-What set you off as a blogger?
I have been blogging since 2006 (Incredible! Time passes so very fast!). I was born in Cairo to a mother from Tehran and a father from Manhattan. I grew up in Chappaqua, New York and Wellesley, Massachusetts. I went to Smith College where I studied literature and international affairs and then went on to get a Masters from Johns Hopkins in international affairs. After graduate school, I moved overseas for my work as a human rights and governance specialist. I have traveled to over 70 countries but currently live in an olive grove in Marrakesh where I have a B&B called Peacock Pavilions that I designed, built and decorated from scratch with my architect husband. I also have an online shop called Red Thread Souk. Over the last couple of years I have worked on a coffee table book for Artisan Books, Marrakesh by Design. It’s just hot off the press!
-What’s your blogging schedule like?
I typically blog two to three times a week, often writing in the evening and photographing by day. I’ve been lucky enough to have my blog voted Best Blog in Africa in the Annual Weblog Awards (Bloggies) for the last two years.
-Favorite showroom at the DDB?
Because I have lived overseas for years, I haven’t spent time at the DDB. I can’t wait to see it with fresh eyes! I am going to scout goods with a modern global or tribal feel--my personal leaning in design.
-All-time favorite designers or designs?
I love black and white photography, and if I win the lottery, I plan to collect Photographer Albert Watson’s iconic images of Morocco.
I’m also crazy about this Moorish bed from Martyn Bullard and his line of Moroccan fabrics – although I live in Morocco, I can never have enough of fresh interpretations of Moroccan design. They are so rich and usable.
-What’s on your coffee or beside table?
My coffee table (and, indeed, many of the surfaces of my house) is like a flat surfaced cabinet of curiosities. The table itself is made of a handmade Moroccan ceiling panel. Right now I have on it, old finely carved stools from Mali, a fossilized whale vertebrae found in the Sahara desert, and a set of three vintage handmade Mauritanian wood bowls made for serving camel milk, each filled with strands of glass African beads, some 100-200 years old. You can see my home at Peacock Pavilions in the April 2012 issue of Elle Décor.
-How do you get your news?
I use Twitter to aggregate my news feeds. So I get global news in headline form in a flash.
-What are five bookmarks you check at least once a day?
I’m on the road for my work a lot and have several side projects on tap right now. But when I have time I like to check out the following: Indagare.com: I love this beautiful travel and shopping site! http://indagare.com/ The latest digital travel issue is on Morocco. Ebay: I admit that I am an ebay addict! Ebay’s blog, the Inside Source, profiled some of my Moroccan picks. French magazine Cote Sud always has inspiring homes, many in Morocco. I check it out regularly to see what’s new. I’m a huge fan of the Moroccan artist Hindi Zahra. I obsessively check her website concert schedule in case she is coming to Morocco. I saw her in concert when I was at the Salon du Livre et du Presse in Geneva. I now officially consider myself her disciple. Brownbook: An urban guide to the Middle East. Perhaps the most beautiful paper magazine I’ve ever seen. And it has a great website.
-What’s the best thing/discovery/source/person you’ve found this week (or month)?
I am really enjoying Sibella Court’s book, Nomad: http://tinyurl.com/d9mkzf5. I flip it open to random pages for inspiration. Also, as a present to myself for finishing my book, I recently bought this beautiful watch. It’s a daily reminder to me that anything’s possible.
-Tell us something interesting about you?
I’m fascinated by symbols and meanings, magic and the supernatural. In Moroccan design, many things aren’t simply beautiful -- they do double duty by warding off the evil eye and sending pesky genies running. I love magic and supernatural I’ve been to witchdoctors and fortune tellers in multiple countries, including Senegal, Morocco, Benin, and the Central African Republic.
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