Moroccan Vibe

Written By: Deena Bouknight | Issue: 2021/09 – September

No whimsical bear or trout motifs allowed for a newly renovated home in Highlands. 

The owners, who hail from Macon, Georgia, bought the home as a getaway and have dubbed it their “Moroccan Mountain Home” due to its distinct interior aesthetic. 

Explained Amelia Island, Florida-based interior designer Robyn Branch, “We have a few clients in the Highlands area, and I’ve worked with the owners on the remodeling and redesign of three other properties. They gave me great direction, and I knew where they wanted to go with this.” 

The interior design starting point was a desired Moroccan-style bedroom. 

Said Branch, “We started from scratch, and (the owners) were insistent on shopping locally as much as possible.”

For the complete renovation and re-design of the “dated” home, the owners also tried to work with as many local resources. 

For example, the builder was Green Mountain Builders. Plus, the project included Corbin Tucker of Inside-Outside, Michelle and Phillip Price of Antique Reclaimed Lumber, and Carlos Vasquez Landscaping. Jamie Morgan and Shawn Love with King Siding and Trim tackled the extensive woodwork in the two-story home.  

“From the outside it looks like a gingerbread house, but it’s spacious inside with open ceilings and exposed beams,” said Branch.

She noted that the owners want to “keep things casual because they entertain a lot,” but  distinctness involved adding details such as barnwood, window seats, and plenty of ambient lighting. Additionally, Branch pointed out that other eclectic features are hand-carved accessories, hand-made pottery, hand-chiseled stone, and hand-carved wood…a lot of different textures everywhere you look. Probably the dining chandelier is one of my favorite pieces…a sculptural piece that provides a wonderful glow and ambiance. It has crystal shards that look like rocks. And the owners like strong colors of purple, blues, and oranges as well as art throughout.”

The Moroccan bedroom’s jumping-off point is a flat plank bed with a unique shape. In the master bedroom are also reflective materials, textile-like wallpaper, hanging lanterns, a heavily carved dresser, and an over-dyed, antiqued, Persian-look rug. 

In the kitchen is an under-lit white quartz island. “This was challenging, but like the rest of the home, it’s beautiful
but functional.” 

Branch added, “I was flattered and thrilled to be included. It was a joyful project. And I was glad they trusted me to do something different in this home.”  

A former dance instructor, Branch has been an interior designer since about 2014, having grown up in a home furnishings family retail business. Robyn Branch Design also has an office in Charleston, South Carolina, and the design team tackles projects throughout the United States and in St. Kitts in the Caribbean.