings with crystal chandeliers as the sheer exuberance of them can add charm, and drama to any space. If you want to create an enchanting atmosphere, what you need is a crystal chandelier: every piece of crystal will reflect light in a unique way, forcing your eyes to linger on its iridescent beauty.”

Art also plays a big role in Baig’s home’s interiors as the walls, all over the place, have been adorned with exquisite paintings. “I love art and have good collection of paintings of Changez, Ajab Gul, Mona Naqsh, Mashkoor, Iqbal Durrani and some well-known Moroccan artists,” elaborates Baig. As far as home accessories are concerned, Baig likes to shop from London or Dubai. He observes that people have become trend conscious when it comes to furnishing their homes. He strongly believes that one should never compromise on comfort and should not blindly follow trends while decorating their homes.

Being a socialite, Baig loves entertaining guests and has get togethers at his place every now and then. “People admire my taste when they come to my house,” grins Baig who is also the Founding President of Make-A-Wish Foundation Pakistan. According to Baig his favourite room in the house is basement with indoor pool, theatre and gym. “I like spending time in my basement as it provides me a respite from my hectic busy life,” tells Baig.

With contemporary and classic furnishings, Baig’s home cleverly manages to convey a lavish lifestyle. However, despite its grand scale, the large artworks and luxurious materials, it still has a welcoming feel to it.

Photography by

Shaharyar Hasan