Stellar seller and Chairish favorite, House of Cindy, ventured to Morocco to handpick some delectable finds for her Chairish shop. She let us in on trends she scouted during her pilgrimage, as well as tips and tricks for shopping Moroccan souks (open-air marketplaces) and American flea markets alike.
Shopping the souks of Morocco is a magical journey into another time. On this trip, I shopped the souks of Fez and Marrakech, both built in medieval times. The souks are a feast for the senses: they have high walls and a labyrinth of meandering pathways, most only wide enough for foot traffic or a donkey cart loaded with carpets for transport.
This trip, and the unique environment of the souks, brought my soul to life and engaged my inner explorer. When you enter the souk for the first time you are guaranteed to get lost - and that is part of the fun. Everything imaginable can be found: lighting, carpets, caftans, pottery, leather goods, textiles, metal goods, home décor, books, herbs, jewelry. The variety of goods is endless.
Souk shopping can be likened to a sport, and bargaining is a must. If you have an idea of what you are shopping for, do your price research online before you go into the souk. That way you know the value of the items you are purchasing, and you can decide what you are prepared to pay (and stick to it!). This will help in your negotiations and being overcharged for an item. More than once I walked away from a sale to get the price I wanted to pay. Take nothing personally, be present, listen to your intuition and follow its lead.
I took this trip to go textile hunting, and whenever I travel, I set an intention for my mission. My intention for this trip was “Magic Carpet Ride.” I wanted to discover the best of Morocco, and the beauty to discover the best of Morocco and the beauty and magic that the country can offer. On my journey, I discovered Kasbahs, Lawrence of Arabia’s Sahara Desert, genies, nomads, camels, the renowned area of Palmerie, the traditional arts and most importantly, the heart of Morocco, its people.
Interwoven: Morocco + Textiles
Textiles play a major role in Moroccan lifestyle and décor. Nomad and Berber tents are made of carpets and thickly woven camel hair blankets. Thick boucherouite rugs, made up of woven pieces of textiles, double as doorway covers to keep blowing sands from entering inside the tent. Thick beni ourain rugs, covering zellije tiled floors, keep homes warm through the chilly winter months in the High Atlas Mountains.
I hunted, discovered and purchased the best textiles, carpets, poufs and pillows I could find. The textile arts in Morocco are traditionally considered women’s work; handmade with hard-earned skills (and a lot of heart and soul), the textile arts of weaving, embroidery, and sewing are practiced to perfection.
Top Trends
The two major trends I saw were wicker (often mixed with boucherouite), and basket pendant lighting. Before arriving in Morocco, I spent the first few days of my trip in Paris and stopped in at the famous Merci lifestyle shop (adorable courtyard below). There I spied both wicker pendant lighting and wicker baskets adorned in the boucherouite style, with woven scraps of textiles for adornment.
The trends continued in Morocco. The boucherouite style is used to make rugs, pillows, and purses, and adorn decorative objects, baskets, and jewelry. I spied wicker and basket style lighting everywhere in Morocco, from the restaurants in the souks to the riads and shops. The simple elegance of wicker lighting, too, was all the rage.
I also spied lots of Hamsa and evil eye jewelry and home décor items. Tassels were a major part of the Moroccan lifestyle, adorning, bags, door knobs, curtain tie backs, and lighting.
A Market Like No Other
I’ve shopped at some of the largest flea markets in the US and abroad, including California’s Alameda, Long Beach, Rose Bowl, Brimfield; the NYC flea markets; Elephants Trunk in Connecticut; and the souks in New Delhi, Fez, and Marrakech.
Shopping in the souks of Morocco was very different than shopping in American flea markets. The traditional craftspeople of Morocco make most of the traditional items available in the souks, and the items are mostly new.
In the flea markets of America, one can find all items from all time periods and locals, and sellers pick and curate the items that are sold in their stalls. Usually the sellers ask a fair price for the items being sold. Sometimes you bargain a little off the asking price, and sometimes you don’t if the price is fair or a bargain in comparison to what you might pay in a retail store.
In markets in both Morocco and the US, it is always ‘buyer beware.’ Check the quality of the merchandise: look for holes, damages and any repairs that are required. Be sure to ask the seller if there is anything wrong with the item. Most sellers are honest and will tell you when asked.
Cindy’s Top 10 Tips for Flea Market Shopping
A little forethought and preparation can go a long way and set you up for a successful day of flea market shopping.
1. Before you begin, set your intentions for the day.
2. The early bird gets the worm! The perfect metaphor for flea market shopping. Shopping can be competitive, and choice items get snapped up first thing, so get there early to find the best items.
3. Be sure to fuel yourself with a good breakfast.
4. Cash is king! Offering cash will always get you a better deal. Be prepared and stop by the bank before you arrive at the market, as ATMs are often out of cash by midday.
5. If it’s your first time visiting a market, check out the website before you go, to see the layout, hours, parking, and rules of the market (often pets are not allowed).
6. Be prepared to do a lot of walking. Wear comfortable shoes, bring a comfortable handled tote bag, a measuring tape, a hat, sunglasses, a bottle of water, and a snack to sustain your energy level.
7. Follow your eye: it knows what it loves. Know what you are looking for, but allow yourself to be flexible when you find an item you can’t live without.
8. Time is of the essence. If you find an item that you absolutely can’t live without and want purchase, but the price is a little higher than you want to pay, buy it anyway. If you walk away and can’t get the item out of your head, it most likely won’t be there when you return.
9. Measure twice and cut once. If you are looking for larger items, know the size of the table, or sofa or credenza that will fit in the designated space before you shop. For perfect color matches, bring fabric and paint swatches.
10. Have Fun! Thanks to Martha Stewart, flea market shopping has become a national pastime, with everyone from movie stars to grandparents shopping and decorating their homes with Sunday flea market shopping finds.
Click here to shop House of Cindy’s global bohemian finds, including some of her treasures from Morocco.