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Material library

Twelve materials, explained the way a specifier needs them

What each material actually is, how it behaves, and where it belongs in a project. Written for architects and buyers, not for tourists.

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01

Zellige

Hand-cut glazed terracotta

Fes clay, shaped wet, sun-dried, wood-fired at ~980°C, glazed with mineral oxides, then chiselled by hand. The irregular edge and shade movement are the point.

40+ glazes · from 20 m²
02

Bejmat

Glazed & unglazed floor brick

A denser, thicker cousin of zellige, laid in herringbone or running bond. Takes heavy traffic; unglazed develops a patina underfoot.

10×10 & 5×15 cm
03

Tadelakt

Polished waterproof lime plaster

Marrakech lime burnished with a river stone and sealed with black soap. Seamless, breathable, genuinely waterproof when properly applied.

500 kg minimum
04

Cedar

Middle Atlas Cedrus atlantica

Aromatic, stable, carves cleanly. Kiln-dried to 10–12% for export. The traditional wood of Fes doors, ceilings and mashrabiya.

FSC on request
05

Thuya

Burl root wood, Essaouira

A dense, fragrant burl with a swirling figure. Expensive, slow, and unmistakable — used in small quantities for effect.

Small pieces only
06

Brass & copper

Seffarine quarter metalwork

Sheet brass hammered, pierced and engraved by hand. Raw, hammered, aged, or lacquered to hold its shine.

4 standard finishes
07

Wrought iron

Forged and twisted

Structural and decorative ironwork — grilles, balustrades, bed frames, lantern armatures — forged rather than cast.

Powder-coat available
08

Leather

Vegetable-tanned, Chouara

Goat, sheep and cow hides tanned in the Fes pits with lime and natural dyes. Stiffer and more characterful than chrome-tanned.

Chrome-free
09

Wool

Handspun Atlas wool

From Middle Atlas flocks, handspun and dyed. Coarser than merino — which is exactly why Beni Ourain rugs wear for decades.

Natural or dyed
10

Sabra

Agave silk

Sometimes sold as 'cactus silk'. High lustre, strong, takes dye brilliantly. Woven into throws, cushions and trim.

Wide colour range
11

Gebs

Carved gypsum plaster

Cast in place and carved wet with a chisel. Muqarnas, friezes and arch profiles are cut freehand from a drawing.

Cast to your profile
12

Tamegroute

Green-glazed pottery

Fired in the Draâ valley with a copper-oxide glaze that produces the distinctive melting green. Every piece varies.

Small-batch only

Choosing between them

Four decisions that shape the budget

Material choice drives 60–70% of a Moroccan craft budget. These are the trade-offs worth making consciously.

  • 01Zellige or bejmat?Zellige for walls and pattern; bejmat for floors and traffic. Zellige on a restaurant floor is the most expensive mistake we see.
  • 02Hand-cut or machine-cut?Machine-cut is cheaper, faster and flat — and looks it. If irregularity isn't why you're buying Moroccan, machine-cut is the honest choice.
  • 03Natural or synthetic dye?Natural for premium, low-volume, story-driven lines. Fibre-reactive for anything sold with a returns policy.
  • 04Lacquered or living brass?Lacquer holds the showroom finish for years. Raw brass patinates into something better — but your client has to want that in writing.

Want the samples in your hand?

Three sample boxes, $49 each, credited in full against your first order.

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For professionals

Whatever you build, buy or specify — Morocco works for you

Six professions, one partner: workshop-direct pricing, samples before production and your own project manager on the ground in Morocco — negotiating, inspecting and reporting so you never manage a workshop from abroad.

Also behind these doors: landscape designers · restaurant groups · developers · event & set designers · museums & cultural institutions

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